To overcome the shortage of medical care delivery in the rapidly aging Japanese society, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in 2010 started to train the nurses to be able to conduct the specified medical acts. The Japanese Nursing Association conducted the educational program to train the wound, ostomy, and continence nurses for the specified medical act of wound care. However, the difference between wound, ostomy, and continence nurses who conducted the medical act and those who did not was not clear. The aim of this study was to determine how trained wound, ostomy, and continence nurses spend their time during their entire shift in an acute hospital setting. In this prospective observational study, we selected those wound, ostomy, and continence nurses who received advanced training in the wound management program (T-WN) in 2011–2012. Wound, ostomy, and continence nurses who did not receive the training (N-WN) were also recruited as controls. We conducted a time and motion study during subject's day shifts for 1 week. We calculated the time spent on tasks based on a task classification code that was created to facilitate a two-group comparison. Six T-WNs and five N-WNs were our analysis subjects. T-WNs spent significantly more time on direct care than did N-WNs (p = 0.00). Moreover, in the sub-categories s of direct care, T-WN spent significantly more time on “treatment” than did N-WN (p = 0.01). T-WN spent significantly more time on treatment with (p = 0.03) or without (p = 0.01) physicians than did N-WN. In the treatment activities, T-WN performed significantly more time on foot care (p = 0.01), wound cleansing (p = 0.01) and conservative sharp wound debridement (p = 0.01) than did N-WN. Frequencies of direct care interventions for the patients was significantly different between T-WN and N-WN (p = 0.04). T-WNs frequently engaged in direct care provided treatment for patients with chronic wounds.

Background and Objectives: For effective function of the rapid response system (RRS), prompt identification of patients at a high risk of cardiac arrest and RRS activation without hesitation are important. This study aimed to identify clinical factors that increase the risk of intensive care unit (ICU) transfer and cardiac arrest to identify patients who are likely to develop serious conditions requiring ICU management and appropriate RRS activation in Japan. Materials and Methods: We performed a single-center, case control study among patients requiring a rapid response team (RRT) call from 2017 to 2020. We extracted the demographic data, vital parameters, blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and the fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO₂) from the medical records at the time of RRT call. The patients were divided into two groups to identify clinical signs that correlated with the progression of clinical deterioration. Patient characteristics in the two groups were compared using statistical tests based on the distribution. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify the appropriate cut-off values of vital parameters or FiO₂ that showed a significant difference between-group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify patient factors that were predictive of RRS necessity. Results: We analyzed the data of 65 patients who met our hospital’s RRT call criteria. Among the clinical signs in RRT call criteria, respiratory rate (RR) (p < 0.01) and the needed FiO₂ were significantly increased (p < 0.01) in patients with severe disease course. ROC curve analysis revealed RR and needed FiO₂ cut-off values of 25.5 breaths/min and 30%. The odds ratio for the progression of clinical deterioration was 40.5 times higher with the combination of RR ≥ 26 breaths/min and needed FiO₂ ≥ 30%. Conclusions: The combined use of RR ≥ 26 breaths/min and needed FiO₂ ≥ 30% might be valid for identifying patients requiring intensive care management.

The migrant population of Japan is gradually increasing, but it is not well known how and why diet and physical activity (PA) change post-migration. Therefore, this study used a mixed-method approach to investigate the changes in dietary patterns and PA through a web- and paper-based survey (n = 128) and understand the contextual factors for those changes through semi-structured interviews (n = 21). Descriptive and thematic analyses of quantitative and qualitative data were conducted, respectively. The majority of survey (57.8%) and interview (66.7%) participants were female, and the mean duration of stay in Japan was 5 and 3.6 years, respectively. The survey revealed an increased consumption of foods attached to Japanese culture, frozen and microwavable food, and a reduced consumption of fruits. We identified environmental (availability, accessibility, and affordability of foods; food safety and diet-related information; and climate), individual (living status; post-migration lifestyle; and food preferences and limitations), or socio-cultural (relationships with Japanese people; cultural differences; and religious influences) factors that impact diet changes. Language proficiency and the duration of stay shape dietary behaviors. Determinants of PA changes were climate, lifestyle, and the influence of Japanese culture. In conclusion, immigrants in Japan experience post-migration diet and PA changes, and this study adds knowledge about how and why such changes occur.

Background: Developing and cultivating mindfulness exerts a positive effect on psychological and cognitive performance. Sharpening the skill requires continuous mindfulness-based training (MT), which can be challenging for people leading busy lives. Therefore, the current study examined whether trait mindfulness can be improved by a flexible and brief MT program of self-breathing using a pre–post intervention design. Methods: Trait mindfulness was assessed using the Japanese version of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) before the intervention (pre), after 2 weeks (during), and 4 weeks after the intervention started (post). Data were analyzed using the Friedman test followed by the Dunn–Bonferroni correction. Results: The study sample consisted of 22 healthy participants aged from 20 to 60 years with no previous experience with yoga or meditation equivalent to MT. The mean number of days of MT practice was 26.4, and 11 participants had interruptions. The median values of pre-, during-, and post-total FFMQ scores were 115.5, 123, and 129, respectively. Significant differences were observed in the total pre and post (p < 0.001) and during and post (p = 0.002) FFMQ scores, though a medium effect was found (r = 0.30) only between the pre and post scores. Of the five sub-scales of FFMQ, significant differences were observed only between pre and post Observing (p = 0.01), Nonreactivity (p < 0.001), and Describing (p = 0.01), and during and post Nonjudging (p = 0.016), and Nonreactivity (p = 0.025). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the simple, brief, and flexible self-breathing method employed in this study has a substantial effect on fostering trait mindfulness and, therefore, can be adopted by people with hectic daily schedules.

Given the past limitations on clinical practice training during the COVID-19 pandemic, a hybrid format program was developed, combining a time-lapse unfolding case study and high-fidelity simulation. This study assesses the effectiveness of a new form of clinical training from the perspective of student nurses. A questionnaire was administered to 159 second-year nursing students enrolled in the “Basic Nursing Practice II” course. Text mining was performed using quantitative text analysis for the following items: (1) aspects that were learned more deeply, (2) benefits, and (3) difficulties encountered with the new practice format. The new clinical practice format enhanced participants’ learning related to the daily changes required in nursing care and improved their nursing competency through simulated patient interactions. However, the participants faced difficulties dealing with patients accompanied by secular changes. Moreover, they found remote group work challenging. These findings can be applied to the development of new educational strategies.

This study investigated the effects of an online interprofessional education (IPE) program on nursing students at a university in Japan. It conducted a comparative analysis between traditional face-to-face and online interventions. All students who enrolled in the “Team Medical Practice” course in both 2019 and 2020 were invited to participate. After team-based learning with different healthcare professions, we quantitatively analyzed pre- and post-intervention outcomes using two measures: the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and the IPE Questionnaire TSUKUBA model (IPET). We compared the results of 153 nursing students. The RIPLS results demonstrate significant pre- and post-intervention score differences in the teamwork and collaboration subscale for the online group only. The post-IPE score analysis revealed that scores were significantly higher in the online group in all subscales: Teamwork and collaboration, Opportunities for IPE, and Uniqueness of profession. Based on the IPET results, there were no significant differences in pre- and post-intervention scores. However, the online group showed a significant increase in post-intervention scores in participation in group work, thoughts about the team in health and welfare, and thoughts about interprofessional collaboration. These findings indicate that the online IPE program improved nursing students’ readiness for interprofessional learning, demonstrating practical efficacy.