Nursing competency includes core abilities that are required for fulfilling one's role as a nurse. Therefore, it is important to clearly define nursing competency to establish a foundation for nursing education curriculum. However, while the concepts surrounding nursing competency are important for improving nursing quality, they are still not yet completely developed. Thus, challenges remain in establishing definitions and structures for nursing competency, competency levels necessary for nursing professionals, training methods and so on. In the present study, we reviewed the research on definitions and attributes of nursing competency in Japan as well as competency structure, its elements and evaluation. Furthermore, we investigated training methods to teach nursing competency.

In stressed animals, several brain regions (e.g., hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus [PVN]) exhibit neuronal activation, which increases plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and glucocorticoids. We previously reported that so-called "green odor" inhibits stress-induced activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPA axis) and thereby prevents the chronic stress-induced disruption of the skin barrier. Here, we investigated whether rose essential oil, another sedative odorant, inhibits the stress-induced 1) increases in PVN neuronal activity in rats and plasma glucocorticoids (corticosterone [CORT] in rats and cortisol in humans) and 2) skin-barrier disruption in rats and humans. The results showed that in rats subjected to acute restraint stress, rose essential oil inhalation significantly inhibited the increase in plasma CORT and reduced the increases in the number of c-Fos-positive cells in PVN. Inhalation of rose essential oil significantly inhibited the following effects of chronic stress: 1) the elevation of transepidermal water loss (TEWL), an index of the disruption of skin-barrier function, in both rats and humans and 2) the increase in the salivary concentration of cortisol in humans. These results suggest that in rats and humans, chronic stress-induced disruption of the skin barrier can be limited or prevented by rose essential oil inhalation, possibly through its inhibitory effect on the HPA axis.

Background Training peer leaders to deliver patient education is expected to be a low-cost approach to providing healthcare in urban-poor areas affected by a shortage of healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a training program on the self-efficacy and knowledge of peer leaders with type 2 diabetes. Methods A single-group longitudinal survey with baseline, intervention, and follow-up periods was conducted at a diabetes clinic in a small municipality in Metro Manila, Philippines. The intervention, a selfefficacy theory-based training program for peer-leaders of diabetic patients conducted in August 2017, comprised hands-on learning, demonstrations, quizzes, roleplaying, group sharing, physical exercise, and a buffet lunch. The primary outcome was participants' selfefficacy for management of their diabetes. Secondary outcomes were participants' knowledge of diabetes and levels of emotional distress, motivation, and confidence for guiding their peers, satisfaction with the training program, hemoglobin A1c, and quality of life. Results At 12 and 18 months after the intervention, participants' knowledge of diabetes was significantly increased compared with baseline (both P < 0.05). At earlier time points, an increasing, but not significant, trend was observed. The change in knowledge of diabetes from baseline to 18 months after intervention tended to be positively correlated with the change in self-efficacy (r = 0.594, P = 0.054). No significant differences were observed for any of the other outcomes, although the descriptive statistics showed an increasing trend for all of the outcomes except motivation. ConclusionThe training program significantly improved participants' knowledge of diabetes at 12 and 18 months after the training programs compared with baseline. A positive correlation between the changes in the levels of knowledge and self-efficacy suggested that the observed improvement of self-efficacy was facilitated by the improvement of knowledge of diabetes.

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Background The purpose of this study was to elucidate the factors which affect the achievement of clinical nursing competency. Methods A survey was conducted on 717 nurses using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. Their clinical nursing competency was assessed using the Clinical Nursing Competence Self-Assessment Scale (CNCSS). This study examined the factors affecting clinical nursing competency using regression analyses. A simple regression analysis was performed with the CNCSS as the objective variable. A multiple regression analysis was performed using the items for which the relationship was clarified as explanatory variables. Results The factors affecting the "basic nursing competency" were age, ease of taking time off, workplace with a clear vision, and good interpersonal relationships. The factors affecting the "competency in providing assistance commensurate with the patient's health status" were total years of experience, workplace with a clear vision, ease of taking time off, and use of acquired certifications. The factors affecting the "coordinating care environment and teamwork" were total years of experience, workplace with a clear vision, use of acquired certifications, and ease of taking time off. The factors affecting the "ability for professional growth in nursing practice" were use of acquired certifications, workplace with a clear vision, total years of experience, and ease of taking time off. Conclusion For improvement of clinical nursing competency, the factors elucidated to be necessary were accumulation of experience as a nurse, a clear vision of goals, and a work environment with good interpersonal relationships and ease of getting days off. The way nurses make their nursing practice experience meaningful contributed toward their growth as nurses. It is important to train nurses through basic education and continued education with awareness of achievement and improvement of clinical nursing competency. Basic education should promote the ability to make clinical training experience meaningful and continuing education should enable nurses to continue to grow independently through reflection.