Nursing is a profession in which all nurses are required to demonstrate educational functions in order to support the development of new graduate nurses. Research outcomes were accumulated that contribute to the development of preparatory education for preceptors supporting the development of new graduate nurses. In this paper, the current situation of preceptors and their preparatory education is identified, and four accumulated research outcomes that contribute to the development of preparatory education for preceptors are introduced. Also, a specific training program is proposed that applies these four research outcomes to provide preparatory education for preceptors who will instruct new graduate nurses.

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The purpose of this study was to elucidate concepts that show client behavior in situations where problems could be resolved through interaction with nurses. The Methodology for Conceptualization of Nursing was applied, and the data were collected on interactions between clients and nurses, only from situations in which the client's problem could be resolved through selective participant observation (non - participation type). As a result of analysis, 11 concepts emerged. These included a) Recognizing the existence of a problem through gathering and receiving information for its resolution, b) Admitting a problem caused by acceptance of nurses' explanations and resisting statements due to problem denial, c) Seeking and acquiring support from others based on the awareness that one cannot resolve the problem oneself, d) Consulting others to decide how to solve a problem, and ceasing that consultation when the problem situation worsens, e) Understanding the need for support through acceptance of nurses' explanations, and difficulties in understanding, f) Refusing and resisting nurses' support caused by concerns about the occurrence of problems, g) Agreeing to nursing support based on a desire to resolve the problem, and reluctantly agreeing due to inability to solve the problem oneself, h) Accepting nursing support to resolve the problem and implementing problem resolution measures based on that support, and so on. Consideration of these results suggests three characteristics in client behavior: 'Independent problem-solving behaviors based on acceptance of a problem' 'Adjust behavior toward problem-solving' 'Problem-solving behaviors cultivated from individual experience'.

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The objective of this study was to examine nursing behavior involving client decision-making. Methodology for Conceptualization of Nursing was applied. Data on interactions between nurses and clients including varied client decision-making was collected through non-participant observation. As a result of continuing comparative analysis, eleven concepts emerged. These included (a) Sharing and keeping information among clinicians to support client decision-making, (b) Supporting with respect for clients' decisions and evaluating results, (c) Using a multidisciplinary team approach for client decision-making fulfilling and sharing responsibilities, (d) Creating an appropriate setting for decision-making in-advance and seguing into another work after support, (e) Leading clients to reconsider of decisions according to nurses' judgments and conceding as needed, (f) Suspending work to support client decision-making and concerning about delay of works, (g) Establishing relationships with clients for supporting their decision-making and possibly taking risky steps of supporting without relationships, (h) Interrupting supports for client decision-making because of problems and resuming the supports after solving problems, and so on. The result suggested that the basic competences needed to support client decision-making were forming relationship with clients through implementing a nursing process and accurate nursing techniques. In addition, advanced knowledge and techniques were required to support client decision-making in full respect of the individual. In order to educate nurses who can support client decision-making, the cooperation between fundamental education in nursing and continuing education in nursing was absolutely necessary.

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The purpose of this study is to clarify measures and practices that the nursing faculty take for medical accident prevention during the nursing clinical practicum and also discuss their aspects. The instrument packets were including a questionnaire consisting of open-ended question as asking measures and practices for medical accident prevention by the nursing faculty and close-ended question as asking faculty's characteristics. The questionnaire was mailed to 741 nursing faculty in basic nursing educational program. 313 nursing faculty returned questionnaires. The descriptions of 305 open-ended question respondents were analyzed by a content analysis method for nursing education based on Berelson's method. As the result, 40 categories of were formed. Those were such as "Checking a student's plan/readiness before support their nursing practice, and requiring correction/supplement if necessary", "Observing student's practice and executing measure of medical accident prevention if necessary", and "Constructing a teaching structure with consideration of medical accident prevention by collaboration of nursing faculty and clinical instructors". The agreement rates of category classification based on the formula of Scott, W. A. were 83.5% and 72.5% with indication of category reliability. The discussion suggested that measures and practices implemented by nursing faculty have 8 aspects. These aspects and 40 categories are valuable for the nursing faculty to improve their own teaching activity for medical accident prevention during the nursing clinical practicum.

