This study was conducted to test a path model for the factors related to undergraduate nursing students' clinical practicum stress, based on Lazarus and Folkman's stress-coping model.

This study utilized a path analysis design. A total of 235 undergraduate nursing students participated in this study. The variables in the hypothetical path model consisted of clinical practicum, emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, Nun-chi, and nursing professionalism. We tested the fit of the hypothetical path model using SPSS/WIN 23.0 and AMOS 22.0.

The final model fit demonstrated a satisfactory statistical acceptance level: goodness-of-fit-index=.98, adjusted goodness-of-fit-index=.91, comparative fit index=.98, normed fit index=.95, Tucker-Lewis index=.92, and root mean square error of approximation=.06. Self-efficacy (β=−.22, p=.003) and Nun-chi behavior (β=−.17, p=.024) were reported as significant factors affecting clinical practicum stress, explaining 10.2% of the variance. Nursing professionalism (β=.20, p=.006) and self-efficacy (β=.45, p<.001) had direct effects on emotional intelligence, explaining 45.9% of the variance. Self-efficacy had indirect effects on Nun-chi understanding (β=.20, p<.001) and Nun-chi behavior (β=.09, p=.005) through emotional intelligence. Nursing professionalism had indirect effects on Nun-chi understanding (β=.09, p=.005) and Nun-chi behavior (β=.09, p=.005) through emotional intelligence. The variables for self-efficacy and nursing professionalism explained 29.1% of the Nun-chi understanding and 18.2% of the Nun-chi behavior, respectively.

In undergraduate nursing education, it is important to identify and manage factors that affect clinical practicum stress. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of Nun-chi, self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, and nursing professionalism in the development of an educational strategy for undergraduate nursing students.

This study was done to develop tool to evaluate the core competencies regarding nursing cancer patients on chemotherapy, and to verify the reliability and efficacy of the developed tool.

A tool to evaluate the core competencies was developed from a preliminary tool consisting of 112 items verified by expert groups. The adequacy of the preliminary tool was analyzed and refined to the final evaluation tool containing 76 items in 8 core competencies and 18 specific competencies. The evaluation tool is in the form of a self-report, and each item is evaluated according to a 3-point scale. From September 22 to October 14, 2011, 349 survey responses were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 and the WINSTEPS program that employs the Rasch model.

Results indicated that there were no inappropriate items and the items had low levels of difficulty in comparison with the knowledge levels of the study participants. The results of factor analysis yielded 18 factors, and the reliability of the tools was very high with Cronbach's α=.97.

The results of this study can be used for training and evaluation of core competencies for nursing cancer patients, and for standardizing nursing practices associated with chemotherapy.