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Aim: Nurses' skills and confidence in providing oral care to patients play important roles in healthcare. Studies have proved that peer‐to‐peer learning and assessment can help improve nurses' skills and confidence. However, no study has investigated it using an objective assessment checklist. This study investigated an oral hygiene practice training program for nursing students. It focused on their oral healthcare skills, confidence, and perspectives regarding implementing an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Methods: A pre‐ and post‐survey of 97 nursing students from a nursing school in Japan was conducted as a peer‐to‐peer oral health education training program that included an assessment and performance checklist. Results: Confidence in performing and assessing oral care significantly improved after attending the program. Furthermore, the changes were significantly greater in the developed program than in the training program without the checklist. The mean total assessment scores (0–25) of the first, second, third, and fourth participants in the four‐student groups were 22.1, 23.4, 23.9, and 24.1, respectively. The mean scores of the second, third, and fourth participant groups were significantly higher than that of the first participant group (p <.01). Fifty‐two positive and 58 negative comments were received regarding the implementation of the program with professional assessments and the checklist. The most common positive comment mentioned that the evaluation by professionals improved oral care learning and skills. Conclusions: This study developed a program to improve nursing students' confidence and oral care delivery skill building in an OSCE‐style delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study sought to investigate the current status and faculty members' perceptions of oral care education in Bachelor of Nursing curriculums in Japan. Method: Data were gathered through a questionnaire survey of 196 participants, who were faculty members in charge of oral care education in the basic, adult, gerontological, and home nursing fields, from 295 nursing schools that offered Bachelor degrees in nursing across Japan. Results: The quantitative data showed that 38.5% of the participants worked for less than 5 years as oral care educators, only 15.5% taught oral care in perioperative wards, only 62.2% used an oral care training simulator, and less than 30% believed that training in the prevention of oral diseases should be enhanced. From the descriptive responses, this study identified such problems as the inability of students to perform student‐on‐student and patient‐based oral care training owing to the risk of SARS‐CoV‐2 transmission, and the lack of teaching materials, time, and human resources, and cooperation with other nursing fields and health professionals. Conclusions: This study revealed several problems in oral care education in the Bachelor of Nursing curriculums in Japan. To tackle these challenges, this study suggests the development of an interdisciplinary course that unifies oral care education in nursing fields, in order to promote collaborative oral care education and to improve nursing students' knowledge and skills of oral care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between oral and cognitive functions among older people is highly debated. Objective: To examine whether oral functions are related to changes in the levels of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) biomarkers in older Japanese outpatients. Methods: This observational study included 52 outpatients aged ≥65 years who underwent dental examinations at the Fukuoka Dental College Hospital. The Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) was performed, and MCI blood biomarker levels were assessed at baseline and after 2 years. The present dental and periodontal conditions and the oral functions (tongue pressure and masticatory performance) were evaluated. Changes in parameters from baseline to follow‐up were compared using the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, McNemar test or chi‐squared test. Associations among changes in the parameters were analysed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results: The follow‐up rate in this study was 67%. The masticatory performance was improved (p < 0.001), whereas gingival inflammation was decreased (p < 0.001) over the 2‐year period. A significant increase in the MMSE score (p < 0.001) and a decrease in MCI risk (p < 0.001) were noted. The decrease in MCI risk was correlated with the increase in both masticatory performance (ρ = −0.34; p < 0.05) and MMSE score (ρ = −0.56; p < 0.01). Conclusion: A decrease in MCI risk, as demonstrated by the levels of the blood biomarkers, was correlated with an increase in the masticatory performance in Japanese outpatients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigates the effects of a study course in oral health care on the perceptions of nursing students. The course was designed and evaluated by a multi-professional team at a Japanese nursing school.Method: The subjects were 119 nursing students. They participated in the oral health course that comprised 45h of training in 4 years. These were designed and taught by oral health professionals, a certified speech-hearing therapist, and nurses. Questionnaires were distributed to subjects to compare their perceptions and awareness about oral health care before, in between, and after the courses. A chi-square test was used to compare the data.Results: After completing the courses, more than 95% of the participants were interested in the oral health care practice and expected to collaborate with oral health professionals after getting qualified. Additionally, they understood the effectiveness of oral health care for the prevention of aspiration pneumonia and perceived that oral health care should be provided to hospitalized patients and community-dwelling older adults. Their awareness of the need to learn techniques for tooth brushing support, salivary gland massage, oral management, swallowing training, removing tongue coating, and gargling, both in theory and practice, was significantly improved.Conclusion: Multi-professional education has the potential to improve the awareness of nursing students of oral health care and promote collaborative oral health care in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of interprofessional educational programmes on the improvement of nursing students' oral assessment performances by comparing their attitudes, confidence, abilities, and self‐performance before and after the education. Materials and methods: The subjects included 112 first‐year nursing students in a Japanese nursing