Nurses In Taiwan Research Articles

Frequently Asked Questions About the Seventh Edition APA Citation

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is an academic writing format reference manual commonly used in the field of social sciences. The current, seventh edition of this manual was published in October 2019. The two main issues spotlighted in this edition are the increasingly common citation of online material and the use of inclusive and bias-free language in academic writing. APA (American Psychological Association) style guidelines are widely used in nursing academia, in papers written for N3 and N4 nursing clinical ladder qualification, and in papers submitted to nursing journals. The lengthy and detailed content of the APA publication manual frequently overwhelms and confuses clinical nurses and students, and Taiwan Nursing Association members regularly submit APA-style-related questions to the Association. Thus, this article was written to address the origin and evolution of APA formatting guidelines and their importance in academic writing, highlight the major changes in the seventh edition, answer common questions about the APA citation format, and share APA online resources. It is hoped that the information in this article assists readers to improve the quality of their academic writing.

Exploring Knowledge and Experience of Health Literacy for Chinese-Speaking Nurses in Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Health literacy has become the best predictor of healthcare status. However, two-thirds of health providers are unaware of patients’ health literacy. Thus, the aim of the study is to investigate factors related to Chinese-speaking nurses’ knowledge and experience of health literacy. Methods: This cross-sectional study used a web-based survey. A total of 430 nurses were recruited by stratified sampling from different levels of hospitals and community health centers in Taiwan. Primary outcome measure by Health Literacy Knowledge and Experience. Results: The participants’ overall health literacy knowledge was limited; the correct responses were 51%. The education level of the participants, job category, working years, and having attended in-service patient education programs were the predictors of knowledge of health literacy (p < 0.05); Institute, job category, and having attended in-service patient education programs were the predictors of experience of health literacy (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Participants’ education levels and In-service patient education programs are beneficial factors to improve nurses’ knowledge of health literacy. Furthermore, nursing education should emphasize on how to identify individuals’ health literacy and using readable healthcare materials to improve health education.

Cultural Impact on the Intention to Use Nursing Information Systems of Nurses in Taiwan and China: Survey and Analysis.

BackgroundNursing workforce shortage has emerged as a global problem. Foreign nurse importation is a popular strategy to address the shortage. The interactions between nursing staff on either side of the Taiwan Strait continue to increase. Since both nurses in Taiwan and nurses in China have adopted nursing information systems to improve health care processes and quality, it is necessary to investigate factors influencing nursing information system usage in nursing practice.ObjectiveThis study examined the effects of cultural and other related factors on nurses’ intentions to use nursing information systems. The findings were expected to serve as an empirical base for further benchmarking and management of cross-strait nurses.MethodsThis survey was conducted in two case hospitals (one in Taiwan and one in China). A total of 880 questionnaires were distributed (n=440 in each hospital).ResultsThe results showed effort expectancy had a significant effect on the intention to use nursing information systems of nurses in China (P=.003) but not nurses in Taiwan (P=.16).ConclusionsFindings suggest nursing managers should adopt different strategies to motivate cross-strait nurses to use nursing information systems. Promoting effort expectancy is more likely to motivate nurses in China than in Taiwan. This discrepancy is probably due to the less hierarchical and more feminine society in Taiwan.

Roles of nurses and National Nurses Associations in combating COVID-19: Taiwan experience.

As the COVID‐19 pandemic continues to expand worldwide, Taiwan has effectively contained the spread domestically and protected its citizens after registering its first case relatively early on 21 January 2020. Proactive preparedness and deployment by the national government, timely evidence and experience‐based judgements and decision‐making, information transparency, rapid response, and effective communication and measures have all been critical to combating COVID‐19 in Taiwan. Nurses play a pivotal role in providing direct health care as well as providing contact tracing and care for the quarantined clients and community care services. The Taiwan Nurses Association and other nurses’ associations serve a vital leadership role in advocating for nurses, raising public awareness, enhancing nursing’s professional profile, and sharing experiences via national and international platforms. The implications for nursing and health policy are that we need to well prepare for any unpredicted emerging pandemic in the future. Providing adequate personal protective equipment and safe staffing should be the highest priority for the governments and policymakers around the world to combat pandemic successfully.

Effectiveness of an Evidence-Based Practice Educational Intervention among School Nurses.

