Effectiveness of Applying Evidence-based Guidelines for Nurses Training on Nasogastric Tube Care.

BACKGROUND: This study formulated clinical guidelines for assessing nasogastric tube placement and for health education guidance according to evidence-based recommendations. METHOD: This study used a single group, pre- and postintervention design. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants from nursing institutions in Taiwan. RESULTS: Sixty-two individuals in charge of nursing institutions were recruited to participate in the in-service training program. Statistically significant differences were observed in the four major items in the self-directed learning readiness scale (t = 3.85, p < .00; t = 3.99, p < .00; t = 2.94, p < .01; t = 4.13, p < .00). With regard to program satisfaction, the mean score was 4.88 to 4.9 points. The mean score for teaching satisfaction was 4.94 to 4.9 points. Furthermore, the participants scored more than 80 points in the online course test and the nasogastric tube placement skill. CONCLUSION: The individuals in-charge are expected to be willing to apply and promote methods of literature collation and recommendation in their respective institutions. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2021;52(7):326-334.].

Effect of music care on depression and behavioral problems in elderly people with dementia in Taiwan: a quasi-experimental, longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose was to examine the effectiveness of music care on cognitive function, depression, and behavioral problems among elderly people with dementia in long-term care facilities in Taiwan. METHODS: The study had a quasi-experimental, longitudinal research design and used two groups of subjects. Subjects were not randomly assigned to experimental group (n = 90) or comparison group (n = 56). Based on Bandura's social cognition theory, subjects in the experimental group received Kagayashiki music care (KMC) twice per week for 24 weeks. Subjects in the comparison group were provided with activities as usual. RESULTS: Results found, using the control score of the Clifton Assessment Procedures for the Elderly Behavior Rating Scale (baseline) and time of attending KMC activities as a covariate, the two groups of subjects had statistically significant differences in the mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Results also showed that, using the control score of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (baseline) and MMSE (baseline) as a covariate, the two groups of subjects had statistically significant differences in the Clifton Assessment Procedures for the Elderly Behavior Rating Scale. CONCLUSION: These findings provide information for staff caregivers in long-term care facilities to develop a non-invasive care model for elderly people with dementia to deal with depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems.

Dysfunction Screening in Experimental Arteriovenous Grafts for Hemodialysis Using Fractional-Order Extractor and Color Relation Analysis.

In physical examinations, hemodialysis access stenosis leading to dysfunction occurs at the venous anastomosis site or the outflow vein. Information from the inflow stenosis, such as blood pressure, pressure drop, and flow resistance increases, allows dysfunction screening from the stage of early clots and thrombosis to the progression of outflow stenosis. Therefore, this study proposes dysfunction screening model in experimental arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) using the fractional-order extractor (FOE) and the color relation analysis (CRA). A Sprott system was designed using an FOE to quantify the differences in transverse vibration pressures between the inflow and outflow sites of an AVG. Experimental analysis revealed that the degree of stenosis (DOS) correlated with an increase in fractional-order dynamic errors (FODEs). Exponential regression was used to fit a non-linear curve and can be used to quantify the relationship between the FODEs and DOS (R (2) = 0.8064). The specific ranges were used to evaluate the stenosis degree, such as DOS: <50, 50-80, and >80%. A CRA-based screening method was derived from the hue angle-saturation-value color model, which describes perceptual color relationships for the DOS. It has a flexibility inference manner with color visualization to represent the different stenosis degrees, which has average accuracy >90% superior to the traditional methods. This in vitro experimental study demonstrated that the proposed model can be used for dysfunction screening in stenotic AVGs.