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Background Nursing handoff is an important nursing task that ensures nursing care continuity, quality and patient safety. Nursing handoff competency refers to the ability of the nurse performing the handoff to select and interpret necessary information for patient care and to relay it efficiently to the nurse accepting the handoff. This study aimed to develop a scale to measure nursing handoff competency and verify its validity and reliability. Methods This study adopted a methodological design. A methodological approach was conducted in three phases: (1) scale development through a nursing handoff-related literature review and interviews; (2) construct validity, criterion-related validity, convergent and discrimination validity, and reliability evaluation of the developed scale; (3) standard setting of the scale. Data were collected from 496 clinical nurses currently working in hospital wards, intensive care units, and emergency rooms, and who independently perform a handoff. The validity and reliability of the scale were verified using maximum likelihood exploratory factor analysis with promax factor rotation, confirmatory factor analysis with maximum likelihood estimation, Pearson correlation, Cronbach’s alpha, and Spearman-Brown coefficient. The standard setting of the scale was conducted using the extended Angoff method was used for standard scale setting. Results The Nursing Handoff Competency Scale consisted of 25 items of the four factors: “knowledge on handoff methods”, “identification of patient information,” “judgment and transfer of nursing situation,” and “formation of supportive relationships.” The fitness of the scale revealed good results in confirmatory factor analysis. Construct validity, criterion-related validity, convergent validity, and discrimination validities were verified. The reliability test showed that Cronbach’s α of the whole tool was .912 and the split-half reliability was .846. The cut-off score for satisfied/unsatisfied was 72. Conclusions The developed scale can evaluate the nurse’s handoff competencies. Additionally, the measurement results can be used to compose the contents of the education program.

Critical reflection develops nurses’ critical thinking and clinical reasoning competency. It is necessary to develop a validated scale to measure critical reflection competency considering the clinical situation and nursing context. Therefore, this study analyzed the concept of critical reflection, developed a scale to measure critical reflection competency, and verified its validity and reliability. The concept of critical reflection and components of the scale were confirmed through literature review and results of previous studies on content analysis. A total of 64 preliminary items were derived on a 5-point Likert scale. The adequacy of vocabulary and expression was checked, and a content validity test was conducted. An I-CVI value of 0.88–1.00 was computed. Construct validity was conducted through an exploratory factor analysis, and data collected from 296 clinical nurses were analyzed. Five factors and nineteen items were derived, and the explanatory power was found to be 53.02%. Cronbach’s α of the scale was 0.853. Future studies need to develop a critical reflection education program and utilize this concept as an educational strategy. We propose a study to verify the effect of applying an educational program using the critical reflection competency scale developed in this study.

장류와 주류 제조를 위하여 국내에서 유통되는 하경발효의 황국균(HK1), 수원발효의 황국균(SW101), 백국균(SW201), 충무발효의 된장용 황국균(CF1001), 간장용 황국균(CF1002), 청주용 황국균(CF1003), 주류용 백국균(CF1005) 과 전통 메주에서 분리하여 산업화 준비를 하고 있는 황국균(KACC 93210)의 분류학적 특성과 안전성을 조사하였다. 공시한 6균주의 황국균은 모두 A. oryzae로 동정되었으며 이중 HK1, SW101, CF1001, CF1003은 분생포자를 생성하는 대(stipe)의 길이가 중간크기(711~1,121 μm, 中毛)로써 서로 유사한 형태적 및 분자계통학적 특성을 나타내었으나 청주용인 CF1003이 다른 3균주에 비하여 포자를 다소 적게 그리고 균사를 다소 많이 생성하였다. 간장제조용인 CF1002는 대의 길이가 평균 543 μm로서 짧았으며(短毛) omtA 유전자 분석에서 다른 황국균이 ICAo 그룹에 위치하는 반면에 IBLB- 그룹에 소속되어 명쾌히 구분되었다. 전통메주에서 분리되어 산업화 과정에 있는 황국균 KACC 93210 균주는 대(stipe)가 평균 270 μm로 매우 짧았으며 (超短毛) 다른 황국균이 양털모양의 집락을 형성하는 반면벨벳모양의 집락을 형성하여 형태적으로 쉽게 구분되었고 omtA 유전자에서도 공시한 황국균은 물론 세계적으로 보고된 어떤 황국균과도 염기서열이 서로 달랐다. 수원발효의 백국균(SW201)과 충무발효의 백국균(CF1005)은 모두A. luchuensis (또는 A. luchuensis mut. kawachii)로 동정되 었으며 집락 형태가 다소 상이하였으나 기타의 형태적 특징과 분자계통학적 특징에서 서로 구분되지 않았다. 황국균 6균주는 aflatoxin, cyclopiazonic acid, sterigmatocystin 의 곰팡이 독소를 생성하지 않았고 백국균(A. luchuensis)은 유해한 독소를 생성하지 않는 것으로 이미 보고되었으므로 국내에 유통되는 황국균과 백국균은 모두 곰팡이독소에서 안전한 곰팡이임이 입증되었다.