International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
Nursing education has recently adopted challenge-based learning (CBL) to enhance nursing students... more Nursing education has recently adopted challenge-based learning (CBL) to enhance nursing students’ competency in the 21st-century healthcare environment. Previous studies have not yet fully explored nursing students’ perceptions of CBL. This descriptive qualitative study aimed to investigate the learning experience of first-year baccalaureate nursing students engaging with CBL. Videotaped focus group interviews were conducted in a tertiary education institution in Hong Kong, China. The participants recruited for the study included ten Year 1 nursing students enrolled in a public health course delivered using CBL over the study period. The participants included four female and six male students. Five themes were identified: facilitation by teachers, familiarity with CBL, team communication, facilitating metacognitive development, and the application of theories into actual practices. The findings shed light on the potential application of CBL in nursing training as it can foster stud...
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the origin... more which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Aims. To comprehensively evaluate the effect of a short-term diabetes self-management education (DSME) on metabolic markers and atherosclerotic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods. 76 patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited in this study. They were divided into the intervention group (
Abstract Background Nurses play an important role in caring for patients who are dying in hospita... more Abstract Background Nurses play an important role in caring for patients who are dying in hospital, so it is important to understand their perceptions of the factors that may influence the quality of that care. Much of the existing literature is focused on end-of-life care provision in western settings. Little is known about how nurses’ perceptions of end-of-life care provision may differ across Asian and Western locations. Understanding the similarities and differences between the perceptions of nurses in Asian and Western locations about the barriers to the provision of high-quality end-of-life care may help guide education and policy initiatives to improve end-of-life care in each location. Aim To compare the perceptions of nurses from Australia, South Korea, and Hong Kong regarding barriers to high-quality end-of-life care provision for people dying in hospitals. Methods A cross-sectional study of hospital-based nurses from Australia (n = 153), South Korea (n = 241), and Hong Kong (n = 188) completed a survey between December 2016 and June 2018. Nurses indicated the extent to which they perceived 40 items across five domains to be a barrier to high-quality end-of-life care provision. Findings Significant variation between the perceptions of nurses in each location was found in two-thirds of the survey items. The greatest difference was seen in the item doctors continue life-sustaining medical interventions for too long, which was considered a significant barrier by 60.1% of Australian nurses, 32.9% of South Korean nurses and 13.8% of Hong Kong nurses. The greatest cross-location agreement related to differences in religious beliefs and languages. These items were considered a significant barrier by fewer than one-quarter of nurses. Conclusion Nurses in Hong Kong, South Korea and Australia perceived a range of challenges to the provision of optimal end-of-life care. The significant differences observed in two-thirds of response items support the hypothesis that strategies to improve the quality of end-of-life care in one location may not be effective in another. For interventions to be effective they must be tailored to the unique nature of care-provision in each location. Gaining an understanding of the potential reasons for these differences may highlight potential targets for interventions that address the unique factors associated with care provision in each location. Summary of relevance Problem Barriers to the provision of high-quality end-of-life care in Asian hospitals may be different from those in western hospitals. Nurses are well-placed to understand the factors that can both hinder, and enhance, care provision, in each location. However, little is known about how nurses’ perceptions of the barriers to end-of-life care provision in Asian hospitals differ from those of nurses in western hospitals. What is already known about the topic? • End-of-life care is increasingly being provided in hospital settings. • Nurses have an integral role in supporting dying patients and their families. • Few studies have explored the similarities and differences between the perceptions of nurses in Asian and Western locations about the factors that hinder end-of-life care provision across all domains of healthcare provision. What this paper adds • There are a number of differences between the perceptions of nurses in Western and Asian locations about the factors that hinder end-of-life care provision. • Comparing the similarities and differences between the perceptions of nurses in each location can help develop an understanding of the potential for different practice styles, cultural considerations, and system-based factors to impact the provision of end-of-life care in hospitals. • The findings of this international comparison study may help to inform education programs and policy initiatives to improve end-of-life care in Asian and Western hospitals.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a global health crisis. The adverse impacts on Asi... more The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a global health crisis. The adverse impacts on Asian women, including those in Hong Kong, are substantial. This cross-sectional online study examined the impacts of COVID-19 on Hong Kong women, including psychological effects, self-belief in coping, and quality of life, and was conducted over 4 weeks from July to August 2020. Females aged over 18, living in Hong Kong, and that could read Chinese, were included. Among 417 participants, 50.8% were aged below 50, 66.7% were married, 57.1% were caregivers, 61.4% had a family income of
International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research, 2014
Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), a clustering of specific risk factors for cardiovascular disease and... more Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), a clustering of specific risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, is considered a growing worldwide epidemic. Effective cardiac preventive care requires nurses to know about the risk factors, assessment components and management of MetSyn. This study aimed to examine the metabolic syndrome knowledge level of registered nurses and explore their attitudes and perceived barriers towards related cardiac preventive care. Three hundred and twenty four nurses completed the questionnaires. Findings suggested that while nurses possessed an understanding of MetSyn risk factors and management goals, knowledge on its diagnostic components and therapeutic lifestyle intervention was insufficient. Nurses’ positive attitudes towards their role in providing MetSyn related cardiac preventive care were revealed. However, nurses generally felt that the major barrier to fulfilling this intended role is their inadequate knowledge.
