〔Purpose〕The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of educational methods for hand hygiene using a simple bacteriological examination.

〔Method〕The subjects were 74 students in the second year of a course for the bachelor of nursing. Educational intervention for hand hygiene using a simple bacteriological examination was performed in 13 of the subjects during the practical nursing training in the second year （intervention group）. Then, a questionnaire survey on hand hygiene was conducted immediately and 1.5 years after the intervention.

〔Results〕The total score of knowledge regarding hand hygiene was significantly higher in the intervention group at 1.5 years. As for the status of practicing hand hygiene, the rate of using a specified amount of alcohol-based handrub was significantly higher in the intervention group during the area-specific practical training in the fourth year. One and a half year after the intervention, the degree of belief that hand antisepsis is“beneficial to patients”and“beneficial to me”was significantly higher in the intervention group.

〔Conclusion〕We discovered that hand hygiene education using simple bacteriological examination is effective for nursing students to obtain hand hygiene skills. These findings suggested a direction of education concerning hand hygiene in basic nursing education.　

〔Objectives〕To identify factors that influence the SOC of newly graduated nurses and to examine the environment, where SOC is formed and enhanced.

〔Method〕Of hospitals with 500 or more beds in A Prefecture, questionnaires were distributed to 386 nurses newly graduated in 2009 in those hospitals which consented to participate in the study. One hundred thirty completed questionnaires were returned by post.

〔Results〕The average SOC score was 49.7±8.7. Five factors that influenced SOC were extrapolated as follows：‘depression,’ ‘a sense that you do not have the ability to judge the condition of a patient,’ ‘an emotional expression involving others,’ ‘a desire to resign,’ and ‘changing a point of view.’

〔Conclusion〕In this study, the association between SOC and positive stress reaction was not observed, but the connection between SOC and the negative stress reaction and a desire to quit a job was observed.

　In order to alleviate negative factors, repeated successes in dealing with stress and a duty system that allows sufficient rest and sleep are sought for.

　It is desirable to arrange social gatherings for newly graduated nurses as venues to vent their negative feelings so that the number of turnovers will be reduced.

　Furthermore, the study points to the needs to hand over to the newly graduated the control over their work. This way, their SOC is more likely to be enhanced.

〔Perpose〕This study, given the recent prevalence of electronic media, investigates the relationship between face-to-face communication skills and text message dependence in healthcare students, who aim to become professionals and help others.

〔Methods〕A total of 879 healthcare students answered questionnaires consisting of a text message dependence scale, a communication scale and a social skill scale. Responses were investigated by using cluster and variance analysis.

〔Results and Discussion〕According to the scores on the subscales of the text message dependence scale, healthcare students were grouped into three clusters：“those with low dependence”, “those with dependence involving emotional attachment”, and “those with dependence involving emotional attachment and frequent use”. “Those with low dependence” showed the highest face-to-face communication skills. “Those with dependence involving emotional attachment” had tendency to communicate, such as supersensitivity in face-to-face communication, difficulty in expressing oneself and failure to fit in groups. However, this tendency was less remarkable in “those with dependence involving emotional attachment and frequent use”, an extroversive factor. The results are closely connected with the characteristics of computer-mediated communication （CMC）, suggesting a direction for considering the future of communication education.

〔Purpose〕The purpose of this study is to clarify the factors that influence upon nursing care on the practical training by experienced students at the bridge course.

〔Method〕The data was collected from participative observation on practical training and interviews of the students. The data was categorized, focusing on the factors influencing to decision making to provide the nursing care for the students. The data was also analyzed whether their practical experiences influenced to their nursing care or not.

〔Results〕The factors that influence upon nursing care were 6 items；“Don’t want teachers, instructors, patients to be perceived low ability”,“Follow the rules of the ward”,“Support to nursing aid”,“Recall the past experience”, “Having poor interest in learning nursing skills”, and “The knowledge learned in the bridge course of nursing school”

〔Discussion〕It is found that experienced students tend to set the priority to the efficiency, and they tend to modify their original care plans that they judged to be necessary for the patients. The reason was that they were aware of tha lack of evidence of their nursing care and wanted to avoid questions from teachers.

　The aim of this paper is to present the results of a study designed to determine the effect of readiness improvement and clinical skills and competence of nursing students before an end-of-life care setting that scenario-based simulation education compare with a paper/pencil case study.

　Eighteen students were randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group. Randomized controlled trial design was used：the experimental group was exposed to scenario-based simulation, and the control group used paper/pencil case study simulation.

　Both the experimental group and control group completed the following tests：self-efficacy scale, State-trait anxiety inventory-form JYZ（STAI） scale, communication skill scale, empathic scale, knowledge of end-of-life care, before and after the scenario-based simulation and paper/pencil case study simulation.

　Students’ knowledge acquisition increased significantly following the scenario-based simulation, but with other questionnaire scores there was no statistically significant differences. In debriefing, the students learned the importance of nursing, and they realized the importance of communication skills and empathy by the simulation．

　This result did not explain the readiness improvement of the students before an end-of-life care setting and the superiority of simulation learning；but many points that we should improve were thought about as a result of this study. In the future, the number of participants should be increased and the learning period should be set for a longer time. And an effect may be also expected to appear by changing a combination with the training.