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The purpose of this study was to clarify head nurses' desirable behavior, which head nurses desire to emulate, and to discuss the characteristics of desirable behavior. Questionnaires were mailed to 1,221 head nurses in 132 participating hospitals out of 347, which were chosen at random from across the country. The questionnaires consisted of open-ended questions about desirable behavior of head nurses and multiple-choice questions about their attributes. Out of 615 (50.4%) responses returned, 335 valid responses were evaluated by the qualitative analysis in nursing education based on Berelson's content analysis method. As a result, twenty-five kinds of desirable behavior for head nurses became clear, e. g., a) managing time well to allow for active listening and talking to others, b) teaching appropriate content with a suitable attitude and method, based on knowing the individuals' conditions, c) giving one's opinion with conviction without hesitation due to another's occupation, position, and experience. The agreement rates calculated by the formula of Scott, W. A. were over 70 %, therefore the reliability of these 25 categories was confirmed. Considering these behaviors based on the literature, ten characteristics were found. An Education Needs Assessment Tool for Head Nurses based on this study's finding should be developed in the future.

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The purpose of this study was to clarify areas in which new graduate nurses working in operating rooms perceive gaps between their image of work prior to and after employment and to discuss the characteristics of these perceptions. We conducted a postal survey of 954 operating room nurses working at 196 hospitals nationwide with <4 years clinical experience. A questionnaire containing one open-ended question was used to measure nurses' attributes and perceptions regarding gaps in their image of work prior to and after employment. Questionnaires were returned by 454 nurses (recovery rate= 47.5%), and answers of 186 nurses who responded to the open-ended question were analyzed using the qualitative analysis in nursing education based on Berelson's content analysis method. Thirty categories were established representing gaps as perceived by new graduate nurses who work in operating rooms, such as "opportunities and time to interact with patients and families vary greatly as interaction time may be long or short and interaction opportunities may be easy or difficult to obtain, depending on the situation." The agreement rate calculated by two nursing researchers using the formula of W.A. Scott was 92.3%, demonstrating the reliability of the categories each. Verification of the 30 categories using literature indicated that gaps in perception had six characteristics. Understanding and providing support to nurses and healthcare workers for these characteristics promotes role transition, work adjustment, and continued work among new graduate nurses working in operating rooms.

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This study was to clarify the educational needs of nurses under five years of clinical experience and the related characteristics according to the number of years of clinical experience (hereinafter, years of experience) to develop preferable conditions for nursing professionals and to provide support. A conceptual framework was constructed based on literature review. The Educational Needs Assessment Tool for clinical nurses (ENAT), the Self Evaluation Scale of Occupational Experiences for Nurses and the Attribute Questionnaire were used as instruments. A questionnaire was distributed to 5,043 nurses under five years of experience working in hospitals throughout Japan. Questionnaires were collected from 1,653 nurses (32.8%), and 1,386 nurses with valid responses were divided into 5 groups according to years of experience, followed by statistical analysis. ENAT overall scores revealed that the educational needs of nurses under five years of experience were the highest in the first-year group, followed by the second-, third-, fifth-year groups. The fourth-year group had the lowest educational needs. On examining the relationship between ENAT overall score and characteristics according to years of experience, the results showed that the educational needs of nurses were associated with "experience in maintaining a relationship with other staff in all groups; "frequency of self-evaluations" in the first- and second-year groups; and "experience of being a preceptor" for the groups over three years of experience (p < .05). Upon considering these findings, the results indicated that suggestions for the development and support of preferable conditions for nurses under five years of experience as nursing professionals.

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The purpose of this study was to develop an educational needs assessment tool for hospital nurse educators. This tool was developed through four stages, (a) Creation of items and a scale that includes as subscales seven aspects of the state of affairs preferred by hospital nurse educators, which were found from qualitative and inductive study; (b) investigation of the content validity of the scale by an expert panel and pilot study; (c) analysis and selection of items based on a national survey; and (d) investigation of the reliability and validity of the constructed scale using selected items. The survey was done with 1,177 hospital nurse educators working at 157 hospitals that had consented to the study from among 330 randomly selected hospitals nationwide. A total of 591 questionnaires were returned (response rate 50.2%), of which 423 were completed and used in the study. Overall, 35 items were selected based on the results of item analysis, and the "Educational Needs Assessment Tool for Hospital Nurse Educators" was completed. Cronbach's α reliability coefficient was .954 for the entire tool and .814 to .895 for the subscales. The correlation coefficient in the test-retest method was .751 (p < .01). In addition, seven factors that reflect the seven subscales were identified from the results of factor analysis. The above shows the reliability of the scale from its internal consistency and stability, and that it has construct validity.

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