Objective: To clarify the characteristics of sexual harassment (SH) experienced by male nursing students in nursing school by identifying and categorizing the details of SH incidents and their SH coping behaviors. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven male nursing students in cooperation with a nursing college and nursing university in the Kanto area and a male nurses’ association. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and qualitatively analyzed. Results: The details of SH incidents were categorized as follows: “being assigned patients that female students avoid,” “male students forced to learn nursing in an environment where the male gender is not readily accepted,” “unwanted rumors are spread through the student community,” “bias exists toward fairness in gender grooming standards,” and “rude treatment when their sexuality is expressed.” The details of SH coping behaviors were classified as “do not verbally address the damage to others” and “actively talk and share with other male students.” Conclusions: This study highlights the need to eliminate the double standard regarding SH toward male nursing students, establish a zero-tolerance misandry environment, ensure the fulfillment of school administrators’ obligation to implement anti-harassment measures, and emphasize SH prevention measures.

Objective: This study aimed to explore differences in nurses’ decision-making in response to ethical dilemmas in daily nursing practice, considering situational characteristics and clinical experience. Methods: Nurses with at least one year of experience participated in think-aloud interviews, during which they responded to three controlled model scenarios: toileting, sleep/rest, and physical restraint. The verbatim transcripts were analyzed quantitatively by classifying the nurses’ responses according to the three phases of the decision-making process, grouping participants by clinical experience. Results: A total of 24 nurses participated in this study (mean years of experience ± SD=15.42±10.85). In scenarios involving higher ethical conflict or situations requiring quick decisions, nurses tended to prioritize information related to ward organization, staffing, and safety management earlier in the decision-making process. In contrast, information concerning the patient’s individuality and preferences was given priority later. Nurses with more clinical experience focused more on problem-solving cues and made decisions more quickly. In contrast, less-experienced nurses consulted a broader range of information before selecting a course of action. Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for ethical education programs tailored to different scenarios and levels of clinical experience. These programs should focus on strengthening nurses’ abilities to prioritize essential information and reassess their decisions after taking action.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the feelings of ward nurses caring for patients with unresectable gastrointestinal cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven nurses who provided care to these patients when they were undergoing chemotherapy at a designated cancer medical-treatment-cooperation base hospital. The interviews were analyzed using a qualitative synthesis method. Results: The emotional foundation of ward nurses consisted of “empathizing with the patient’s feelings and condition” and “maintaining a calm mindset every day.” While exposed to patients’ situations and emotions, nurses experience feelings such as “heartache over patients’ sufferings,” “relief upon witnessing positive changes or joy in patients,” “tension or pressure when facing severe conditions,” and “frustration when unable to meet patients’ expectations.” Even so, by “encouraging themselves when engaging with patients,” they could still provide care. Conclusions: Ward nurses were inclined to sympathize with patients’ situations and experienced psychological distress. They tended to delay dealing with their own distress and prioritized patient care. The results suggested the importance of alleviating the nurses’ own distress and helping them find meaning in their experiences.

Objective: To explore the usability, which is defined as goal achievement, usage status, and user satisfaction, of Japanese-language mobile health applications (apps) that are used for adult patient education. This study also sought to identify associated challenges and provide recommendations for app development. Methods: A narrative review was conducted on papers published in the past five years using eight databases, including Igaku Chuo Zasshi Web and PubMed. Results: The usability of the apps described in 11 reviewed studies revealed several challenges, including limited effectiveness in achieving intended goals, low user registration and engagement, and user difficulty with input tasks. A sense of burden when responding to messages and high development costs were also cited as additional concerns. Conclusions: To develop apps that solve the aforementioned problems and challenges, we need to prioritize usability testing, evaluate the app, and make improvements. Other suggestions include development based on instructional design, intuitive user interfaces, integration of gamification and chatbot features, and collaborative development between industry and academia.

Objective: To conduct a comprehensive review of the literature on continuous support measures from pregnancy to the first year after birth, further clarify nursing support measures and the responses of parents and children, and identify research gaps in the existing literature. Methods: A scoping review was conducted based on the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Results: A total of 23 articles were included. A total of seven articles reported studies that covered the period from pregnancy to child-rearing, and two were surveys of parents, one of which was a longitudinal study. The nursing support measures included continuous involvement and building trust, as well as support to reduce child-rearing anxiety and postpartum physical symptoms. The response of parents was “I felt at ease because I was supported by reliable staff,” and they indicated they were satisfied with such support. Conclusions: Research gaps such as limited longitudinal studies covering pregnancy to child-rearing periods and a lack of research on parents using continuous support measures were identified. Accordingly, longitudinal surveys from pregnancy to child-rearing from the parents’ perspective and further improving seamless, continuous support are recommended.