Learner-centred education has been shown to be an effective teaching method in the healthcare dis... more Learner-centred education has been shown to be an effective teaching method in the healthcare disciplines that integrate practical skills and theoretical knowledge. However, the elements of learner-centred education that influence students' motivation and engagement in learning remain unclear. In this descriptive qualitative research study, 43 nursing students in a baccalaureate nursing programme in Hong Kong who enrolled in a disaster and trauma nursing course were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured, face-to-face, focus group interviews. The transcribed interviews were interpreted through the use of qualitative analysis. This study revealed that adopting learner-centred education techniques in a disaster nursing course could cater to the hedonic nature and practical nature of learning disaster nursing, which consequently strengthens student's motivation and engagement in learning. The findings also suggested that learner-centred education could improve nursing students' learning experience and promote their transformation from passive and receptive students into proactive learners. The present study provides a greater and more focused understanding of the elements of learner-centred education that promote motivation and engagement in learning among nursing students. This study could offer insights into the development and evaluation of disaster nursing courses and other subjects in the undergraduate nursing curriculum.
AIM To examine whether nurses' location of employment, demographics, or training influences t... more AIM To examine whether nurses' location of employment, demographics, or training influences their perceptions of what constitutes optimal care for dying patients in hospital. DESIGN Questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study. METHODS Between December 2016-June 2018, 582 registered or enrolled nurses from Australia (N = 153), South Korea (N = 241), and Hong Kong (N = 188) employed in a variety of hospital care units rated the extent to which they agreed with 29 indicators of optimal end-of-life care across four domains: patient, family, healthcare team, and healthcare system. Latent class analysis identified classes of respondents with similar responses. RESULTS Top five indicators rated by participants included: 'physical symptoms managed well'; 'private rooms and unlimited visiting hours'; 'spend as much time with the patient as families wish'; 'end-of-life care documents stored well and easily accessed' and 'families know and follow patient's wishes'. Four latent classes were generated: 'Whole system/holistic' (Class 1); 'Patient/provider-dominated' (Class 2); 'Family-dominated' (Class 3) and 'System-dominated' (Class 4). Class 1 had the highest proportion of nurses responding positively for all indicators. Location was an important correlate of perceptions, even after controlling for individual characteristics. CONCLUSION Nurses' perceptions of optimal end-of-life care are associated with location, but perhaps not in the direction that stereotypes would suggest. Findings highlight the importance of developing and implementing location-specific approaches to optimize end-of-life care in hospitals. IMPACT The findings may be useful to guide education and policy initiatives in Asian and Western countries that stress that end-of-life care is more than symptom management. Indicators can be used to collect data that help quantify differences between optimal care and the care actually being delivered, thereby determining where improvements might be made.
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2016
There is a growing body of evidence that feeling present in virtual environments contributes to e... more There is a growing body of evidence that feeling present in virtual environments contributes to effective learning. Presence is a psychological state of the user; hence, it is generally agreed that individual differences in user characteristics can lead to different experiences of presence. Despite the fact that user characteristics can play a significant role in research on presence, most studies on the determinants of presence focus on immersive, interactive, and perceptually realistic aspects within the technology. Research into user characteristics and how they affect presence has received little attention thus far. The purpose of this study is to explore how user variables combine and interact to predict the level of presence in a 3D virtual learning environment. One hundred and eighty-five nursing students participated in this study and completed a questionnaire measuring user variables. Structural equation modelling was employed as the main technique for data analysis to ensu...
