〔Aims〕We developed a scale to measure learning achievement from on-site training in students of three-year nursing program, and assessed its reliability and validity.

〔Methods〕A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted from September 2014 and January 2015, with 533 third-year students of three-year nursing schools. We conducted a factor analysis and examined the scale’s content validity，criterion-related validity, construct validity， Cronbach’s alpha, and reproducibility.

〔Results〕The recovery rate of the survey was 81.2% and the effective response rate was 81.8%. The factor analysis led to the development of the “Learning Achievement Scale for On-site Training,” which comprised the following two factors: [acquisition of knowledge and actions toward development of the nursing process based on the individuality of patients] and [acquisition of a sense of self growth in those aiming to become nurses]. The Cronbach’s alpha ranged from .856 to .926. The group with a higher score on the scale had significantly higher scores on sense of satisfaction, motivation to learn, and learning activities. The correlation with reproducibility was .872.

〔Conclusions〕The Learning Achievement Scale for On-site Training revealed that nursing training is essential for the nursing process and for building relationships.

The present findings confirmed the reliability and validity of the scale.

〔Aims〕The purpose of this paper is to develop a communication skill evaluation method and to clarify features of basic communication skills of first-year nursing students compared with those of working adults and university students other than nursing students.

〔Methods〕We carried out two studies using ENDCOREs. Study 1 was conducted with working adults and non-nursing students as the subject, and Study 2 with first-year nursing students.

〔Results〕In Study 1, we identified 9 basic skill types as Omnipotent type, Balance type, Self-reliant type, Active type, Constraint type, Passive type, Avoidant type, Obstinacy type, and Autistic type, and eventually contrived a communication skill evaluation method. In Study 2, it was revealed that most of the first-year nursing students fell into one of the following 4 types: Omnipotent type, Balance type, Constraint type, and Passive type.

〔Conclusions〕The 9 skill types may be classified by combining the scores of the encode system, which consists of Expressivity and Assertiveness and the decode system, which consists of Decipherer ability and Other Acceptance. This evaluation method can be a common criterion not affected by the differences of study sample, so it may make identification of nursing students’ skill types possible. Study 2 suggested that first-year nursing students with Constraint type and Passive type should receive an assertion skill training.

〔Aim〕To elucidate how clinical instructors interact with nursing students throughout the process of the death of a patient who was under their care during practical training.

〔Methods〕Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five clinical instructors. Obtained data were reorganized to reconstruct the interaction along a timeline for each clinical instructor. Then, codes were extracted and categorized. Furthermore, similar interactions were extracted from the overall data, and their characteristics were qualitatively analyzed.

〔Results〕During the deterioration of the patient’s condition and the patient’s death, clinical instructors were “supporting a nursing student to cope with the imminent death of a patient,” and, “allowing nursing students to gain first-hand experience of the care and support provided by nurses to patients and their families as the patients reach their end of life.”After the patient’s death, clinical instructors were “supporting nursing students so that the experience of a patient’s death does not become a negative one.”

〔Conclusions〕Clinical instructors’ roles were revealed to involve caring for students while teaching care for patients until the end of their lives. At times, however, clinical instructors were confused by the nursing students’ reactions to death. Our results suggest the importance of cooperation between the clinical instructor and nursing educator in capturing the subtleties of nursing students’ emotions.