OBJECTIVE

The competence of health workers to attend to vulnerable and marginalized populations is critical to health equity. The study determines the competence of physicians in providing health care to LGBT adolescents in a national tertiary hospital.

All physicians from the departments of Pediatrics and Family and Community Medicine were recruited. An electronic form collected demographic data and responses to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Development of Clinical Skills Scale (LGBTDOCSS).Theresponsesweresummarizedandanalyzed.

Most respondents are male, with a mean age of 34.21 years. They are mainly staff of the Department of Pediatrics and post- residency fellows. Not all recall their participation in gender sensitivity training. They report scores towards the higher end of the scale: an overall score of 5.27 and mean subscale scores of 4.43 for clinical preparedness, 6.13 for attitudinal awareness, and 5.24 for basic knowledge. The heterogeneity and pertinacity of their experiences with LGBT individuals mediate their attitudinal awareness. Attaining the level of consultant suggests a better understanding of barriers and disparities against LGBT individuals. The tool has good internal reliability.

The demographic profile of the respondents suggests their involvement in healthcare, continuing education, and staff development. They report adequate competence in providing health care to LGBT adolescents.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop a smartphone overdependence prevention program for college students based on the self-determination theory (SDT) and evaluate its effectiveness.METHODS: A non-equivalent control group repeated measures design was used for the study. Participants were 64 university freshmen (experimental group: 29, control group: 35). The developed program consists of eight sessions conducted twice a week. The program was designed to promote autonomy, competence, and relatedness the three elements of the basic psychological needs of self-determination theory. The participants were assessed before the program, immediately after, and 1 and 3 months after the program. Data were collected from April 23 to September 14, 2018 and analyzed by performing a Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS/WIN 23.0.RESULTS: This study showed improvement in the basic psychological needs (F=3.90, p =.010) in the experimental group compared to the control group. Specifically, competence (F=2.93, p =.035), relatedness (F=2.89, p =.045), and self-regulatory ability (F=3.11, p =.028) improved significantly.CONCLUSION: Study findings indicate thatthe smartphone overdependence prevention program based on the Self-determination theory could be an effective intervention for improving basic psychological needs and self-regulation ability. Therefore, this program could be an efficient strategy for smartphone overdependence prevention in university students.
Humans ; Mental Competency ; Personal Autonomy ; Self-Control ; Smartphone

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to define and clarify the concept of political competence for nurses.METHODS: A hybrid model method was used to investigate the dimensions, attributes, and definitions of the concept. In the theoretical stage of the study, literature on nursing, politics, and other discipline were reviewed. In the fieldwork stage, individual in-depth interviews and focus groups interviews were conducted with politically seasoned experts or activists who had an understanding of the concept of political competence for extensive descriptions in nursing and field of health care.RESULTS: The concept of political competence was represented in four dimensions as political knowledge, political efficacy, political interaction, and political activity. In the political knowledge dimension, there were three attributes, namely, political knowledge, political information and systematic analysis ability. The political efficacy dimension had three attributes of internal political efficacy, external political efficacy, and self-pride of nursing profession. The political interaction dimension had three attributes of organizations and community service, networking, and persuasive power. The political activity dimension had six attributes of political leadership, political expression, assertive behavior, political advocacy, political participation, and policy intervention.CONCLUSION: This concept development might provide a basic understanding of developing a measurement tool and for constructing a theory promoting nurses' political competence.
Concept Formation ; Delivery of Health Care ; Focus Groups ; Leadership ; Mental Competency ; Methods ; Nursing ; Politics ; Professional Competence ; Seasons ; Social Welfare