To confirm a core competency scale for Hong Kong infection control nurses at the advanced nursing... more To confirm a core competency scale for Hong Kong infection control nurses at the advanced nursing practice level from the core competency items proposed in a previous phase of this study. This would serve as the foundation of competency assurance in Hong Kong hospitals. A cross-sectional survey design was used. All public and private hospitals in Hong Kong. All infection control nurses in hospitals of Hong Kong. The 83-item proposed core competency list established in an earlier study was transformed into a questionnaire and sent to 112 infection control nurses in 48 hospitals in Hong Kong. They were asked to rate the importance of each infection prevention and control item using Likert-style response categories. Data were analyzed using the Rasch model. The response rate of 81.25% was achieved. Seven items were removed from the proposed core competency list, leaving a scale of 76 items that fit the measurement requirements of the unidimensional Rasch model. Essential core competenc...
Nursing informatics ... : proceedings of the ... International Congress on Nursing Informatics, 2012
Virtual worlds are showing potential as an effective platform for a variety of activities, includ... more Virtual worlds are showing potential as an effective platform for a variety of activities, including learning. The concept of presence (the sensation of "being there" in a mediated environment) has received substantial attention from the virtual reality community, and the effectiveness of virtual worlds has often been linked to the feelings of presence reported by their users. The present study examined the effects of attitude and perceived ease of use on sense of presence in Second Life, which is one of the most known and used virtual worlds. Based on data from a survey of 206 nursing students, hypotheses are empirically tested. Findings suggest that users' attitude toward using Second Life and their perceived ease of use of it have a positive effect on their sense of presence in the virtual environment. This study advances our understanding of factors influencing presence in virtual worlds.
Both continuous and intermittent aspiration of subglottic secretions by means of specially design... more Both continuous and intermittent aspiration of subglottic secretions by means of specially designed endotracheal tubes containing a separate dorsal lumen that opens into the subglottic region have been shown to be useful in reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). However, the high cost of these tubes restricts their use. The aim of this pilot randomized controlled trial was to test the effect of a low-cost device (saliva ejector) for continuous oral suctioning (COS) on the incidence of VAP in patients receiving mechanical ventilation. The study was conducted in the six-bed medical-surgical ICU of a hospital with over 400 beds that provides comprehensive medical services to the public. The design of this study was a parallel-group randomized controlled trial. While both the experimental and control groups used the conventional endotracheal tube, the saliva ejector was only applied to patients assigned to the experimental group. The device was put between the patient's che...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
Nursing education has recently adopted challenge-based learning (CBL) to enhance nursing students... more Nursing education has recently adopted challenge-based learning (CBL) to enhance nursing students’ competency in the 21st-century healthcare environment. Previous studies have not yet fully explored nursing students’ perceptions of CBL. This descriptive qualitative study aimed to investigate the learning experience of first-year baccalaureate nursing students engaging with CBL. Videotaped focus group interviews were conducted in a tertiary education institution in Hong Kong, China. The participants recruited for the study included ten Year 1 nursing students enrolled in a public health course delivered using CBL over the study period. The participants included four female and six male students. Five themes were identified: facilitation by teachers, familiarity with CBL, team communication, facilitating metacognitive development, and the application of theories into actual practices. The findings shed light on the potential application of CBL in nursing training as it can foster stud...
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the origin... more which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Aims. To comprehensively evaluate the effect of a short-term diabetes self-management education (DSME) on metabolic markers and atherosclerotic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods. 76 patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited in this study. They were divided into the intervention group (
Abstract Background Nurses play an important role in caring for patients who are dying in hospita... more Abstract Background Nurses play an important role in caring for patients who are dying in hospital, so it is important to understand their perceptions of the factors that may influence the quality of that care. Much of the existing literature is focused on end-of-life care provision in western settings. Little is known about how nurses’ perceptions of end-of-life care provision may differ across Asian and Western locations. Understanding the similarities and differences between the perceptions of nurses in Asian and Western locations about the barriers to the provision of high-quality end-of-life care may help guide education and policy initiatives to improve end-of-life care in each location. Aim To compare the perceptions of nurses from Australia, South Korea, and Hong Kong regarding barriers to high-quality end-of-life care provision for people dying in hospitals. Methods A cross-sectional study of hospital-based nurses from Australia (n = 153), South Korea (n = 241), and Hong Kong (n = 188) completed a survey between December 2016 and June 2018. Nurses indicated the extent to which they perceived 40 items across five domains to be a barrier to high-quality