The evidence-based practice (EBP) approach to high-quality care is designed to improve patient outcomes. However, little research has been conducted to determine how EBP is adopted and implemented among school nurses in Taiwan. This study evaluated an EBP training program implemented among school nurses in Taiwan to determine whether and how effectively it improved their knowledge levels, attitudes, skills, and self-efficacy. A pretest-posttest research design was employed. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling from among 193 primary schools throughout Tao-Yuan and New Taipei City in Taiwan. The EBP program implemented both mobile learning technology and the flipped classroom format. The learning outcomes were evaluated before, immediately after, and at a 3-month follow-up. In this regard, the data were collected using the School Nurse Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire. The results showed that the participant scores for the items of knowledge and self-efficacy significantly increased over the study period. Somewhat differently, scores for the skill items significantly increased from the pre-test to the immediate post-test, but significantly decreased from the immediate post-test to the final follow-up. Overall, however, the EBP program led to marked improvements in knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy. These findings can help guide the development of a creative evidence-based school nursing curriculum.

The Key Role of Taiwanese Nurses in Combating COVID-19 Pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage worldwide, Taiwan has achieved outstanding performance in controlling the spread of the outbreak domestically, earning global appreciation. Nurses on the frontlines deserve much of the credit for the ongoing success in fighting against this outbreak in Taiwan. Taiwan's success to date is grounded in proactive preparedness and deployment by the government and effective teamwork among government agencies, medical institutions, enterprises, and the public. Comprehensive containment strategies and preparedness have allowed nurses to effectively perform their duties and combat the pandemic. Nurses safeguard the public's health a myriad of ways, including implementing quarantine measures at air and seaports, conducting fever screenings, delivering inpatient isolation treatments, performing case contact tracing, providing community care services, and operating special chartered-flight services. The Taiwan Nurses Association (TWNA) provides vital lead in this pandemic response, advocating for the safety, health and wellbeing of nurses; highlighting the contributions and value of nurses; and enhancing the professional image and status of nurses. Furthermore, through its global platform, TWNA shares with peer organizations worldwide the content and efficacy of actions taken by the national government, the contributions of healthcare workers, and the support and encouragement received from the public in COVID-19 containment to demonstrate values of Taiwan and nursing.

Exploring the Stress, Psychological Distress, and Stress-relief Strategies of Taiwan Nursing Staffs Facing the Global Outbreak of COVID-19

The global outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) began in December 2019. The high levels of stress experienced by nurses during this pandemic may have immediate and long-term effects on their mental health. To explore the stress and psychological problems of nurses during this pandemic and to identify strategies used by these nurses to relieve stress. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted that included a basic information datasheet, stress of nursing staff during COVID-19 outbreak scale, psychological distress scale, and stress relief methods survey form. Convenience sampling was used and a total of 469 practicing nurses participated in this study. Most of the participants expressed concerns about living problems (72.7%). On the stress questionnaire, the facets of "burden of taking care of patients" and "worries about social isolation" earned the first and second highest scores, respectively. In terms of items, "worrying about infecting family members and friends" and "worrying about being separated from family after being infected" earned the two highest scores (2.35 ± 0.79 and 2.17 ± 0.92, respectively). Scores for psychological distress averaged 5.49 ± 3.83, with stress anxiety (1.32 ± 0.84) earning the highest mean subscale score followed by distress and irritability (1.17 ± 0.92) and depression (1.12 ± 0.94). Nearly two-thirds (61.8%) of the participants earned psychological and emotional distress scores within the 'normal' range, and 3.4% earned scores indicating severe distress. "Receiving education and training" was the most common method used by the participants to relieve stress (2.27 ± 0.51). The following six strategies are proposed based on the above findings: (1) Caring: provide psychological assessment and care; (2) Supporting: create a friendly team atmosphere and provide support; (3) Inquiring: recruit volunteers with relevant experience; (4) Informing: provide timely, open, and transparent epidemic-prevention information; (5) Equipping: provide complete and appropriate epidemic-prevention education and training; (6) Assisting: establish a strategy for family support and caring to reduce the stress and worries of nurses.

Knowledge, attitudes, practice and related factors of oral cancer prevention among public health nurses in Taiwan.

