This study explored the learning outcomes of an interprofessional simulation program for new graduate nurses during their training program. It was a single-group, pre-test and post-test research design. Ninety-three new graduate nurses participated in the study. The Nursing Competence Instrument and program satisfaction survey questionnaires were used to evaluate the learning outcomes of the program. Data were collected between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2020 in a medical center in Taiwan. It was found that four nursing core competencies were significantly higher after the simulation, including advancing career talents (t = 10.12, p < 0.0001), integrating care abilities (t = 10.19, p < 0.001), dealing with tension (t = 6.87, p < 0.0001), and leading humanity concerns (t = 6.86, p < 0.001). The average satisfaction score for the interprofessional simulation training among nurses was 4.42 out of 5. In conclusion, interprofessional simulation education can help novice nurses improve their nursing core competencies. The results of this study provide an important indicator for hospitals and governments when making policy and training programs for new graduate nurses.

Interprofessional collaborative practice is a core competency and is the key to strengthening health practice systems in order to deliver safe and high-quality nursing practice. However, there is no Interprofessional Collaboration Practice Competency Scale (IPCPCS) for clinical nurses in Taiwan. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to develop an IPCPCS and to verify its reliability and validity. This was a psychometric study with a cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling to recruit nurses from the seven hospitals of a medical foundation. A self-designed structured IPCPCS was rolled out via a Google survey. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, principal-axis factoring (PAF) with Promax rotation, Pearson correlation, reliability analysis, and one-way ANOVA. PAF analysis found that three factors could explain 77.76% of cumulative variance. These were collaborative leadership and interprofessional conflict resolution, interprofessional communication and team functioning, and role clarification and client-centered care. The internal consistency of the three factors (Cronbach’s α) was between 0.970 to 0.978, and the Pearson correlation coefficients were between 0.814 to 0.883. Significant differences were presented in the IPCPCS score by age, education level, total years of work experience, position on the nursing clinical ladder, and participation in interprofessional education. In conclusion, the three factors used in the IPCPCS have good reliability and construct validity. This scale can be used as an evaluation tool of in-service interprofessional education courses for clinical nurses.

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the effects of distance yoga learning in improving depression and pregnancy stress in pregnant women during the pandemic. Methods: A preference-based quasi-experimental study design with an experimental group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 31) was used to test both self-reported depression and stress status. The experimental group received a 12-week pregnancy yoga program, including one weekly 60 min distance yoga class followed by two sessions of DVD yoga exercise at home, while the control group received only routine nursing care. Results: There were significant differences in the depression and pregnancy stress indices between the two groups. As the number of weeks of pregnancy increased, both pregnancy depression and stress tended to gradually increase (p < 0.001). However, the experimental group had less pregnancy depression than the control group (p < 0.001), while there was no significant difference between the two groups in stress (p = 0.970). Conclusions: The findings inform clinical practice regarding the use of alternative exercise options such as distance yoga classes for pregnant women’s mental health during a pandemic to reduce depression and pregnancy stress.

Watson’s Theory of Human Caring emphasizes ten Caritas Processes^®, providing a theoretical foundation for holistic nursing care. The Watson Caritas Patient Score (WCPS) has been validated internationally. However, to date, no culturally adapted Chinese version exists. The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the WCPS into a Chinese version (WCPS-C), and examine its psychometric properties and convergent validity using the Patient Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scale. A cross-sectional study was conducted in two phases: (1) translation and cultural adaptation of the WCPS into Chinese, and (2) psychometric testing using two independent samples. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA, n = 104) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA, n = 221) were also performed. Data were collected from March 1 to September 8, 2025, at five hospitals in Taiwan. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s α for reliability, Pearson correlation for convergent validity, EFA with principal axis factoring and Promax rotation, and CFA using AMOS were conducted to evaluate construct validity and model fit. The participants’ demographics did not differ significantly between the EFA and CFA samples. EFA supported a one-factor structure (KMO = 0.813, Bartlett’s p < 0.001), explaining 82.34% of variance, with factor loadings ranging from 0.825 to 0.937. CFA confirmed good fit indices: χ²/df = 0.50, CFI = 1.000, RMSEA = 0.000, SRMR = 0.004; standardized factor loadings ranged from 0.825 to 0.937. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach’s α = 0.935). The WCPS-C scores showed a positive correlation with patient satisfaction (Spearman’s rho = 0.628–0.764, p < 0.001). The WCPS-C is a culturally relevant psychometric tool for assessing patients’ perceptions of nursing care in Taiwan. It captures the holistic dimensions of nursing care beyond traditional satisfaction measures. It can be applied in clinical settings to evaluate nurses’ caring behaviors, enhance caring competence, and guide quality improvement in nursing practice. Not applicable. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12912-026-04605-z.

