〔OBJECTIVE〕To conceptualize the students’ behaviors in nursing skills laboratories on campus and to discuss the important behaviors for goal achievement.

〔METHODS〕Methodology for Conceptualization of Nursing was applied. Data on interactions between faculty and students or other students in the laboratories were collected through participant observation without intervention. Behaviors of students were compared and coded according to what they did to achieve learning goals in nursing skills laboratories. The codes were categorized by their similarities and differences.

〔FINDINGS & DISCUSSION〕Twelve concepts which describe learning behaviors of students were developed：Performing nursing skills according to standard procedures by applying learning outcomes； Applying nursing skills to other students or vice versa while playing a nursing role or client role； Practicing nursing skills repeatedly to overcome fears of accidents that may occur in clinical settings； Performing nursing skills adequately with approval of the faculty and other students；Requesting other students to assess one’s performance and, if possible, responding to such requests put forward by other students；Promoting or disturbing each other’s practices through interacting with other students； Assisting the faculty in learning by responding to the requests or disturbing the faculty teaching by derail from learning；Causing injuries to each other due to a lack of skill, and so on. These concepts suggested the important behaviors for goal achievement in nursing skills laboratories on campus.

〔Aim〕The aim of the present study is to assess the reliability and validity of a nursing competency scale for students who have just completed basic nursing education in college.

〔Method〕I have conducted a preliminary questionnaire investigation：I have asked 213 nursing students who have just completed basic nursing education by using a Likert-type questionnaire about 52 nursing behaviors, which were extracted and chosen qualitatively and inductively from the result of the literature review to make clear what ‘nursing competency’ is.

〔Result〕 I found that ‘nursing competency’ basically consisted of the following elements：‘professional, ethical and legal practices；care provision and management; and professional development’. And then I made an inventory consisting of twenty four items in six categories. Its Chronbach’s α showed 0.64 to 0.83 and Pearson’s r 0.35 to 0.66.

〔Discussion〕The nursing competency inventory I got from this study has been proved to be valid and reliable to some extent, which means that students’ nursing competency can be measured and estimated. Further investigation must be conducted to make the inventory highly reliable and valid.

〔Purpose〕The purpose of this study was to clarify nursing students’ empathic behaviors toward ostomy patients through the simulation experiences as an ostomate with an attached stoma appliance.

〔Method〕Subjects were five nursing students in the experimental group and five nursing students as controls. Both groups attended the lecture about stoma care. Afterwards, only the experimental group attached a stoma appliance, and daily life proceeded. Both groups cared for a patient simulating an ostomate. Students’ behaviors were analyzed using a qualitative inductive method.

〔Result and discussion〕The student’s empathic behaviors toward the ostomate were divided into two tendencies：the main feature was that students’ empathic behaviors only appeared among the experimental group. The students in the experimental group were able to convey their empathy verbally when the simulated patients experienced difficulties. Placing their hands on the patient’s body or affected areas, the students observed the patient. They empathized with the patient’s discomfort and feelings and attempted to ease patient’s difficulties.

　This study suggested that patient simulation experiences are effective and expedient for nursing students in developing empathy for patients if the simulation learning program contents and timing are carefully considered.

〔Aim〕The aim of this research is to clarify the connection of ethical sensitivity with nursing students’ backgrounds, classes taken on nursing ethics, and prosocial behavior.

〔Method〕A study was made of 733 students majoring in nursing at four different schools. The study covered their background factors, classes taken on nursing ethics, a scale for prosocial behavior in college students（20 items）, and a specially created survey on ethical sensitivity （34 questions）.

〔Results〕As a result of the analysis of valid answers from 364 students, many of the survey items for third-year students showed lower ethical sensitivity than those of first-  or second-year students. Also, students with volunteering experience or those who had taken classes in nursing ethics rated higher on the scale of prosocial behavior than students who had experience working as a full-time employee or having a part-time job.

〔Considerations〕As students’ clinical training experiences pile up in their third year, it becomes difficult to stay conscious of the ethical problems. However, since increasing sympathy is thought to increase ethical sensitivity, this research concludes that it is necessary to find a way to incorporate ethics into nursing education.