school. They participated in the oral assessment educational programmes, which were supported by dentists and introduced into the 1‐year curriculum. The first programme was a 1.5‐hr lecture with a self‐oral assessment training in May 2018, and the second was a 1‐hr oral assessment training in October 2018. The questionnaire surveys investigating nursing students' attitudes, confidence, and self‐performance regarding oral assessment and the tests measuring their oral assessment abilities were conducted before and after the programmes. The total scores on the tests were 0–9 points. Results: A total of 101 (90.2%) nursing students responded to all the questionnaires and tests. Their attitudes and confidence regarding oral assessment were significantly improved after the programmes. The total average scores on the tests were significantly increased from 6.8 points at baseline to 7.9 points after the programmes. The percentage of their performance of self‐oral assessment every day significantly increased from 15.8% at baseline to 32.7% after the programmes. Conclusions: These results suggested that the educational programme might be effective in improving not only the students' attitudes and confidence regarding oral assessment but also their oral assessment abilities and self‐oral assessment performance. Therefore, future programmes must focus on training them to improve oral health care referrals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate nursing faculty members' perceptions of oral care and to identify the effects of an educational environment on their perceptions. Methods: A cross‐sectional questionnaire regarding oral care was conducted at eight nursing schools in Japan. A total of 156 (71.6%) faculty members participated in this study. Their perceptions of oral care practice were compared by using a statistical analysis according to the length of work experience, teaching field, school, and facility setting (defined as whether the school had an affiliated hospital with a dental department). Results: Almost all of the faculty members were nurses and most were female. Almost all perceived that oral care was effective in the prevention of aspiration pneumonia and frailty. There were significant differences by teaching field in the nurses' perceptions regarding with whom they should collaborate to conduct oral care and there were significant differences by school in the nurses' perceptions regarding who should provide oral care, where it should be provided, and what kinds of knowledge are important for practice. Perceptions of low involvement in oral care were significantly associated with the schools having an affiliated university hospital with a dental department. Conclusion: There were different perceptions regarding oral care among nursing faculty members and their perceptions might have been affected by their educational environment. Therefore, it is suggested that oral care education should be standardized and nursing faculty members should standardize the curriculum regarding oral care for nursing students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim was to investigate the relationships between subjective well-being and the existence of primary care dentists in community-dwelling elderly people.Background: Some studies have reported subjective well-being focusing on oral health, but no studies have examined the relationship between subjective well-being and primary care dentists.Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from community-dwelling elderly people aged ≥70 years (n = 624). The Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS; range = 0 [low morale]-17) was used to assess subjective well-being. Additional information regarding age group, sex, medical consulting situation (ambulatory care/home care), primary care dentists, family structure, economic status, health status was collected via questionnaire.Results: The average PGCMS score in ambulatory care patients (ACP) group who have primary care dentists was highest among community-dwelling elderly people. In a logistic regression model, a low PGCMS score (0-11) was independently correlated to 80-89 age group (OR = 1.70; 95% CI, 1.13-2.54; P = 0.008), ≥90 age group (OR = 3.86; 95% CI, 1.83-8.18; P < 0.001), unsatisfied for economic status (OR = 2.68; 95% CI, 1.59-4.53; P < 0.001), unsatisfied for health status (OR = 3.94; 95% CI, 2.60-5.98; P < 0.001) and having no primary care dentists (OR = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.09-3.01; P = 0.021) in ACP group.Conclusions: The subjective well-being of ACP who have primary care dentists was higher than in other people. Primary dentists contributed to the subjective well-being of elderly people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: We hypothesized that using a flexible endoscope as a working scope in laparoscopic surgery through a single incision might provide many benefits. To this end, a short-type flexible endoscope with a working length of 600 mm was newly developed. In this animal experimental study, we aimed to evaluate the technical feasibility of our new approach, single-incision multiport laparoendoscopic (SIMPLE) cholecystectomy, using this endoscope. Methods: Eight pigs were subjected to SIMPLE cholecystectomy using the short-type flexible endoscope. The endoscope was inserted through a 12-mm trocar in an SILS™ Port followed by the insertion of two additional 5-mm trocars in the SILS™ Port. Encirculation and ligation of the pedicle of the cystic artery and duct were carried out using laparoscopic instruments through the 5-mm trocars, while the dissection of the gallbladder from the intrahepatic fossa was predominantly performed using a cutting device through the endoscope. Results: A complete gallbladder excision, with complete encirculation and ligation of the pedicle, was completed in all cases. The mean operating time was 58 min (range 34-78 min). The endoscope provided a good view of the operating field, and it allowed some degree of freedom to the working laparoscopic instruments without compromising the field of view. Dissection of the gallbladder using the cutting device through the endoscope was much easier than that using the laparoscopic device, because the articulating instruments together with the endoscope enabled operation with triangulation. Furthermore, the water-jet and suctioning functions and the self-cleaning lens capability of the endoscope served the surgery well. Conclusions: SIMPLE cholecystectomy using the newly developed short-type flexible endoscope is a technically feasible procedure. Using this flexible endoscope for various tasks, such as resection, suctioning, and smoke evacuation, can make the surgical procedures easier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]