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Background: Assessment of nursing student abilities with regard to competent nursing practice has played an important role in the clinical nursing education revolution., Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the value to Taiwanese BSN graduates of a competence-based clinical performance examination model for medical-surgical nursing., Methods: Four semi-structured questions were used to explore the learning experience of 30 nursing students through their performance on a medical-surgical nursing clinical performance examination (CPE). Qualitative content analysis was used to identify categories., Results: Differences found between the CPE and traditional clinical practicum included learning situation, learning process decision making procedures, and result evaluation procedures. Advantages of the CPE included confidence in self-competence, enhanced stimulation in clinical settings, self-directed learning, revised learning, and flexible learning. Disadvantages included poorer control over the overall learning process and less control of outcomes. Benefits to subjects from participating in the CPE included increased awareness, acceptance, and cultivation of self competence. A number of students expressed they perceived no specific benefits attributable to the CPE., Conclusion: Study findings are hoped to contribute to the development of the CPE in medical-surgical nursing in Taiwan.

The purpose of this study was to explore post-treatment marital adjustment and related factors in women with breast cancer. The variables include characteristics of illness, pre- and post-treatment marital adjustment, as well as depression. Subjects were recruited by convenience sampling from two medical centers and one community hospital in the Taipei metropolitan area. A total of 119 married women who had received surgery for breast cancer were interviewed with structured questionnaires in a private space. The results showed no difference between marital adjustment pre- and post-treatment. A significant decrease in physical aspects of marriage satisfaction and a significant increase in both psychological and social aspects of marriage satisfaction post-treatment were demonstrated. However, stepwise regression analyses found that the most important predictor of post-treatment marital adjustment is pre-treatment adjustment. Such variables as post-morbid duration, stage of cancer, and different treatment modalities could also predict post-treatment marital adjustment. The results suggest that medical staff should encourage breast cancer patients to face their post-treatment marital status positively. The impact on physical aspects of marriage satisfaction of the breast cancer treatment should not be overlooked. Moreover, an assessment of ovarian function, sexual function, depression, and marital adjustment should be emphasized in women with breast cancer.