The importance of enhancing education to promote nursing students’ patient safety competency is increasing. Hence, implementing diverse educational programs and assessing their outcomes is essential. To examine the effects of flipped learning and gamification on nursing students’ patient safety education. A mixed-method design employing a quasi-experimental design with a pre-post control group design and qualitative thematic analysis. The study was conducted at a South Korean university in W City from September to December 2022. It included 55 s-year nursing students. The experimental group (n = 28) participated in a 30-h patient safety education course using flipped learning and gamification, whereas the control group (n = 27) received only written patient safety education materials. Learning motivation, collective efficacy, patient safety competency, and game evaluations were measured. Data were analyzed using the χ² test, Fisher's exact test, t-test, repeated-measures multivariate analysis of covariance, repeated measure analysis of covariance, and generalized estimating equations. Self-reflection journals on game participation experiences were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. Learning motivation scores did not differ significantly between groups for time, or interactions between groups and time, but collective efficacy and patient safety competency scores showed significant differences in the interactions between groups and time. The experimental group showed a high satisfaction score in game evaluation. Qualitative analyses were used to extract four themes—three positives: “fun and immersion differentiated from existing classes,” “improved the learning outcomes and learning motivation,” and “realized the value of collaboration and communication,” and one negative: “feeling down due to unfamiliarity.” This program creates positive learning experiences and enhances nursing students’ collective efficacy and patient-safety competencies. It is expected to be utilized in various future nursing courses.

Purpose: This study investigated the levels of health literacy, self-efficacy, self-management, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in older adults with diabetes to identify the relationships between these factors. Patients and Methods: This descriptive study consisted of 162 elderly outpatients with diabetes at the departments of endocrinology of three general hospitals in J Province, South Korea. Data were collected using a structured self-report questionnaire between October 21 and November 16, 2019. The data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN version 23.0. Results: Health literacy was positively correlated with self-efficacy (rs=0.64, p< 0.001) and self-management (rs=0.44, p< 0.001) and significantly negatively correlated with HbA1c levels (rs=− .42, p< 0.001). Self-efficacy showed a significantly positive correlation with self-management (rs=0.65, p< 0.001) and a significantly negative correlation with HbA1c levels (rs=− .30, p< 0.001). Moreover, a significant negative correlation was found between self-management and HbA1c levels (rs=− .35, p< 0.001). Hence, health literacy and patient self-management levels were associated with HbA1c levels in older adults with DM. Conclusion: Health education for community-dwelling older adults with diabetes should consider their health literacy levels. Moreover, measures to improve self-management abilities may be needed when developing educational programs for older adults with diabetes.

This study examined the effects of nurse staffing levels, work environment, and education levels on adverse events in nursing homes. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 216 nurses working in 62 nursing homes in South Korea, using self-reported questionnaires and data from the National Health Insurance Service of South Korea. A logistic regression model was used to investigate the effects of nurse staffing levels, work environment, and nursing education levels on the adverse events experienced by residents. An increase of one resident per nurse was significantly associated with a higher incidence of medication error, pressure ulcers and urinary tract infections. A poor work environment increased the incidence of adverse events. Compared to nurses with a bachelor’s degree or higher, those with diplomas reported increased incidence rates of pressure ulcers. Improving the health outcomes of residents in nursing homes requires efforts that strengthen the nursing workforce in terms of numbers and educational level, and which improve their work environment at institutional and policy levels.

Patient safety issues should be constantly monitored and sensitively recognized. In nursing education, it is necessary to find effective teaching methods to increase students' competencies in patient safety. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of a new method, design thinking (DT), and a traditional method, case-based learning (CBL), in patient safety education. This study used a quasi-experimental, pre-post control group design. A 30-h training tutorial was developed for intervention groups, DT and CBL, while the control group received no treatment. In this study were junior nursing students receiving baccalaureate nursing education with experiences of at least 480-h clinical practice. A total of 53 students (21 in the DT group, 19 in the CBL group, and 13 in the control group) were recruited. Clinical reasoning competency, patient safety competency, and professional socialization were measured immediately after the end of the educational program using DT and CBL, 4 weeks later, and 8 weeks later. Effects of DT and CBL were analyzed using a generalized estimating equation. Both DT and CBL were effective in clinical reasoning competency (χ² = 15.432, p = 0.017) and knowledge domain of patient safety competency (χ² = 42.824, p < 0.001), showing no significant difference between the two. CBL was more effective in professional socialization than DT. DT was as effective as CBL in clinical reasoning competency and knowledge domain of patient safety competency. In the healthcare field, where improving the patient experience is becoming increasingly important, DT is worth applying as an educational method to train nursing students who can take a creative and human-centered problem-solving approach. It is expected that educational curricula utilizing DT will be developed not only in the field of patient safety but also in various patient care areas.

Background: Tools currently available to measure professional socialization are outdated or could not reflect various properties of professional socialization of nurses. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop and validate a professional socialization measurement instrument for hospital nurses. Methods: Fifty-two items were initially extracted from literature reviews and in-depth interviews with 32 nurses. After content validity testing, 48 items remained. They were used to survey 881 hospital nurses in Korea in the testing phase for construct validity and reliability. Results: Four factors (21 items) were extracted: ethical practice and reflection, perception of respect and recognition, clinical competency based on leadership, and desires and motivation for professional development. These factors demonstrated good construct validity and reliability. Correlation coefficients of professional socialization with professional value, compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and burden were 0.58 (p < 0.001), 0.70 (p < 0.001), − 0.08 (p = 0.014), and − 0.56 (p < 0.001), respectively. Reliability had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.95. Test-retest reliability intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.90. Conclusions: The four professional socialization scale factors in this study reflected attributes of knowledge, skills, values, and professional roles. Professional socialization of nurses can be continuously developed by emphasizing elements of the professional socialization scale in nursing education programs. Nursing managers should help nurses go through the professional socialization process. The professional socialization scale will serve as a tool for developing careers of hospital nurses.

Purpose: This study identifies the unique phenomena and subjectivity of empathy as exhibited by certified caregivers. Methods: Q-methodology was used to define types and describe the characteristics of empathy in certified caregivers. After in-depth interviews with 10 certified caregivers and a review of the related literature, the final 38 Q-samples were selected by collecting experts’ opinions. These Q-samples were sorted by 30 certified caregivers (P-samples). The PC-QUNAL program was used to analyze the Q-sort data. Results: Seven distinctive Q-factors for the empathy of certified caregivers were identified: I. Information-oriented cognition, II. Sensory communication, III. Compassion, IV. Performance-seeking through self-reflection, V. Intuitive empathy, VI. Role-centered sincerity, and VII. Passive obligation. The empathy of certified caregivers caring for older adults with dementia showed various characteristics according to each of their subjective values and judgments. Conclusion: This study’s results help identify the empathy types and characteristics of certified caregivers caring for older adults with dementia and may contribute to improving the quality of care.