Empowering hospital-associated infection prevention and control: A quasi-experimental study on the effect of scenario-based simulation training.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the effect of scenario-based simulation training on infection control, specifically in terms of knowledge, self-efficacy and adherence to standard precautions. BACKGROUND: Hospital-associated infections can pose a threat to patient safety and are a critical public health issue that requires attention. DESIGN: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test/post-test design using a nonequivalent control group. METHODS: Infection control nurses were randomly assigned to two groups using lottery methods. The experimental group received scenario-based simulation training, whereas both the experimental and control groups received conventional education. Data were collected from 27 August to 1 December 1 2022. The chi-square test and t-test were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The mean scores for knowledge of infection prevention and control (t = 3.679, p < 0.001) and self-efficacy (t = 2.444, p = 0.018) were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. Furthermore, the mean score for adherence to standard precautions was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (t = 2.030, p = 0.048). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that scenario-based simulation training for infection control might be effective in improving knowledge, self-efficacy and adherence to standard precautions. Scenario-based simulation training for infection control may be an effective educational intervention to enhance knowledge, self-efficacy and adherence to standard precautions, thus empowering nurses in infection prevention and control.

Enhancing competency in infection prevention and control: Identifying priorities for clinical nurse educational needs.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) have become a significant concern globally, posing risks to patients and imposing social and economic burdens. Competency in infection prevention and control (IPC) practices is essential for nurses to effectively reduce the risk of transmission. However, there is a lack of research on educational needs for competency in IPC practices. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess and prioritize educational needs for the development of educational content focused on the IPC practices of clinical nurses. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional design was utilized. SETTINGS: This study was conducted at six general hospitals located in five urban regions in South Korea, each with 100 to 300 beds. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 226 nurses were recruited as participants for this study. METHODS: Data were collected from June to July 2021. A total of 226 nurses participated in this study. After examining the perceived importance and current performance of attributes related to IPC, educational needs were identified by paired-sample t-test, importance-performance analysis, Borich's needs analysis, and the Locus for Focus model. RESULTS: Items related to IPC were found to have lower performance than importance, highlighting the need for education. Educational needs were the highest for items in the "IPC practices according to microorganisms" category, such as MRSA, VRE, antimicrobial-resistant organisms, Clostridium difficile, scabies, and AIDS. Items in the "isolation precautions" category, including standard precautions, transmission-based precautions, management of isolation rooms, and wearing PPE, also demonstrated high priority in terms of educational needs. The findings suggest the need for training programs for clinical nurses with a focus on specific areas for improving IPC competency. CONCLUSIONS: The development and implementation of training modules tailored to the educational needs of clinical nurses may enhance their skills, knowledge, and attitudes, ultimately resulting in improved performance.

Korean nurses' energy drink consumption and associated factors.

This study aimed to examine the energy drink consumption pattern of Korean nurses and related factors. A descriptive cross-sectional design was utilized, and data were collected through a self-reporting questionnaire. Participants were Korean nurses working in hospitals. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and binomial logistic regression test. A total of 388 nurses participated in the study. Approximately two-thirds of the nurses consumed energy drinks in addition to caffeinated coffee and/or tea. They usually consumed energy drinks during working hours and at the workplace. In comparison with nonconsumers, nurses who consumed energy drinks perceived that they had a stimulating effect and could replace regular drinks. Having colleagues who consume energy drinks and perceiving that energy drinks had an arousal effect were shown to be associated factors for energy drink consumption; thus, it is necessary to develop educational strategies targeting these groups of nurses. The reasons for the dependence of hospital nurses on energy drinks should be further investigated.

Self-care model based on the theory of unpleasant symptoms in patients with heart failure.

AIMS: This study aimed to test and develop the self-care model based on the theory of unpleasant symptoms in patients with HF. BACKGROUND: Although self-care may reduce unpleasant symptoms of heart failure (HF), reported rates of effective self-care in HF patients are very low. Modifiable factors, including disease severity, anxiety, depression, social support, unpleasant symptoms, and self-efficacy are considered to influence self-care, but little is known about their overall impact on self-care. METHODS: A model-testing design was used. Covariance structure analysis using the maximum likelihood method was used to evaluate the hypothetical model. RESULTS: A total of 209 subjects participated in the study. The model-fit indexes of the final model were χ2 = 163.473, Normed χ2 = 1.796, RMSEA = 0.054, IFI = 0.986, CFI = 0.986, GFI = 0.915, and AGFI = 0.873. Disease severity and anxiety had an indirect effect on self-care through unpleasant symptoms. Depression and social support had an indirect effect on self-care through self-efficacy. Lower unpleasant symptoms and higher self-efficacy were associated with greater self-care. These predictors explained 61.9% of variance in self-care. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study could underscore the need to consider nursing strategies that relieve unpleasant symptoms and improve self-efficacy to enhance self-care in HF patients.