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the effects of emotional intelligence and working environment on nursing performance of nurses caring for cancer patients in small and medium hospitals were mediated by communication competence.METHODS: The data was collected between Aug. 1 and Aug. 30, 2018 from 240 nurses caring for cancer patients from 11 small and medium hospitals in B city. Variables included in this study were the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), the Practice Environment Scale of Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI), the Global Interpersonal Communication Competence (GICC), and nursing performance. The collected data were analyzed by t-tests, ANOVA and Scheffe's test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and 3 step multiple regression using SPSS/WIN 24.0 and the Sobel test.RESULTS: Communication competence, in the relationship between emotional intelligence and nursing working environment on nursing performance in nurses caring for cancer patients in small and medium hospitals, showed a partial mediating effect (Z=5.24, p < .001; Z=2.44, p=.001 respectively).CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed the effects of emotional intelligence and nursing working environment on nursing performance of nurses caring for cancer patients in small and medium hospitals were mediated by communication competence.
Emotional Intelligence ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Mental Competency ; Negotiating ; Nursing

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the effects of different oxygen conditions (20% [high O₂], 5% [low O₂] and 5% decreased to 2% [dynamic O₂]) on mouse pre- and peri-implantation development using a novel double-channel gas supply (DCGS) incubator (CNC Biotech Inc.) to alter the oxygen concentration during in vitro culture.METHODS: The high-O₂ and low-O₂ groups were cultured from the one-cell to the blastocyst stage under 20% and 5% oxygen concentrations, respectively. In the dynamic-O₂ group, mouse embryos were cultured from the one-cell to the morula stage under 5% O₂ for 3 days, followed by culture under 2% O₂ to the blastocyst stage. To evaluate peri-implantation development, the blastocysts from the three groups were individually transferred to a fibronectin-coated dish and cultured to the outgrowth stage in droplets.RESULTS: The blastocyst formation rate was significantly higher in the low-O₂ and dynamic-O₂ groups than in the high-O₂ group. The total cell number was significantly higher in the dynamic-O₂ group than in the low-O₂ and high-O₂ groups. Additionally, the apoptotic index was significantly lower in the low-O₂ and dynamic-O₂ groups than in the high-O₂ group. The trophoblast outgrowth rate and spread area were significantly higher in the low-O₂ and dynamic-O₂ groups than in the high-O₂ group.CONCLUSION: Our results showed that a dynamic oxygen concentration (decreasing from 5% to 2%) had beneficial effects on mouse pre- and peri-implantation development. Optimized, dynamic changing of oxygen concentrations using the novel DCGS incubator could improve the developmental competence of in vitro cultured embryos in a human in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer program.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Blastocyst ; Cell Count ; Embryo Transfer ; Embryonic Structures ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Incubators ; Mental Competency ; Mice ; Morula ; Oxygen ; Trophoblasts

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the factors that influence clinical performance of dental hygiene students to provide useful data for developing strategies to improve clinical competence.METHODS: The effects of variables on clinical competence by quantile level were analyzed using quantile regression analysis in 247 dental hygiene students. Quantile regression and multiple regression analyses were conducted using the Stata 11.0 program to analyze predictors of clinical competence.RESULTS: The clinical competence score of dental hygiene students was 42.69±5.90, the satisfaction of clinical practice was 49.90±7.44, the clinical practice stress was 50.62±7.37, and the professional self-concept was 31.68±4.41. Empathy was the highest at 50.87±4.93. Multiple regression analysis showed that school year, stress from clinical training, satisfaction with clinical training, professional self-concept, and empathy had significant impact on clinical competence. Quantile regression analysis showed that the effects varied depending on the clinical competence level. School year and professional self-concept had a significant positive effect, regardless of the clinical competence level, while empathy had a significant positive effect at the top 10% (Q90) of the clinical competence level. Satisfaction with clinical practice affected clinical competence at Q25, Q50, and Q90. Stress from clinical practice had significant effects at Q25, Q50, and Q90 (p<0.05).CONCLUSION: According to the study results, different factors affected clinical competence according to the quantile of clinical competence. This study provides valuable implications for designing clinical competence enhancement programs and strategies. In addition, objective indicators for considering factors that may affect the clinical competence, such as academic competence and satisfaction of practice hospitals, are expected to require detailed analysis and measures.
Clinical Competence ; Empathy ; Humans ; Mental Competency ; Oral Hygiene

