This study aimed to comprehensively review research on adolescent and adult patients with hypospadias who underwent hypospadias surgery during childhood and clarify the difficulties in daily life experienced by them. The PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases were searched for articles published between 1990 and 2023. The retrieved literature was independently reviewed by two investigators, and the studies to be included were determined by three investigators in accordance with the selection criteria. From the target literature, the results related to difficulties in the daily life of adolescent and adult patients who underwent hypospadias surgery during childhood were extracted and analyzed. A total of 23 articles were identified. The analysis revealed the following six core categories: perception of genital appearance, difficulties with sex, social acceptance, difficulty with urination, psychological problems, and immaturity in coping with health conditions. It has become clear that the difficulties experienced by patients in their daily lives are not only physical difficulties caused by symptoms and functional disorders but also psychosocial difficulties that affect their development and quality of life; therefore, the role of nurses in providing long-term medical support must be considered.

Objective: Although bed transfers, which represent patient transfers within a ward, are common, we know little about how they should be managed. This study aimed to identify annual trends in bed transfers and evaluate the influence of patient inflow, outflow, and bed occupancy rate on the frequency of bed transfers. Methods: Using an exploratory observational design, we analyzed the medical data of four wards in a single hospital. The data were obtained from November 2017 to November 2018 and included the numbers of admissions, discharges, transfers into and from wards, inter-room transfers, intra-room transfers, and inpatient admissions. Admissions and transfers to wards were categorized as patient inflows. Discharges and transfers from the wards were categorized as patient outflows. Inter-room and intra-room transfers were categorized as bed transfers. Descriptive statistics were calculated to confirm the trends in the number of bed transfers. Autocorrelations for each variable and cross-correlations between bed transfers and each variable were examined. Multiple regression analysis based on an autoregressive model of order 1 and a non-time-series model was conducted, with the dependent variable being the number of bed transfers. Results: In winter, bed transfer, patient inflow, and beds occupancy were higher. We found that patient inflow had a significant effect on bed transfer. Conclusions: Bed transfers could be partially predicted by monitoring trends in patient inflow. When the number of bed transfers is high, appropriate staffing is necessary to assign patients to suitable beds by monitoring changes in their conditions.

Objective: To improve the side effects of chemotherapy, practicing self-care behaviors is important for patients with cancer to continue treatment and maintain their quality of life. Herein, we aimed to assess the association between personality traits and self-care behaviors among patients with gastrointestinal cancer undergoing outpatient chemotherapy. Methods: This study included patients who received intravenous chemotherapy at a designated regional cancer hospital in Japan between June 2020 and October 2020. A self-administered survey was conducted using the Japanese version of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory and a unique 29-item questionnaire to assess self-care behaviors. The correlation of each item was analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results: In total, 53 (93.0%) responses were obtained from 57 participants, of which 52 (91.2%) complete responses on personality traits were valid. The mean personality trait scores ranged from 6.7 ± 2.8 for neuroticism to 11.0 ± 1.9 for agreeableness. A high degree of openness had a moderately significant positive correlation with adjustment of exercise (ρ = .49, p < .01) and adaptation to changes in appearance (ρ = .41, p < .01). Additionally, a high degree of conscientiousness had a significant positive correlation with the acquisition of information on disease and treatment (ρ = .30, p = .03) and confirmation of inspection results (ρ = .39, p < .01). Conclusions: Openness and conscientiousness were significantly associated with patients' self-care behaviors. Assessing these personality traits before initiating chemotherapy can predict self-care behaviors and provide individualized support, considering the limited involvement at outpatient visits.

