Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a stage preceding dementia, and early intervention is critical. This study investigated whether multi-domain cognitive training programs, especially robot-assisted training, conducted 12 times, twice a week for 6 weeks can improve cognitive function and depression decline in community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 135 volunteers without cognitive impairment aged 60 years old or older. Participants were first randomized into two groups. One group consisted of 90 participants who would receive cognitive training and 45 who would not receive any training (NI). The cognitive training group was randomly divided into two groups, 45 who received traditional cognitive training (TCT) and 45 who received robot-assisted cognitive training (RACT). The training for both groups consisted of a daily 60 min session, twice a week for six weeks. Results: RACT participants had significantly greater post-intervention improvement in cognitive function (t = 4.707, p < 0.001), memory (t = −2.282, p = 0.007), executive function (t = 4.610, p < 0.001), and depression (t = −3.307, p = 0.004). TCT participants had greater post-intervention improvement in memory (t = −6.671, p < 0.001) and executive function (t = 5.393, p < 0.001). Conclusions: A 6-week robot-assisted, multi-domain cognitive training program can improve the efficiency of global cognitive function and depression during cognitive tasks in older adults with MCI, which is associated with improvements in memory and executive function.

Background: Outside activities have decreased due to the spread of the COVID-19 since 2019; therefore, the need for education using information and communication technology (ICT) for older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has increased. This study systematically evaluated the effects of cognitive enhancement interventions using ICT on older adults with MCI. Methods: Six electronic databases (CINAHL, Cochrane CENTRAL, EMBASE, PubMed, RISS, and KISS) were searched for relevant articles published from 25 January to 10 February, 2021. Results: As a result of the systematic literature review, 12 research papers were finally selected as the literature for quality evaluation, and 11 final papers were selected, excluding one in the quality evaluation. From the synthesis in this study, it was found that cognitive intervention using ICT showed a statistically significant positive effect on cognitive function when compared with various control groups (SMD = 0.4547; p < 0.001; 95% CI: 0.1980–0.7113). Conclusions: Through this study, cognitive intervention using ICT showed a small effect size for older adults with mild cognitive impairment, and statistically significant results were found.

Background: The purpose of this study was to develop a mobile head mounted display (HMD)-based virtual reality (VR) nursing education program (VRP), and to evaluate the effects on knowledge, learning attitude, satisfaction with self-practice, and learning motivation in nursing students. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study using a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design to evaluate the effects of HMD-based VRP on nursing students. A Chemoport insertion surgery nursing scenario was developed with HMD-based VRP. The experimental group consisting of 30 nursing students underwent pre-debriefing, followed by VRP using HMD and debriefing. The control group, consisting of 30 nursing students, underwent pre-debriefing, followed by self-learning using handouts about Chemoport insertion surgery procedures for 30 min, and debriefing. Results: The experimental group that underwent HMD-based VRP showed significantly improved post-intervention knowledge on operating nursing (p = 0.001), learning attitude (p = 0.002), and satisfaction (p = 0.017) compared to the control group. Sub-domains of motivation, attention (p < 0.05), and relevance (p < 0.05) were significantly different between the two groups, post-intervention. Conclusions: HMD-based VRP of Chemoport insertion surgery is expected to contribute to knowledge, learning attitude, satisfaction, attention, and relevance in nursing students.

Public health nurses are performing various roles during the COVID-19 pandemic: counseling, surveillance, specimen collection, epidemiological investigation, education, and vaccination. This study investigated their disaster competencies in the context of emerging infectious diseases, and identified their influencing factors based on Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory. A convenience sample of 242 was selected from public health nurses working in a metropolitan city of South Korea. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression analysis using the SPSS Statistics ver. 23.0. Results showed that the significant factors influencing disaster competencies included “willingness to respond to a disaster,” “preventive behavior,” “experience of receiving education on emerging infectious diseases response,” “public health center experience,” “job satisfaction,” and “education.” This regression model explained 33.2% of the variance in disaster competencies. “Willingness to respond to a disaster” was the strongest factor affecting disaster competencies. Based on these results, it is concluded that interventions to improve disaster competencies and psychological well-being of public health nurses are needed. Additionally, strategies such as creating a supportive work environment, deploying experienced nurses primarily on the front line, and reducing the tasks of permanent public health nurses should be implemented.