Objective: Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) affects perinatal outcomes. However, to our knowledge, there are no studies on midwives’ knowledge and health guidance practices regarding GWG in Mongolia. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate midwives’ knowledge about weight control, clarify GWG guidance during pregnancy, and identify factors related to the implementation of GWG guidance in Mongolia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study using a web-based questionnaire was conducted among midwives registered with the Mongolian Midwives Association. The survey was conducted between July and August 2024. The questionnaire asked about calculating body mass index (BMI), BMI categories, and implementation of GWG health counseling. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with health guidance on GWG and BMI knowledge.
Results: A total of 414 responses were analyzed. Of the participants, 38.4% could correctly calculate BMI, and 37.7% could correctly answer what the BMI “normal weight” category was. Furthermore, 38.6% to 77.8% of midwives provided the 10 recommended health guidance items to more than 90% of pregnant women. Midwives working in hospital wards, those with fewer years of clinical experience, those who did not know how to calculate BMI, and those who did not have experience learning about weight control were associated with lower GWG health guidance scores.
Conclusions: This study clarified the health guidance practices regarding GWG and determined midwives’ level of knowledge about weight control in Mongolia. Postgraduate education for midwives should be enhanced to improve health guidance for GWG in Mongolia.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming both higher education and healthcare practice landscapes, driving key stakeholders to explore the opportunities and challenges it offers. This paper presents real-world cases identified by a team of authors, including a graduate nursing faculty member, an occupational therapy faculty member and health informatics professional, a computer science faculty member, and a physician and bioethicist. The authors describe use cases of students who used AI in a graduate nursing course and examine the ethical implications. They share their current interprofessional perspectives and reflections to foster continued dialogue and discernment about the role of generative AI in higher education. As AI continues to grow and evolve, both educators and students will need to develop and understand ground rules. Ethics provides us with a way of exploring AI use cases so that we can share and learn from our own and others’ experiences.
Background: Healthcare disparities persist, resulting in inequities in access, quality, and health outcomes across populations. Addressing these factors through targeted strategies is essential for fostering equitable healthcare. Exploring student nurses’ perceptions of the root causes of health inequities throughout their nursing education is vital to training nurses to better treat their patients, both current and future.
Methods: A mixed-methods survey explored student nurses’ perceptions of the root causes of healthcare disparities, focusing on their awareness, attitudes, and beliefs. This cross-sectional study spanned one academic year and involved student nurses at various stages of their undergraduate education.
Results: Student nurses identify socioeconomic status, limited access to healthcare, and lack of health insurance coverage as the primary contributors to healthcare disparities. Findings inform that curricular enhancements in structural competency, resource navigation, and advocacy preparation are needed to strengthen readiness for equity-oriented nursing practice.
Conclusions: Integrating comprehensive Social Determinants of Health education into nursing curricula can better prepare future nurses for improved care delivery and reduce biases in healthcare settings.
Background and objective: Chest feeding (CF) provides well-documented benefits for both parent and infant, including protection against infection and chronic disease. Despite these advantages, critically ill postpartum patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) face numerous barriers to initiating and maintaining lactation. ICU nurses often report limited training and confidence in supporting CF, placing patients at risk for complications such as engorgement, mastitis, and milk supply failure. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve ICU nurses’ knowledge and adherence to evidence-based chest pumping in the care of critically ill, postpartum patients using a structured education session grounded in current best practices.
Methods A quantitative pre-post-intervention design was used. Sixty ICU registered nurses were observed performing 12 standardized chest pumping steps before and after a targeted educational session. Education was delivered at the bedside using a mannequin and supported by visual tools. Data were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests and p-values to evaluate the impact of the intervention.
Results Statistically significant improvements were observed across all 12 steps of the chest pumping process (p <.001), especially in correct pump set-up and hand expression techniques. Several steps reached near or full adherence post-intervention, indicating a strong uptake of the educational content.
Conclusions Targeted bedside education improves CF practices among ICU nurses. It reinforces the role of advanced practice nurses (APNs) in leading practice change and emphasizes the need for ongoing lactation training in critical care environments to support optimal parental and infant outcomes.
Background and objective: Hospitalized older patients with dementia frequently face unmet needs and adverse outcomes, creating major challenges for nurses. For novice nurses, dementia care has become an unavoidable responsibility, yet they remain especially vulnerable during their transition to practice. Previous studies have described individual difficulties, but little is known about how these difficulties interact. This study aimed to clarify the structure of difficulties experienced by novice nurses during their first year of dementia care in acute care settings, to inform supportive interventions.
Methods A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using semi-structured interviews and a demographic survey with 11 novice nurses from five acute care hospitals in the Kanto region of Japan. Data collected between July and August 2022 were analyzed using the KJ method (affinity diagramming) to visualize the interaction structure of the challenges.
Results Seven final labels and an affinity diagram depicting their relationships were identified. Persistent difficulties stemmed from the interplay of inexperience, the acute care environment, and dementia-related complexities. These were underpinned by ethical dilemmas and resulted in feelings of inadequacy and guilt, contributing to sustained distress throughout the year.
Conclusions This study presents the first visual model of interrelated challenges faced by novice nurses in dementia care, offering new insights into their early clinical experience. The findings underscore the need for structured, multidimensional, and transition-sensitive educational strategies, with practical implications for nursing education and policy internationally.
Background and objective: Pediatric patients frequently experience significant preoperative anxiety, with prevalence estimates ranging from 50% to 75%. This anxiety is associated with adverse outcomes, including increased postoperative pain, emergence agitation or delirium, prolonged recovery, and elevated healthcare costs. Despite heightened interest in non-pharmacologic interventions, awareness among healthcare providers regarding the substantial evidence supporting immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) to mitigate preoperative anxiety in children may remain limited. The objective of this systematic literature synthesis was to critically evaluate and consolidate contemporary evidence regarding the use of Virtual Reality as an intervention to reduce anxiety in pediatric perioperative care. The review also aimed to examine comparative effectiveness, implementation feasibility, and implications for translating evidence into clinical practice.
Methods A systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was conducted to identify empirical studies published between January 2017 and March 2025 that examined VR interventions for pediatric preoperative anxiety. The search included randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and quasi-experimental studies. Eligibility criteria included studies involving pediatric patients (ages 3-18) undergoing surgical procedures with VR used as a preoperative or perioperative anxiety-reducing tool. Quality appraisal was performed using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice tool. After utilizing strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 studies were included in this systematic evaluation.
Results Findings consistently demonstrated that VR reduced preoperative anxiety compared to standard care or alternative distraction methods. Studies reported improvements in physiological indicators, patient satisfaction, procedural cooperation, and reduced sedative requirements. Barriers to adoption include provider unfamiliarity, cost, and logistical constraints. Several implementation-enabling strategies were also identified, including education, institutional support, and integration into care protocols.
Conclusions VR is an effective, non-pharmacologic intervention for reducing preoperative anxiety in pediatric patients. The evidence from this systematic literature synthesis supports integration of VR into perioperative workflows. This synthesis offers a foundation for practice change, underscoring the need for continued provider education and institutional readiness to adopt VR-based strategies.