Objective: To examine the effects of a self-management program for poststroke fatigue (PSF). Methods: The study participants included were 30 patients with early fatigue within 3 months after a stroke. During hospitalization, a 2-week-long self-management program for PSF was provided, consisting of components on problem-solving support, self-monitoring support, and education. The outcomes included fatigue (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory [MFI]), motivation (Apathy Evaluation Scale [AES]), and self-management skills (correct answer rate on a knowledge evaluation questionnaire), with higher MFI and AES scores indicating more severe fatigue and reduced motivation. We then performed pre- and post-intervention comparisons to obtain the effect sizes. The ethics review committee approved this study. Results: A total of 25 participants completed the program (five dropouts). Regarding the pre- and post-intervention comparisons, MFI scores decreased significantly after the intervention (p = .00, Cohen's d = 1.48), with the proportion of those who exceeded the cutoff decreasing from 60.0% to 36.0%. AES scores also decreased significantly after the intervention (p = .03, Cohen's d = 0.45), with the proportion of those who exceeded the cutoff decreasing from 44.0% to 28.0%. Knowledge also increased significantly (p = .00, r = 0.86), suggesting the acquisition of self-management skills. Conclusions: After the intervention, fatigue and motivation improved, and self-management skills were acquired. Although we cannot deny the possibility that fatigue improved naturally, the program was likely effective to some extent. Further studies on the program are necessary, and a randomized controlled trial with an adequate sample size is warranted to examine its effects. Trial registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000048681)

Background: In many countries around the world, professional nursing training is provided after completing higher education. In Hong Kong, the syllabus of the accredited program for registered nurses must consist of theory and clinical practice components. While written assessment is used in the theoretical component, continuous clinical assessment (CCA) is deployed in clinical practice to assess the competence of students. Although nurse educators confirm CCA's importance, feedback on clinical assessment process is not uncommon. Study Aim, Objectives, and Significance: This study aimed to gain insights from the current practice and complexities inherent in CCA implementation to recommend practice implications and future research directions. The key study objectives are as follows: 1) to describe the outcomes of CCA implementation perceived by students and mentors; 2) to identify commonalities and differences between the concepts and actual practice of CCA for the factors that affect CCA implementation; and 3) to generate the themes that fill the gap existing in the body of literature about success in CCA practice and development for preregistration nursing education. Methods: The interpretive descriptive methodology (Thorne, 2016) was adopted to explore in depth the CCA experiences of the mentors and students. Data were transcribed and analyzed through the constant comparative analysis approach based on primary understanding of the text, analysis of the descriptive reflection, and interpretive reflection to unravel participants' CCA experiences. Results: Three final themes emerged: 1) "Relation" without Relationship, 2) Stand behind the Yellow Line, and 3) The Sound of Silence. These themes are important structural components in identifying the main theme, Shades of Gray, which contextualize and personify the subtleties of the CCA experiences of nursing students and mentors in preregistration nursing education. Conclusions: The study findings reveal the phenomenon of mentor practice diversity in CCA. The key to improving CCA is striking a balance in practice decision-making while upholding nurses' competence to ensure patient safety. Effective mentorship seems to provide guidance for achieving such a balance. The importance of developing complete and practical guidance for CCA implementation in preregistration nursing education is also suggested.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the psychological and physiological effects of applying a hot pack to the posterior neck while in a restricted supine position. Methods: In the hot pack (HP) method, a hot compress at approximately 41°C was applied to healthy adults for 30 min after 60 min of supine restraint and compared with the control (CR) method. Psychological effects were assessed using the POMS2 Japanese shortened adult version to measure the mood before and after treatment. Physiological parameters, including body temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate, heart rate variability (HRV) as an autonomic index, and skin surface temperature, were also measured. Results: The results showed that the HP method significantly decreased fatigue and lethargy, whereas the CR method decreased tension and anxiety and increased friendship scores. HRV analysis revealed that the HP method tended to suppress sympathetic nerve activity more than the CR method, although the difference was not statistically significant. There were no significant differences in the physiological parameters between the two methods; however, the skin surface temperature was significantly higher with the HP method at 70, 80, and 90 min. Conclusions: Warm posterior neck compression does not cause changes in the circulatory system and is safe for patients in the supine position for prolonged periods. Although it alleviates negative mood states, it is not strong enough to conclude that it inhibits sympathetic nervous system activity.

