Objective: This study elucidates the effects of wearing different types of masks on sound pressure level and listening comprehension of fricative sounds. Methods: The effects of wearing no mask, surgical masks, and N95 masks were compared among subjects of both sexes in their 20s. Using Praat software, the sound pressure level (dB) was analyzed. Furthermore, the number of instances of mishearing among 15 VCV words were analyzed by focusing on fricative sounds. Results: Wearing a mask significantly attenuated the sound pressure level at high frequencies (p‹.05). The N95 mask resulted in the highest number of mishearing instances. There was a significant increase in consonant mishearing when wearing a mask (p‹.01). Tendencies for voiced sounds to become voiceless, and mishearing between the same tones were observed. Conclusions: The effects of wearing a mask were found to be more pronounced at high frequencies where consonants are typically distributed, attenuating sound pressure levels and causing mishearing. Furthermore, the effects on sound pressure level and mishearing were more significant when wearing N95 masks than surgical masks.

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between the professional identity of nurses and the organizational climate, and to examine the necessary factors for forming professional identity therein. Methods: The study recruited 449 nurses working in hospitals with 100 beds or more in Prefecture A. A bearer self-administered questionnaire was used to investigate the basic attributes and professional identity of nurses, organizational climate, and social support. Results: A multiple regression analysis indicated that occupational identity was associated with a constructive atmosphere, the unfair appraisal of nursing, an atmosphere conductive to research, more than 10 years of experience (long-term tenure), and motivation for choosing this profession. Nurses with more than 10 years of experience reported significantly low levels of support from superiors and seniors, leadership of nurse manager, constructive atmosphere, and research atmosphere. Conclusions: The results suggested that fostering an organizational climate for creating a constructive atmosphere is necessary for the formation of professional identity. Additionally, they stressed the importance of providing social support, including the approval of nursing practice, especially for nurses with a tenure of more than 10 years.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the challenges faced in supported decision-making for psychiatric discharge, by examining the process of peer supporters and considering the psychiatric nurse’s involvement in supported decision-making. Methods: The study targeted 20 peer supporters with hospitalization experience in psychiatric wards. The interview survey results were analyzed using the modified grounded theory approach. Results: Some patients expressed a desire to be discharged that was not accepted; hence, they chose to remain either hospitalized or move ahead with the discharge process. Meanwhile, other patients decided to stay hospitalized, despite wanting to get discharged. For a certain period following the discharge, patients experienced paralysis and the inability to adapt, leading to a negative cycle of increased loneliness and decreased sense of control, resulting in a crisis of self-reliance. Conclusions: The psychiatric patient’s desire for discharge is ambiguous as hospitalization is sometimes preferred for a sense of security, and the state of the crisis following discharge has been proven to be challenging. The results indicate a need for nurses not to lose sight of the patient’s desire, and provide support for overcoming the crisis following discharge.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the factors that influenced nursing school students’ sense of coherence (SOC) from the viewpoints of stress, locus of control (LOC), and specific anxiety. Furthermore, we aim to find a coping strategy to develop SOC from the longitudinal changes in SOC. Method: A two-year cohort study was conducted with first- (587: 298 respondents) and second-year (594: 271 respondents) nursing school students from a three-year course. The questionnaire survey on SOC, LOC, characteristic anxiety, and coping strategies (TAC-24) was based on a three-dimensional (3D) model. Results: It was revealed that nursing school students’ SOC was affected by stress, LOC, and trait anxiety. Furthermore, SOC changed according to the grade. In the third grade, the effect of stress decreased, whereas that of LOC and trait anxiety increased. Among the coping strategies adopted by students, “positive interpretation,” “planning,” “abandoning/giving up,” and “passing on responsibility” were shown to affect the growth of SOC. Conclusions: SOC decreases under much stress. However, students can prepare to deal with stress by understanding their own personality traits. Development of SOC requires experience in understanding and predicting one’s entire life, in responding flexibly to various problems, and in appreciating and rewarding oneself.

Objective: This study aimed at clarifying the career plateau that occurs in female generalist nurses with five or more years of nursing experience and the characteristics of the nurses belonging to each career plateau type. Methods: A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire survey was administrated to 1,637 female generalist nurses having five or more years of experience working at hospitals. We employed hierarchical cluster analysis using the Euclidean distance and Ward’s method to analyze the career plateauing scale scores and subsequently carried out the Kruskal-Wallis test with Bonferroni correction, followed by the chi-square test and residual analysis. Results: According to the analysis of the data from 732 respondents (valid response rate: 44.7%), we classified career plateau into the following types: Double Plateau, Hierarchical Plateau, Non-Plateau, and Content Plateau. Significant differences were found among the types in terms of age, years of nursing experience, years of hospital work, presence or absence of children, motivation to learn, and human relationships at work. Conclusions: It was suggested that early detection of plateauing and early intervention in career development tailored for the individual are essential based on consideration of individual female nurses’ background and the type and characteristics of their career plateau.