Background: Small Private Online Courses (SPOCs) apply a small-group, blended learning format to facilitate instructor–learner interactions. SPOCs are ideal for time-limited learners in clinical settings. Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of using an SPOC-based course with a sample of nurses in terms of enhancing their knowledge and reducing their perceived barriers to sexual health communication. Methods: This prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted at a teaching hospital in northern Taiwan. One hundred fifty in-service nurses were recruited and randomly assigned to either the control group ( n = 75), which received the standard in-service nursing education program, or the intervention group ( n = 75), which received the SPOC-based program in sexual health communication in addition to the standard education program. The intervention group completed five 15-minute online courses followed by a 2-hr offline course. Primary outcomes (sexual health care attitudes and perceived barriers to discussing sexuality) and a secondary outcome (frequency of engaging in sexual health communication with patients) were assessed at baseline (pretest, T1) and at 1 and 3 months after module completion (T2 and T3, respectively). Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze between-group differences in pretest–posttest changes. Results: All 150 participants completed the baseline assessment; attrition occurred at the 1- and 3-month follow-ups. No participants were lost at baseline; however, follow-up attrition occurred at T2 and T3. Changes over time from baseline in attitudes toward sexual health communication and perceived barriers to discussing sexual health were significantly greater in the intervention group than in the control group. Importantly, the percentage of intervention group participants engaging in discussions with patients about sexual health increased from baseline to T2 and from T2 to T3, while no similar change over time was observed for the control group. Conclusions: The significant improvements reported for the intervention group demonstrate that cost-effective learning outcomes are achievable in spite of significant time and resource limitations. This was the first time SPOC-based learning has been used in the context of nursing education to improve sexual communication. The findings of this study suggest this format is suitable for a broader range of courses.

Background: Clinical practicums provide essential learning experiences for nursing students and are critical in preparing these students to enter the workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted nursing education worldwide, leading to reduced clinical practicum opportunities for graduates. Research on how shorter/abbreviated clinical practicums affect the competence of newly graduated nurses is lacking. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to explore the impacts of reduced clinical practicum duration and content on the clinical competence, communication confidence, and retention rate of newly hired nurses over a 6-month follow-up period. Methods: A follow-up design incorporating a retrospective baseline assessment of clinical practicums was used to track outcomes at three time points during June 12, 2023 and June 11, 2024. The sample included 133 newly hired nurses at a medical center in northern Taiwan. Data on clinical practicum experience and clinical nursing competence, communication confidence, and retention rate outcomes at the commencement of employment and after 3 and 6 months were collected. Results: The results showed the average percentage of overall clinical practicum completed was 80.78% and that actual durations ranged from 37.5% to 100% of the normal (nonpandemic) duration. Clinical practicum experience was found to significantly influence nursing competence at the start of employment ( p =.004) and at 3 ( p =.002) and 6 months ( p =.023) of employment. In addition, clinical practicum experience was also shown to affect communication confidence at the start of employment ( p =.035). No correlation was observed between clinical practicum experience and retention rates at 3 and 6 months of employment. Finally, newly graduated nurses without licenses exhibited significantly less nursing competence than their licensed counterparts ( p =.001). Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Nursing education programs should assess the clinical practicum experience of newly hired nurses and provide support for those with less experience to enhance their nursing competence and communication confidence. Future research should address the challenges associated with unlicensed nursing graduates.