Public health nurses (PHNs) in Taiwan act as individual/family-based primary care providers and as population-based community care providers. A little information is currently available on the ability of PHNs to prevent oral cancer. We surveyed knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of oral cancer prevention among PHNs. This study recruited 400 PHNs through the Taiwan Public Health Center. A structured electronic questionnaire was used to collect PHNs' demographics and scale scores for oral cancer knowledge, attitudes and preventive behaviour. Providing PHNs with oral cancer prevention education, having the supervisor's support for preventive work and receiving in-service education would improve PHNs' knowledge, attitude and behaviour for oral cancer prevention. Attitude, oral cancer-related courses arranged by current employer (major factor), supervisor's support for work and having responsibility for oral cancer prevention were associated with the oral cancer preventive behaviour of PHNs, and explain 41.1% of total variance. We established a linear regression model for understanding the role of PHNs in the practice of preventing oral cancer. It may be useful for the government in improving school-based and in-service oral cancer prevention education programmes for PHNs as well as developing programmes for increasing public awareness and education of oral cancer prevention.

The Lived Experiences of Indonesian Nurses Who Worked as Care Workers in Taiwan.

Despite the large number of Indonesian nurses currently working as migrant care workers in Taiwan, no studies in the literature have been found that explore this phenomenon or assess the working situation of Indonesian nurses working in care facilities in Taiwan. This study aimed to elicit and describe the lived experiences of Indonesian nurses serving as care workers in Taiwan. Phenomenological research was used to explore the experiences of Indonesian nurses working in long-term care facilities. The participants were recruited from care facilities in Taiwan. This study utilized semistructured interviews conducted with 16 Indonesian nurses in a suitable setting. All of the interviews were transcribed, and the work of Van Manen was used to analyze the data. Four main themes were identified, including motives for working abroad, feelings of being trapped, experiencing a difficult journey, and the feeling of being supported. These themes reflect the lived experiences of Indonesian nurses who work in Taiwan's long-term care industry. Nurses from Indonesia choose to who work as nurses in Taiwan because of poor financial background and the chance of gaining a better life. However, the participants in this study felt stressed, challenged, and disappointed when faced with the unmet expectations of being employed as care workers without a clear career path. Furthermore, the need to communicate in an unfamiliar language was mentioned as a significant barrier to fulfilling their role. Better policies should be put in place to achieve improved outcomes for both countries.

Toward 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife: Linking Taiwan Nursing With the World

To commemorate the 200th birthday of Florence Nightingale, the World Health Organization announced 2020 as the "International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife." Nursing is in the frontline of transformational care. The actions of nurses help bring positive changes to the world. Taiwan cannot stand outside of the global community. The Taiwan Nurses Association is also involved actively in international affairs. The expertise and enthusiasm of Taiwan's nurses may be highlighted by attending and responding to various meetings, conferences, and global nursing events organized by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) such as the Council of National Nursing Association Representatives (CNR), ICN Congress, and Nursing Now campaign. This article shares important information and insights on the 2019 ICN CNR meeting and the ICN Congress to expand the international perspective of nurses and to inspire and explore the future development of the nursing profession in Taiwan.

The Prevalence of Frailty by the FRAIL-NH Scale in Taiwan Nursing Home Residents.

The prevalence of frailty defined by FRAIL-NH varies among different studies in nursing homes, ranging from 19.0% to 75.6%. This study investigated the prevalence of frailty in a nursing home in Taiwan using different diagnostic criteria for frailty. The 7-item FRAIL-NH scale was used for assessing frailty. There are 7 components: fatigue, resistance, mobility, incontinence or disease, weight loss, eating style and assistance with dressing. Each item is worth 0, 1, or 2 points for a total score of 14 points. We sorted and summarized the patients, according to the number of variables, into the not frail, frail, and most frail groups. Descriptive analysis was applied to understand the basic attributes of the elderly with different degrees of frailty, the influencing factors of frailty, and the occurrence of frailty. Our final sample included 34 residents. They were aged between 56 and 100 years (mean age 83.91 ± 10.84), and 18 (52.94%) were female. The frail group revealed a higher prevalence of males than of females. The marital status composition of participants was as follows: 2 (5.88%) unmarried, 24 (70.59%) married, and 8 (23.53%) widowed. The mean FRAIL-NH score was 5.79±3.72. A significant prevalence of frailty defined by FRAIL-NH was observed in a nursing home in Taiwan. Our findings indicate that frailty is an important issue in nursing homes. Further prospective cohort studies using FRAIL-NH evaluation are warranted.

