A disturbing phenomenon in recent years is high number of newly graduated nurses quitting the profession after only a short period on the job. To provide individual support for the development of new nurses is an important issue in the field of science of nursing education. The field of science of nursing education has accumulated many research products that focuses on education to support for the development of new nurses. The article explains the present condition of newly graduated nurses, education for them and introduces the results of researches contributing toward the education of newly graduated nurses. Finally, it introduces a course plan for preceptors as a preparation education utilizing these results of researches concretely.

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The purpose of this study was to clarify how visiting nurses perceived other visiting nurses' behaviors as role models and to discuss the characteristics of such behaviors. Questionnaires were mailed to 683 visiting nurses in Japan who agreed to participate in this study. The questionnaires consisted of two parts: (a) A yes/no question whether the respondent had a role model and an open-ended question about role model behaviors in home visiting and at the station, (b) The questions about demographic characteristics. Out of 376 received, 151 responses describing the role model behaviors of visiting nurses were analyzed by the qualitative analysis in nursing education based on Berelson's content analysis method. As a result, 26 categories of role model behaviors were clarified, which include "Judging to behave in any situation composedly, rapidly, correctly, and flexibly", "attending to everyone gently and courteously", and " offering satisfactory nursing services which both the home care client and his/her family most hope to have". The agreement rates calculated by the formula of W.A. Scott were over 70 percent; therefore the reliability of these 26 categories was confirmed. The results suggest that role model behaviors have 9 core characteristics, correspondent to those of the desirable visiting nurses, which are feasible to be used as a goal of career development for visiting nurses.

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This study examined career maturity among new graduate nurses, and explored attributes related to career maturity. A conceptual framework was constructed based on a literature review. Occupational Career Maturity Scale, which is composed of three subscales (Concern, Autonomy, and Planning), and New Graduate Nurses Attribute Questionnaire were used. Survey packets containing these instruments were distributed to 1327 new graduate nurses randomly sampled from hospitals across Japan. Six hundred and nineteen (46.6%) new graduate nurses returned their questionnaires by mail, and valid data from 612 completed surveys were analyzed statistically. An alpha level of .05 was used for all statistical tests. The results indicated that new graduate nurses approximated the adult level in Occupational Career Maturity Scale score. Of the three Subscales, new graduate nurses showed the highest score for "Concern", whereas "Planning" showed the lowest score. Furthermore, the analysis identified 20 variables related to career maturity among new graduate nurses. Those were "Self-concept", "Self-evaluation of Nursing competencies and skill", "Learning about nursing career development while attending school" and so forth. As a result of considering the internal relation among the 20 variables, a hypothesis model was constructed for further research. In addition, it was suggested that "Completion of developmental task", "Level of learning about Nursing" and "Level of learning about nursing career development" affected career maturity among new graduate nurses.

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The purpose of this study was to develop a self-evaluation scale on ethical behavior in order to improve the ethical awareness and behavior of nursing faculty. The study was comprised of three phases. Phase 1 included the identification of 44 self-evaluation items developed based on the results of a previous qualitative and inductive study. In phase 2, the content validity of self-evaluation items was estimated through a pilot study and by a panel of experts, then the self-evaluation items were corrected. In phase 3, the reliability and validity of the self-evaluation scale were estimated through two surveys. The final self-evaluation scale contained 44 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale. In the first survey in phase 3, in order to examine the internal consistency and validity of the self-evaluation scale, instrument packets including the self-evaluation scale, a demographic questionnaire, and self-evaluation scale on role model behaviors for nursing faculty (RMBNF) were distributed to 1699 nursing faculty members at randomly selected nursing schools all over Japan by mail. A total of 826 (48.6%) responses were received, of which 717 valid answers were analyzed. Cronbach's alpha of the self-evaluation scale was .94. This result supported internal consistency of the self-evaluation scale. And correlation coeffcient of the self-evaluation scale and RMBNF was .77. This results supported the criterion-related validity of the self-evaluation scale. In the second survey, in order to examine the stability of the self-evaluatoin scale, the instrument packets were distributed to 48 nursing faculty conveniently selected nursing schools. Test-retest reliability was .76. The results supported the internal consistency, criterion-related validity, and stability of the self-evaluation scale.

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The purpose of this study was to conceptualize head nurses' behavior on interactions with staff nurses and to identify educational functions of head nurses by considering. The Methodology for Conceptualization of Nursing was applied, and the data were collected on interactions between head nurses and staff nurses through observation (no-participated). As a result of continuous comparative analysis, twelve concepts emerged. These included (a) Exchanging informations with members of the medical team for goal attainment, (b) Educating staff nurses based on assessment of educational needs and overlooking it under the apprehension of repulsion for education, (c) Confirming effects on education for staff nurses and telling them, (d) Gaining staff nurses' cooperation for preparation of educational environment, (e) Deciding the means for goal attainment with adaptation or rejection of staff nurses' opinion, (f) Solving problems by their own efforts and cooperating with staff nurses for problem-solving, and so on. As the result of consideration to each feature of twelve concepts, there were implications that twelve concepts were divided roughly into five categories, which three of them identified three educational functions of head nurses, 'education at every chance in the ward' 'preparation of educational environment' 'role model'. This suggests that, for supporting head nurses to perform the educational functions, it is needed that these three educational functions are included in education for nursing manager.

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The objective of this study was to conceptualize faculty's behaviors in the lecture for nursing practice and clarify the features of their teaching activities. Methodology for Conceptualization of Nursing was applied. Data on interactions between faculty and students in the lecture for Nursing Practice were collected through participant observation without intervention. As a result of continuous comparative analysis, fourteen concepts were emerged. These included (a) explaining the teaching plan to achieve the goals of the class, (b) describing the clinical setting through demonstration and practice in class, (c) encouraging students' answer through acknowledging or waiting their answer, (d) discontinuing lecture when problem is occurred and resuming the lecture through immediate problem solving, (e) encouraging students' self study and presenting resources for self study, (f) protecting students' information by respecting their privacy, and so on. These concepts suggested that requirements for faculty who give lecture for nursing practice include following: (a) developing teaching activities by providing necessary information for nursing during the lecture and supplementing with demonstration and other methods, (b) interacting with students to grasp the students' situation and to encourage them, (c) solving diverse problems in the class to minimize the effect to students' learning activities, (d) encouraging students' extracurricular study to achieve the goals of the class, (e) taking ethical action to maintain students' rights.

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