end-of-life care provision. Findings Significant variation between the perceptions of nurses in each location was found in two-thirds of the survey items. The greatest difference was seen in the item doctors continue life-sustaining medical interventions for too long, which was considered a significant barrier by 60.1% of Australian nurses, 32.9% of South Korean nurses and 13.8% of Hong Kong nurses. The greatest cross-location agreement related to differences in religious beliefs and languages. These items were considered a significant barrier by fewer than one-quarter of nurses. Conclusion Nurses in Hong Kong, South Korea and Australia perceived a range of challenges to the provision of optimal end-of-life care. The significant differences observed in two-thirds of response items support the hypothesis that strategies to improve the quality of end-of-life care in one location may not be effective in another. For interventions to be effective they must be tailored to the unique nature of care-provision in each location. Gaining an understanding of the potential reasons for these differences may highlight potential targets for interventions that address the unique factors associated with care provision in each location. Summary of relevance Problem Barriers to the provision of high-quality end-of-life care in Asian hospitals may be different from those in western hospitals. Nurses are well-placed to understand the factors that can both hinder, and enhance, care provision, in each location. However, little is known about how nurses’ perceptions of the barriers to end-of-life care provision in Asian hospitals differ from those of nurses in western hospitals. What is already known about the topic? • End-of-life care is increasingly being provided in hospital settings. • Nurses have an integral role in supporting dying patients and their families. • Few studies have explored the similarities and differences between the perceptions of nurses in Asian and Western locations about the factors that hinder end-of-life care provision across all domains of healthcare provision. What this paper adds • There are a number of differences between the perceptions of nurses in Western and Asian locations about the factors that hinder end-of-life care provision. • Comparing the similarities and differences between the perceptions of nurses in each location can help develop an understanding of the potential for different practice styles, cultural considerations, and system-based factors to impact the provision of end-of-life care in hospitals. • The findings of this international comparison study may help to inform education programs and policy initiatives to improve end-of-life care in Asian and Western hospitals.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a global health crisis. The adverse impacts on Asi... more The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a global health crisis. The adverse impacts on Asian women, including those in Hong Kong, are substantial. This cross-sectional online study examined the impacts of COVID-19 on Hong Kong women, including psychological effects, self-belief in coping, and quality of life, and was conducted over 4 weeks from July to August 2020. Females aged over 18, living in Hong Kong, and that could read Chinese, were included. Among 417 participants, 50.8% were aged below 50, 66.7% were married, 57.1% were caregivers, 61.4% had a family income of
International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research, 2014
Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), a clustering of specific risk factors for cardiovascular disease and... more Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), a clustering of specific risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, is considered a growing worldwide epidemic. Effective cardiac preventive care requires nurses to know about the risk factors, assessment components and management of MetSyn. This study aimed to examine the metabolic syndrome knowledge level of registered nurses and explore their attitudes and perceived barriers towards related cardiac preventive care. Three hundred and twenty four nurses completed the questionnaires. Findings suggested that while nurses possessed an understanding of MetSyn risk factors and management goals, knowledge on its diagnostic components and therapeutic lifestyle intervention was insufficient. Nurses’ positive attitudes towards their role in providing MetSyn related cardiac preventive care were revealed. However, nurses generally felt that the major barrier to fulfilling this intended role is their inadequate knowledge.
Learner-centred education has been shown to be an effective teaching method in the healthcare dis... more Learner-centred education has been shown to be an effective teaching method in the healthcare disciplines that integrate practical skills and theoretical knowledge. However, the elements of learner-centred education that influence students' motivation and engagement in learning remain unclear. In this descriptive qualitative research study, 43 nursing students in a baccalaureate nursing programme in Hong Kong who enrolled in a disaster and trauma nursing course were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured, face-to-face, focus group interviews. The transcribed interviews were interpreted through the use of qualitative analysis. This study revealed that adopting learner-centred education techniques in a disaster nursing course could cater to the hedonic nature and practical nature of learning disaster nursing, which consequently strengthens student's motivation and engagement in learning. The findings also suggested that learner-centred education could improve nursing students' learning experience and promote their transformation from passive and receptive students into proactive learners. The present study provides a greater and more focused understanding of the elements of learner-centred education that promote motivation and engagement in learning among nursing students. This study could offer insights into the development and evaluation of disaster nursing courses and other subjects in the undergraduate nursing curriculum.