The Legacy of Elisabeth Maria Redelstein, RN

Popularly known as “the China Nurse,” Elisabeth Redelstein was one of the most influential missionary nurses the Seventh-day Adventist Church ever had. Her life of service included her caring for patients in the United States, China, and Taiwan. Her devotion to work led her into friendship with the ruling family of China in the 1930s. Her zeal for health empowerment, including educating nurses in China and Taiwan, arose from her passion for women’s emancipation. Her commitment to the gospel and evangelization led her to engage in relief, social intervention, and rehabilitation efforts in Germany following the Second World War.

2019 Asian American/Pacific Islander Nurses Association &amp; Taiwan Nurses Association Joint International Conference: Changes in Nursing Research, Education, and Practice: From Local to Global

The 2019 Asian American/Pacific Islander Nurses Association (AAPINA) &amp; Taiwan Nurses Association (TWNA) Joint International Conference was held with the theme of Changes in Nursing Research, Education, and Practice: From Local to Global on August 16–17, 2019 at the Splendor Hotel, Taichung City, Taiwan. More than 700 researchers, educators, and clinical nurses from over 10 countries participated in the conference. A dozen of internationally well-known nursing scholars and leaders including Dr. Pamela F. Cipriono, the Vice President of International Council of Nurses (ICN), Dr. Wen-Ying Chou, the Program Director of Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch, the National Cancer Institute of the USA, and Dr. Eun-Ok Im, the AAPINA President-Elect, and Dr. Hsiu-Hung Wang, the TWNA President provided keynote speeches. In addition, seven international scholars and leaders provided a thought-provoking forum on changes in nursing leadership in Asian countries.

Intensive Care Unit Nurses: Critical Thinking Skills and Caring Behaviors

Background: Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses must think critically in order to identify and deal with patients problems and thus provide better care. Currently, however, no existing research has explored ICU nurses’ critical thinking skills and caring behaviors. Purpose: To investigate the associations among the personal characteristics, critical thinking skills, and caring behaviors of ICU nurses in Taiwan. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted. A convenience sample of 352 ICU nurses was recruited from three hospitals in southern Taiwan. Data were collected using self‐report measures including a Personal Characteristics Questionnaire, the Critical Thinking Skills Scale, and the Caring Behaviors Scale. Results: (a) The critical thinking skills and caring behaviors of the ICU nurses were found to be “moderate”, with index scores of 52.5 and 65.6, respectively. (b) The nurses’ overall critical thinking skills were associated by their clinical ladder, with their “Inference skills” being affected by their seniority and their “Interpretation skills” being affected by their position titles. (c) Their caring behaviors were affected by their age, marital status, clinical ladder, hospital work seniority, and ICU work seniority. (d) Their critical thinking skills and caring behaviors were not associated. Conclusions: In the healthcare sector, managers should seek to enhance ICU nurses’ critical thinking skills and teach them specific behaviors to help them better care for ICU patients.

Do Emergency Nurses Spend Enough Time on Nursing Activities? The Relationship Between Actual and Expected Patient Care Nursing Time.

The overcrowded environments of emergency departments (EDs) lead to increased clinical workloads for nurses and infl uences the quality of patient care. This study aimed to evaluate whether the quality of patient care meets the expectations of emergency nurses in Taiwan by measuring the amount of time nurses spend on patient care activities. The direct observation study was conducted in one suburban academic hospital with approximately 80,000 annual ED visits. This study observed emergency nurses and the time they spent on their nursing activities. The directly measured times and nurse expected patient care nursing times were compared. For all 88 types of nursing activities recorded, each measured nursing time was less than the expected nursing time. On average, the measured nursing time was 82% less than the expected nursing time (2.0 ± 0.3 minutes vs. 11.6 ± 1.5 minutes, p < 0.01). Among the 88 types of nursing activities recorded, the average measured time spent on 76 types (86%) was less than 3 minutes. The nursing activity on which the longest time was spent was cerebrospinal fl uid study nursing (7 minutes). The most frequent nursing activity was documentation. The nursing time spent on patient-care activities in EDs was much less than the nurses expected. The results may provide a basis for nursing quality measurements and manpower calculations for EDs.