Objective: To elucidate the exercise process that focuses on the body and exercise perception of elderly patients undergoing hemodialysis. Methods: This qualitative factor exploratory study used a modified grounded theory approach. Results: Fifteen elderly patients who visited a medical institution as outpatients and had been undergoing hemodialysis for at least 1 year participated in this study. The analysis revealed that the exercise process in elderly patients undergoing hemodialysis could be classified into six categories, including those related to body and exercise perception, and started with two body perception categories. Furthermore, “The body that is gradually pushed to its maximum with dialysis as a drive” becomes “determined to live a dialysis life on their own feet” and attains “challenging and unguided exercise.” Two categories of exercise perception had antagonistic effects on exercise based on the “determination to live a dialysis life on their own feet.” Conclusions: Active exercise guidance focusing on body and exercise perception is crucial for supporting the exercise process of patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify how new nurses overcome difficulties in nursing practice they never experienced in basic nursing education. Methods: Twelve second-year nurses participated in a semi-structured interview, and the results were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Results: New nurses became aware that they were able to handle the nursing work by imitating senior nurses. They used senior nurses as a model and carried out their work following their example. Senior nurses pointed out the tendency to prioritize the workload and practiced care considering patients’ feelings. In this manner, they obtained a positive reaction from the patient and family. Conclusions: As an educational support to overcome difficulties of nursing practice not experienced in basic nursing education, senior nurses presented high-quality examples so new nurses could imitate this style of prioritized nursing work. It was concluded that guidance was necessary so new nurses would be made aware of the tendency.

Objective: This study sought to revise the scale “that assessed pediatric nurses’ ability to achieve practice that advocated for children’s rights.” Methods: We recruited 1,000 nurses with more than three years of experience in childcare at pediatric, university, and general hospitals with pediatric wards, and clinics. We surveyed 818 nurses using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire and obtained 337 (41%) responses; 294 valid responses (36%) were included in the analysis. Results: Item and factor analyses revealed 24 items from the following four factors: “support for the family,” “support for the children,” “explanation to children and confirmation of their intentions,” and “coordination with medical staff.” The cumulative contribution was 59.36%. Criterion-related validity was correlated with Oide’s existing scale and the four factors, and content validity was demonstrated. In addition, confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the developed scale had a high degree of fit. Conclusions: We were able to create a practical scale and ensure its validity and reliability.

Objective: Physical activity has various beneficial effects, but a very low percentage of people exercise habitually in Japan, and the various measures introduced to combat this have not generated desirable results. In the current study, we focused on the motivation to exercise and aimed to clarify the factors that can affect motivation for exercising in general workers. Methods: In 2019, we conducted an anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey regarding self-determined motivation to exercise among adults aged 35-74 who were undertaking lifestyle-related diseases prevention medical examinations. Results: The survey involved 1,822 respondents, 1,321 (72.5%) of whom provided valid responses. The sub-concepts of the Self-determined Motivation Scale for Exercise (SMSE) were significantly associated with the presence or absence of exercise habits. In terms of basic attributes, intrinsic regulation was significant for smoking and drinking habits, identified regulation for age and smoking habits, introjected regulation for diabetes history, and non-regulation for gender and smoking habits. Conclusions: Our study suggests that it is necessary to provide health guidance intervention based on the individuality of subjects and the sub-concepts of the SMSE.

Objective: To examine the relationship between disaster self-efficacy and disaster literacy, disaster awareness, and disaster prevention behavior among hemodialysis patients and to identify the factors influencing disaster self-efficacy. Methods: A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was sent by mail to 1,500 patients undergoing hemodialysis (aged 20-79 years), and 245 complete responses were taken up for analysis. The questions covered basic attributes, disaster awareness, disaster prevention literacy, disaster self-efficacy, and disaster prevention behavior. Results: Significant determinants found to promote disaster prevention behavior among hemodialysis patients were “self-responsiveness”, “preparedness”, “understanding of threats”, and “imagining of disaster situations”. Factors influencing disaster self-efficacy were also shown to be influenced by disaster literacy and disaster awareness (R²=.715). Conclusions: In order to increase disaster self-efficacy among hemodialysis patients and link it to disaster prevention behavior, it is suggested that patient education to improve disaster literacy and awareness should be considered.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the relationship between the sense of coherence (SOC) of nurses engaged in pre-hospital care (PC) and their interprofessional collaborative competency. Methods: The SOC, interprofessional collaborative competency, and personal attributes of nurses engaged in PC at 58 air ambulance base hospitals across Japan were investigated using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. Results: Data from 132 nurses from 36 facilities were analyzed (valid response rate: 46.3%). The average SOC score was 56.8 (SD=10.8) points for total SOC, 21.8 (SD=5.1) points for comprehensibility, 16.3 (SD=4.0) points for manageability, and 18.7 points (SD=4.0) for meaningfulness. The average total score of interprofessional collaborative competency was 114.4 (SD=12.2). The results indicated a weakly positive correlation between interprofessional collaborative competency and SOC total score (r=.38, p‹.01), comprehensibility (r=.39, p‹.01), and meaningfulness (r=.35, p‹.01). Conclusions: High interprofessional collaborative competency may increase the SOC.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the psychosocial issues that preschool-aged children with severe food allergies (FA) face and the support they need, as perceived by licensed nurses working as Pediatric Allergy Educators (PAEs). Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 qualified nurses working as PAEs. Then, qualitative descriptive analysis was performed on the interview data. Results: PAEs perceived that children with FAs face the following psychosocial issues: [delayed transition to self-management], [allergy management that is not FA child-centered], [lack of experience with food], [non-food restrictions in daily life], [adverse reactions to food], [delayed social development], and [negative impact on self-concept formation]. The support PAEs provide for these problems include [support to encourage proactive participation in testing and treatment], [support for enhancing self-esteem], [support for coping with life with allergies], [support to foster food enjoyment], [support to encourage children to interact with each other], and [support for preschool and kindergarten staff]. Conclusions: This study aids in understanding the psychosocial issues that children with severe FA face and providing adequate support for them in later childhood.