AIM To examine whether nurses' location of employment, demographics, or training influences t... more AIM To examine whether nurses' location of employment, demographics, or training influences their perceptions of what constitutes optimal care for dying patients in hospital. DESIGN Questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study. METHODS Between December 2016-June 2018, 582 registered or enrolled nurses from Australia (N = 153), South Korea (N = 241), and Hong Kong (N = 188) employed in a variety of hospital care units rated the extent to which they agreed with 29 indicators of optimal end-of-life care across four domains: patient, family, healthcare team, and healthcare system. Latent class analysis identified classes of respondents with similar responses. RESULTS Top five indicators rated by participants included: 'physical symptoms managed well'; 'private rooms and unlimited visiting hours'; 'spend as much time with the patient as families wish'; 'end-of-life care documents stored well and easily accessed' and 'families know and follow patient's wishes'. Four latent classes were generated: 'Whole system/holistic' (Class 1); 'Patient/provider-dominated' (Class 2); 'Family-dominated' (Class 3) and 'System-dominated' (Class 4). Class 1 had the highest proportion of nurses responding positively for all indicators. Location was an important correlate of perceptions, even after controlling for individual characteristics. CONCLUSION Nurses' perceptions of optimal end-of-life care are associated with location, but perhaps not in the direction that stereotypes would suggest. Findings highlight the importance of developing and implementing location-specific approaches to optimize end-of-life care in hospitals. IMPACT The findings may be useful to guide education and policy initiatives in Asian and Western countries that stress that end-of-life care is more than symptom management. Indicators can be used to collect data that help quantify differences between optimal care and the care actually being delivered, thereby determining where improvements might be made.
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2016
There is a growing body of evidence that feeling present in virtual environments contributes to e... more There is a growing body of evidence that feeling present in virtual environments contributes to effective learning. Presence is a psychological state of the user; hence, it is generally agreed that individual differences in user characteristics can lead to different experiences of presence. Despite the fact that user characteristics can play a significant role in research on presence, most studies on the determinants of presence focus on immersive, interactive, and perceptually realistic aspects within the technology. Research into user characteristics and how they affect presence has received little attention thus far. The purpose of this study is to explore how user variables combine and interact to predict the level of presence in a 3D virtual learning environment. One hundred and eighty-five nursing students participated in this study and completed a questionnaire measuring user variables. Structural equation modelling was employed as the main technique for data analysis to ensu...
To confirm a core competency scale for Hong Kong infection control nurses at the advanced nursing... more To confirm a core competency scale for Hong Kong infection control nurses at the advanced nursing practice level from the core competency items proposed in a previous phase of this study. This would serve as the foundation of competency assurance in Hong Kong hospitals. A cross-sectional survey design was used. All public and private hospitals in Hong Kong. All infection control nurses in hospitals of Hong Kong. The 83-item proposed core competency list established in an earlier study was transformed into a questionnaire and sent to 112 infection control nurses in 48 hospitals in Hong Kong. They were asked to rate the importance of each infection prevention and control item using Likert-style response categories. Data were analyzed using the Rasch model. The response rate of 81.25% was achieved. Seven items were removed from the proposed core competency list, leaving a scale of 76 items that fit the measurement requirements of the unidimensional Rasch model. Essential core competenc...
Nursing informatics ... : proceedings of the ... International Congress on Nursing Informatics, 2012
Virtual worlds are showing potential as an effective platform for a variety of activities, includ... more Virtual worlds are showing potential as an effective platform for a variety of activities, including learning. The concept of presence (the sensation of "being there" in a mediated environment) has received substantial attention from the virtual reality community, and the effectiveness of virtual worlds has often been linked to the feelings of presence reported by their users. The present study examined the effects of attitude and perceived ease of use on sense of presence in Second Life, which is one of the most known and used virtual worlds. Based on data from a survey of 206 nursing students, hypotheses are empirically tested. Findings suggest that users' attitude toward using Second Life and their perceived ease of use of it have a positive effect on their sense of presence in the virtual environment. This study advances our understanding of factors influencing presence in virtual worlds.
Both continuous and intermittent aspiration of subglottic secretions by means of specially design... more Both continuous and intermittent aspiration of subglottic secretions by means of specially designed endotracheal tubes containing a separate dorsal lumen that opens into the subglottic region have been shown to be useful in reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). However, the high cost of these tubes restricts their use. The aim of this pilot randomized controlled trial was to test the effect of a low-cost device (saliva ejector) for continuous oral suctioning (COS) on the incidence of VAP in patients receiving mechanical ventilation. The study was conducted in the six-bed medical-surgical ICU of a hospital with over 400 beds that provides comprehensive medical services to the public. The design of this study was a parallel-group randomized controlled trial. While both the experimental and control groups used the conventional endotracheal tube, the saliva ejector was only applied to patients assigned to the experimental group. The device was put between the patient's che...
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