Workplace Violence Against Emergency Nurses in Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Study

IntroductionWorkplace violence against emergency nurses is common worldwide. This study aimed to gain a more thorough overview of the point prevalence of workplace violence against emergency nurses and the preventive measures used in emergency departments in Taiwan. MethodsIn this multicenter, descriptive, cross-sectional study, the questionnaire, Violence Against Nurses Working in Emergency Departments, was used to collect data from 407 nurses working at 5 emergency departments in Taiwan from May to October 2015. ResultsThe results revealed that 378 emergency nurses (92.9%) experienced workplace violence over the last 2 years. The average visual analog scale score (1-10) of security effectiveness in preventing workplace violence was 5.0 (SD = 1.97). The average visual analog scale score of perceived safety level in terms of workplace violence was 4.38 (SD = 2.06). The average visual analog scale score of meeting nurses’ needs was 5.72 (SD = 2.23). DiscussionThis questionnaire survey revealed that the current preventive measures for workplace violence against emergency nurses in Taiwan were not effective. The relevant measures should be improved, thereby reducing the prevalence and severity of workplace violence against emergency nurses.

The Relationship among Emotional Intelligence, Social Support, Job Involvement, and Turnover Intention – A Study of Nurses in Taiwan

The Relationship among Emotional Intelligence, Social Support, Job Involvement, and Turnover Intention – A Study of Nurses in Taiwan

Plantar fasciitis in physicians and nurses: a nationwide population-based study.

Physicians and nurses in Taiwan have heavy workload and long working hours, which may contribute to plantar fasciitis. However, this issue is unclear, and therefore, we conducted this study to delineate it. We conducted a nationwide population-based study by identifying 26,024 physicians and 127,455 nurses and an identical number of subjects for comparison (general population) via the National Health Insurance Research Database. The risk of plantar fasciitis between 2006 and 2012 was compared between physicians and general population, between nurses and general population, and between physicians and nurses. We also compared the risk of plantar fasciitis among physician subgroups. Physicians and nurses had a period prevalence of plantar fasciitis of 8.14% and 13.11% during the 7-yr period, respectively. The risk of plantar fasciitis was lower among physicians (odds ratio [OR]: 0.660; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.622–0.699) but higher among nurses (OR: 1.035; 95% CI: 1.011–1.059) compared with that in the general population. Nurses also had a higher risk than the physicians after adjusting for age and sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.541; 95% CI: 1.399–1.701). Physician subspecialties of orthopedics and physical medicine and rehabilitation showed a higher risk. Female physicians had a higher risk of plantar fasciitis than male physicians. This study showed that nurses, physician specialties of orthopedics and physical medicine and rehabilitation, and female physicians had a higher risk of plantar fasciitis. Improvement of the occupational environment and health promotion are suggested for these populations.

The mediating effect of social support on the relationship between working stress and well-being among school nurses in Taiwan

The mediating effect of social support on the relationship between working stress and well-being among school nurses in Taiwan

Impacts of job-related stress and patient safety culture on patient safety outcomes among nurses in Taiwan

ABSTRACT Background: Patient safety is critical in healthcare. Studies have documented high level of stress among nurses that may adversely affect quality of patient care and patient safety. Methods: This study measured job-related stress, patient safety culture and patient safety outcomes among nurses in Taiwan. A total of 1562 respondents completed the survey. Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to explore the relationship between job-related stress, patient safety culture, and patient safety outcomes. Result: Job-related stress was found to have varying influence on the perception of patient safety culture. Specifically, stress related to interpersonal relationship and work environment is negatively related to patient safety culture, whereas nurse–patient relationship stress is positively related to patient safety culture. Meanwhile, patient safety culture was found to have positive influence on patient safety outcomes and fully mediates the relationship between job-related stress and patient safety outcomes. Conclusion: This study points to job-related stress as a challenge and hindrance to improve patient safety culture, necessitating implementation of appropriate strategies for managing stress among nurses. Patient safety culture is vital for healthcare organizations to promote patient safety and to enhance quality of care.