The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of teaching method using Standardized Patients (SPs) on nursing competence, self-directed learning readiness, and problem solving ability-focusing on subcutaneous insulin injection.

This research was a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized post-test design. The subjects consisted of 62 junior nursing students at E University. Scenarios to train SPs and checklists to evaluate the students' competence were developed by our research team. The experimental group (n=31) participated in the teaching class using SPs. The control group (n=31) received traditional practice education. The collected data were analyzed with descriptive analysis, χ²/Fisher's exact test, t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and Cronbach's α using SPSS WIN 14.0 Program.

The mean scores of competence, self-directed learning readiness, and problem solving were significantly higher in the experimental group than the control group.

As confirmed by this research findings, the teaching method using SPs was more effective than the traditional method to improve junior nursing students' competence, self-directed learning readiness, and problem solving. Therefore, It is necessary to develop a various of scenarios and to testify their effectiveness.

The purpose of this study was to investigate sleep habits, sleep disturbance, and circadian types, and to identify factors influencing sleep disturbance in nursing students.

Participants were 140 senior nursing students. The data were collected from May 19 to 27, 2008 using self-report questionnaires.

1) Evening type delayed sleep-wake schedules were more frequent than for morning type, especially during weekend and evening shift duty. 2) In total sleep time, there were no significant statistical differences between morning type and evening type during weekdays, weekend, day or evening shift duty. 3) On weekdays and day shift duty, the mean score for sleep disturbance was significantly higher in the evening type compared to the morning type. 4) Sleep disturbance in weekday and day shift duty was influenced by circadian types, eating habits, and gender.

The circadian types are a very important factor for determining the sleep quantity and quality in nursing students.

The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors for falls and to suggest data for developing a program for preventing falls.

This was a case-control study in five university hospitals and a general hospital. In total, 216 patients over the age of 18 yr admitted from January 1 to December 31, 2007 participated. One hundred eight patients with experience of falling were matched by gender, age level, diagnosis, and length of stay with 108 patents with no experience of falling admitted on the same unit. A quality assurance coordinator nurse in each hospital examined 35 fall risk factors developed by researchers.

In acute hospitals, history of falls, orientation ability, dizziness or vertigo, general weakness, urination problems, transfer/mobility difficulty, walking dependency, impatience, benzodiazepines, diuretics, and vasodilators showed significance on adjusted-odds ratios for fall. Logistic regression analysis was performed to elucidate the factors that influence falls. The probability of falls was increased by dizziness/vertigo, general weakness, and impatience/agitation.

This finding can be used as a useful resource in developing nursing intervention programs to predict and prevent the falls of inpatients.