Objective: The dynamics of what actually occurs when couples make treatment decisions have not been fully studied. This study aimed to identify the influence of male spouses on the primary treatment decisions of patients with breast cancer in Japan and to obtain ideas for nurses to effectively help patients with breast cancer make primary treatment decisions. Methods: This qualitative study included married patients with stage I-III primary breast cancer <6 months after surgery. Semi-structured interviews were recorded and analyzed inductively. Results: This study identified three core categories that reflect the influence of spouses of Japanese patients with breast cancer on decision-making regarding primary treatment: the basis, quality, and direction of decision-making. These comprised six categories: "obtaining support that enables me to make my own choices in comfort," "living true to myself became difficult because, contrary to my expectations, I was disrespected," "examining the options together with my spouse will help me recognize values and lead me to a rational choice," "self-determination is disturbed by over-interference and psychological pressure," "rethinking their present state as a couple and exploring the future of their life together," and "not trying to look ahead, just letting things happen." Conclusions: It is important to evaluate marital relationships and leverage the strengths of joint decision-making to achieve better-quality decisions.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the attitudes of public health nurses (PHNs) endeavor to adopt when engaging in dialogue with parents and families for providing ongoing childrearing support. Methods: This was a qualitative descriptive study. We collected data through semi-structured interviews. The data were qualitatively and inductively analyzed. Results: The study participants were 10 PHNs with 6-30 years of experience; all of them had work experience in areas such as maternal/child health and child welfare. The PHNs' attitudes in the dialogue were as follows; the attitude of overlaying each other's stories, diversifying the narrative and leaving the conclusion to the future, and returning the story to the other party and being ready to resume the dialogue at any time. Conclusions: The PHNs tried to create a story together with the parents and family and continued the dialogue with the aim of letting the parents and family walk the story on their own. We propose a style of support called "dialogical childrearing support" which is the idea of supporting childrearing by continuing dialogue and co-creating the childrearing story.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the difficulties, information acquisition, and needs of working patients undergoing hemodialysis and identify the factors that are important for continuing to work. Methods: This survey involved individuals aged >20 years who were working and undergoing outpatient hemodialysis in Ishikawa Prefecture. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the actual situation with regard to three factors: difficulty, information acquisition, and needs. The relationship between the presence of changes in job status and the acceptance of such changes was also analyzed. The Mann-Whitney U test and categorical regression analysis were used for the analysis. Results: More than 60% of participants experienced difficulty in "fluid management" and "restraints owing to hemodialysis." The mean scores for difficulty in "sleep management," "shunt management," "physical instability," "mental health," and "job content" were significantly higher (from p=.013 to p=.046) in the groups with changes in job status. Results of the categorical regression analysis showed that factors related to "change as desired," "personnel evaluation, promotion, and salary increase," "workplace relationships," and "fluid management" explained 61.9% of the acceptance of changes in job status. Conclusions: The present findings indicate the necessity to be mindful of work, sleep, physical condition, shunt management status, and mental health when there are changes in job status as a result of undergoing dialysis. Personnel evaluation, promotion/salary increase, workplace relationships, and fluid management were also identified as factors to be considered when accepting changes in job status.

Objective: Through interviews, this study aimed to clarify the parenting concerns of cancer-affected mothers with children of all ages, from infancy to adolescence. The study also examines how support should be provided to mothers and families according to the children's age. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 mothers with cancer. We asked them the following questions: 1) How has the cancer diagnosis affected your roles and responsibilities as a parent? 2) How have your children influenced your treatment choices and decision-making? 3) What distress did you feel when deciding to tell/not tell your children about your cancer diagnosis? 4) What are your parenting concerns, and what support and resources do you need to address them? The data were transcribed verbatim and classified into categories, subcategories, and codes. Results: The parenting concerns were classified into eight broad categories. The features and tendencies of the expressed concerns were characterized differently depending on the children's developmental stage. Conclusions: The parenting concerns of patients with cancer differed according to their children's age. Some concerns about social support were adjudged to be trends unique to Japan, as previous research in Europe or North America did not reveal such findings. Furthermore, the mothers desired support from medical personnel for their children and families. According to this study, it will be necessary to provide age-appropriate parenting support to children in the future; this support must include the patients and their families.