Objectives: This study aimed to describe the experiences of bereaved family members of cancer patients in terms of regret in relation to ending terminal treatment for the patient. Methods: We conducted a semi-structured qualitative interview of 37 bereaved family members regarding their decision-making and their psychological adjustment from the time they made the decision to terminate treatment. Interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Approximately 40% of bereaved family members reported that they had some regrets about their decision. Regret contents were classified into 8 categories and diversified from 4 categories at the time of decision-making to 7 categories after the death. The reasons for regret were classified into 43 categories. Common factors that minimized regret included situations at the time when they made the decision, such as patient- and family-specific factors and relationship with the medical staff. In comparison, the common reasons for regret centered on factors related to the approach for decision-making, such as the process, options, as well as psychological coping and relationships with medical staff. Conclusion: The results suggest that regret in the bereaved could be modified by understanding the relationship between regret characteristics and psychological coping.

Cancer patients in terminal phase often feel self-perceived burden to their family and medical staff. The self-perceived burden should be alleviated, though needed care has not been fully investigated. This study aimed to investigate the self-perceived burden of terminal cancer patients and needed care. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for twenty-eight bereaved family members of cancer patients. The results revealed, 1) cancer patients' self-perceived burdens; including eight categories such as “It is distressful to have other people take care of my excretory needs”, 2) cancer patients' self-perceived behaviors to cope with their emotional burdens; including 11 categories such as “Telling the family to give higher priority to their work and plans”, 3) families' feelings and coping behaviors; including 15 categories such as “I thought of the patient's withholding of requests as a consideration for me“, and 4) care required for the patients' self-perceived burden; including nine categories such as “Speaking naturally instead of emphasizing something in particular”. The usefulness of care should be discussed.

The clinical competence needed by every beginning resident and the present status of such competencewere examined in August 1998 through questionnaires distributed to clinical educators and the nursing staff of university hospitals and clinical training hospitals designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Completed questionnaires were returned by 576 (65.9%) of clinical educators and nursing staff. With a cluster analysis of the necessity and the present status of clinical competence, 21 items for clinical competence were identified as those most requiring evaluation by the national examination. These 21 items included 11 items for clinical competence in the cognitive domain, 8 items in the psychomotor domain, and 2 in the affective domain. In about half of the direct answers obtained from clinical educators, evaluations were considered necessary for 15 items of clinical competence, of which 13 belonged to the cognitive domain. These results were consistent with the present status. However, practical examinations have also attracted increasing attention, as the results included strong demands that the national examination evaluate some basic clinical skills, such as physical examination and measurement of vital signs. However, about 30 % of authorities governing the national examination thought no changes are needed in the national examination.

Engaru-Kosei General Hospital expanded its pharmacist duties in hospital wards in April 2018 following the nationwide switch to out-of-hospital prescriptions. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of pharmacists’ ward duties on nursing duties. Pharmacists expanded their duties to cover drug distribution management, infusions of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) mixed with drugs, and aseptic preparation of 24-h infusions (including peripheral parenteral nutrition). The effects were compared between April 2018 before the expansion of duties and May-September 2018 after the expansion, and we compared the number of meetings set up to discuss nurses’ overtime hours and patient problems. In addition, interviews were conducted about the changes experienced on site. Drug distribution management averaged 3,150 cases/month. The number of TPN mixed infusions was 25 cases/month before expansion and this increased to 88 cases/month after expansion. The number of mixed injections of 24-h infusions was 296/month. Nurses' overtime hours did not decrease significantly, but the number of meetings increased from 47/month to 79.4/month. In the interviews, positive responses were obtained about, for example, the increased number of meetings held and more time for patient care. The pharmacist and the nurse collaborated to improve work by using their expertise, we think that the results obtained from work improvement contributed to the improvement of medical quality and medical safety.