Evidence-based nursing practice and its correlates among Korean nurses.

AIM: The aim of the study was to explore evidence-based nursing practice (EBNP) in Korean and identify factors influencing its implementation. BACKGROUND: EBNP is relatively new in Korea, and there is a lack of consistency about the factors that affect EBNP implementation. METHODS: A descriptive correlational and cross-sectional design was employed and a convenience sample of 392 nurses were recruited from two general hospitals. Data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: The overall model significantly explained 17.1% of variance in EBNP implementation. Among the predictors of EBNP implementation, regularly reading research articles, level of searching skills for literature, degree of understanding EBNP, professional autonomy, and EBNP beliefs had statistically significant influences on EBNP implementation. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest the necessity for Korean nurses to regularly read research articles, develop greater skills in developing searching research documents, gain clearer understanding of EBNP, EBNP beliefs, and particularly, high level of professional autonomy.

Cardiac self-efficacy and its predictors in patients with coronary artery diseases.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate cardiac self-efficacy and its predictors among patients with coronary artery diseases. BACKGROUND: Patients with coronary artery diseases must perform the health behaviour to prevent recurrent cardiac events. It has been already well known that self-efficacy is a vital factor in both initiating and maintaining health behaviours. DESIGN: Descriptive correlational and cross-sectional survey design. METHODS: Subjects were interviewed using structured study questionnaires. The data collected were statistically analysed by descriptive statistics and inferential statistics including the t-test, anova, Tukey's test, Pearson's correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analysis to determine the predictors of cardiac self-efficacy. RESULTS: A convenience sample of 214 patients with coronary artery diseases was included. The mean age of subjects was 60·71 ± 10·07 years, and three-fourths were men. The overall model significantly explained 15·8% of variance in cardiac self-efficacy. Among predictors, occupation, diagnosis, body mass index, experience of receiving patient education and awareness of risk factors had statistically significant influences on cardiac self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Rather than disease knowledge, factors related to subject's perception were more likely to associate with cardiac self-efficacy. These findings might provide a theoretical basis to develop nursing interventions for enhancing cardiac self-efficacy of patients with coronary artery diseases. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Clinical nurses taking care of patients with coronary artery diseases should consider the patients' perception on their coronary artery diseases including experience of receiving patient education, and awareness of risk factors in encouraging the cardiac self-efficacy to promote the health behaviours for the secondary prevention of coronary artery diseases.

Correlates of health behaviors in patients with coronary artery disease.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of cardiac knowledge and cardiac self-efficacy on health behaviors after controlling for influences from associating factors of health behaviors in patients with coronary artery diseases (CADs). METHODS: A descriptive correlational and cross-sectional design was used. Subjects with CADs were recruited from outpatient clinics of three academic medical centers. The cardiac knowledge, cardiac self-efficacy, and health behaviors were measured by Coronary Heart Disease Awareness and Knowledge Questionnaire, Cardiac Self-Efficacy Scale, and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II respectively. The data collected were statistically analyzed by descriptive statistics, t test, Kruskal-Wallis test, analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation analysis, and the hierarchical multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 157 subjects were recruited for this study. The mean age of subjects was 59.38 ± 10.04 years, and three-fourths (75.2%) were male. Subjects showed relatively low cardiac knowledge, moderately high cardiac self-efficacy, and moderate level of health behaviors. The overall model significantly explained 48% of variance in health behaviors (F = 14.52, p < .001). Among predictors, age, education, smoking status, experience of receiving patient education, and cardiac self-efficacy significantly affected health behaviors, and cardiac self-efficacy had the greatest effect on health behaviors (ß= .39). However, cardiac knowledge had no statistically significant influence on health behaviors after controlling for the other factors. CONCLUSION: The findings suggested that cardiac self-efficacy was shown to be the most influencing factor on health behaviors but cardiac knowledge had no influence on health behaviors. The nursing interventions tailored on the patient characteristics should be developed in order to improve the health behaviors of patients with CADs.