PURPOSE: In this study the present status of the practicum in Fundamentals of Nursing and test for student competency in nursing skills were surveyed. METHOD: Participants included 72 nursing schools. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection and SPSS 17.0 for data analysis. RESULTS: Credits for Fundamentals of Nursing, credits for practicum and hours per credit were 2.93, 7.34, and 2.14 respectively. Number of students per practice unit, full time assistants and students per assistant were 28.6, 0.6, and 20.2 respectively. Utilization of CPX room and OSCE room for practice was 5.6%, and 9.7% respectively. Of the school, 32.0% included clinical practice in the practicum. 90.3% provided an open lab but only 48.4% had full-time assistants for these clinical practice areas. Testing for nursing skill competency was performed twice a semester in most schools. Utilization of standard patients and high fidelity models for testing was 8.3%, and 23.6% respectively. The test was thought to be inappropriate in 33.4% of the schools. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that to improve the outcomes, the practicum for Fundamentals of Nursing needs to be changed to include expansion of facilities and human resources, utilization of standard patients and high fidelity models and development of appropriate test methods.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Humans ; Pyridines ; Schools, Nursing ; Statistics as Topic ; Thiazoles

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to provide data for development of the Journal of Fundamentals of Nursing through reviewing classification of sectional editorship. METHODS: Descriptive statistical analysis was used, to identify content then, the classifications of sectional editorship were reviewed. RESULTS: The categories, "Basic concepts of nursing" (30.2%:17.9%), "Needs for comfort" (15.9%:13.1%), "Nursing education" (12.7%:12.7%), and "Needs for activity and exercise" (7.1%:7.1%) were most frequent through both the 1st and 2nd sectional editorship. CONCLUSION: Classification of sectional editorship was developed to clarify the educational purpose of fundamentals of nursing, and was modified through reflections by researchers. The current classification of sectional editorship is not a permanent formula, so using various viewpoints in further examination is needed.
Nursing Research