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify the educational effect among nursing students who performed the patient role in women's health nursing simulations.METHODS: In this exploratory qualitative study, a sample of 31 third- and fourth-grade nursing students who participated in scenario-based patient roles in clinical performance examination of the women's health nursing simulation practice training. Data were collected through focus group interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.RESULTS: Three themes emerged from the data analysis. Participants experienced an enhancement of patient-centered nursing competence, deep learning immersion and display of self-regulated learning. The difficulty of performing the patient role contributed additional effects such as the difficulty to perform the patient role in the psychological training environment.CONCLUSION: It is recommended to utilize nursing students as patients in simulation practice training. On the other hand, the psychological training environment can cause difficulties in performing patient roles, a burden on the role of the patient, and involves the interruption of the role.
Clinical Competence ; Education ; Education, Nursing ; Focus Groups ; Hand ; Humans ; Immersion ; Learning ; Mental Competency ; Nursing ; Patient Simulation ; Patient-Centered Care ; Statistics as Topic ; Students, Nursing ; Women's Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of hospital ethical climate and nursing professionalism on patient safety management activity by nurses.METHODS: A cross-sectional correlation study design was used. Participants included 142 nurses from two tertiary hospitals in Seoul and Gyunggi-do, South Korea. Data were collected in April and May 2019 using self-report questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple liner regression analysis with SPSS/WIN 21.0.RESULTS: The patient safety management activity correlated positively with hospital ethical climate (r=.32, p < .001) and nursing professionalism (r=.40, p < .001). The patient safety management activity was the factor that most influenced nursing professionalism and position, explaining 21% of the variance (F=12.06, p < .001).CONCLUSION: It is necessary to provide education on professionalism. It is necessary to continuously provide job education and training to nurture competence and quality in professional nurses.
Climate ; Education ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Korea ; Mental Competency ; Nursing ; Patient Safety ; Professionalism ; Seoul ; Statistics as Topic ; Tertiary Care Centers

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to explore the work experience of nurses who transitioned from the patient nursing department to administrative departments.METHODS: The participants were 11 nurses who had worked in departments of human resources, education and training, medical insurance review, information technology, and quality improvement. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews done between December 2017 and July 2018 and were analyzed in terms of Giorgi's phenomenological methodology. The research question was ‘What kind of experience did you have as you transition to a new role from a nurse to a hospital administrative nurse? What are the challenges in carrying out a new role? How do you overcome obstacles and adjust to being a hospital administrative nurse?’RESULTS: The main essence of the administrative nurses' work adjustment experience is represented by six components; 1) Beginning of a new challenge in conflict, 2) Running into barriers, 3) Struggling to take root, 4) Recognizing changes in the hospital, 5) Gradually adjusting to change, 6) Becoming a proficient hospital administrative nurse.CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, it is essential to create systems that enable administrative nurses to adjust to their work without confusion, and continuously develop programs to enhance their competence.
Education ; Humans ; Insurance ; Mental Competency ; Nursing ; Qualitative Research ; Quality Improvement ; Running

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of autonomy, competence, and relationship on the recovery attitude of inpatients with alcohol use disorder.METHODS: This descriptive correlational study was based on the basic psychological needs theory, which is a sub-theory of self-determination theory (SDT). Study participants were 158 inpatients with alcohol use disorder from four mental hospitals in two areas. Data were collected from self-report questionnaires administered in September and October 2019. Data were analyzed using the t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and the multiple linear regression with IBM SPSS 22.0.RESULTS: Recovery attitude showed a positive correlation with autonomy (r=.62, p < .001), competence (r=.40, p < .001), and relationship (r=.33, p < .001). The results of the regression indicate the autonomy and competence explained 39% of the recovery attitude (R2=.40, F=51.04, p < .001).CONCLUSION: The results suggest that autonomy and competence play integral roles in the recovery attitude of inpatients with alcohol use disorders. Thus, mental health practitioners should develop psychological need-based interventions to improve the autonomy, competence, and recovery attitude of inpatients' with alcohol use disorder.
Alcoholism ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Linear Models ; Mental Competency ; Mental Health ; Motivation