A study for the evaluation of a safety education program me for nursing students: discussions using the QSEN safety competencies.

BACKGROUND: To respond to calls for improvements in nursing education in Japan, a group of faculties of a baccalaureate nursing programme has made an initial attempt to incorporate quality and safety education for nurses safety competency into three related courses, two sophomore level courses and one senior level course. AIMS: To evaluate the learning experiences in a senior level course on medical safety in order to identify learning outcomes in terms of areas of strengths and areas for further improvements of the course and a system-wide implementation of quality and safety education for nurses competencies in the future. METHODS: Fourteen students who met the criteria had volunteered to participate in one of the two 40-minute focus group interviews. During the interviews, participants were asked questions as to what they have learned and how they may use that knowledge in the future. The sessions were tape recorded, the data were transcribed and analysed using the content analysis method according to Berelson. RESULTS: Eight categories of learning related to medical safety were identified, including awareness of own risks for errors and plans to reduce such risks. These categories of learning were thought to have achieved the level equal to 75% of quality and safety education for nurses knowledge, skills and attitudes items. CONCLUSIONS: The current content and methods for this course identified strengths to be continued, with some areas of improvement for the future for further adoption of quality and safety education for nurses competencies into the entire curriculum.

Consensus development of quality indicators for end-of-life care for elders in Japan.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Quality indicators for end-of-life care have been published; however, none have been developed specifically for nursing in the cultural and traditional context of Japan. This study aimed to develop and build a consensus of quality indicators for end-of-life care for elders in Japan from the perspective of nursing science. METHODS: To develop the quality indicators, we used a literature review, expert panel process, and the Delphi technique among clinical nurse specialists in geriatrics. RESULTS: Quality indicators were identified in 7 major areas: advance directives and surrogate continuity, ethical daily care, care preferences and decisions about life-sustaining treatment, assessment and management of pain and other symptoms, daily care for the dying, family care, and institutional systems for end-of-life care. CONCLUSIONS: These quality indicators represent the first attempt to develop a best practices approach toward improving the quality of elderly end-of-life care in nursing.

Nursing leadership in a rapidly aging society: implications of "the future of nursing" report in Japan.

The recent US Institute of Medicine (IOM) report about the future of nursing highlights the areas where nurses can serve, contribute, and move forward to improve health care in the United States. Japanese nursing scholars examined the IOM report for its implications in the Japanese context and explored the future of nursing in Japan. The purpose of this paper is to provide support for the premise that the report's recommendations could have implications for the future of nursing outside of the United States, especially in Japan. Particular areas and activities by nurses in Japan will be presented as examples of nurses taking leadership in designing care for the rapidly aging society of Japan.