Factors associated with adherence to antihypertensive medication were relatively gender-specific. Awareness of the differences is crucial for health professionals to provide appropriate advice for patients to cope effectively with their health threat.

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The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of concept mapping in developing critical thinking ability and approach to learning and studying. A quasi-experimental study design with a purposive sample was drawn from a group of nursing students enrolled in a medical-surgical nursing course in central Taiwan. Students in the experimental group were taught to use concept mapping in their learning. Students in the control group were taught by means of traditional lectures. After the intervention, the experimental group had better overall critical thinking scores than did the control group, although the difference was not statistically significant. After controlling for the effects of age and the pretest score on critical thinking using analysis of covariance, the experimental group had significantly higher adjusted mean scores on inference and overall critical thinking compared with the control group. Concept mapping is an effective tool for improving students' ability to think critically.

The study provides evidence that the Simulation Learning Effectiveness Inventory is reliable and valid for measuring student perception of learning effectiveness. The instrument is helpful in building the evidence-based knowledge of the effect of simulation teaching on students' learning outcomes.

Background High-fidelity simulation (HFS) is an interactive and complex experiential learning pedagogy. Given the limited and inconclusive evidence on the effectiveness of HFS in terms of improving student learning outcomes, a more thorough understanding of students' learning experiences and effects of HFS may inform the improvement of nursing training. Purpose The aim of this study was to examine the learning effectiveness score of HFS, its influencing factors, and the learning experience of nursing students. Methods A convergent parallel mixed-methods research design was adopted. Five hundred thirty-three third-year undergraduate nursing students completed the Simulation Learning Effectiveness Inventory. Semistructured interviews were used to elicit the opinions of 22 participants regarding their participation in the HFS experience. Results The quantitative findings showed a moderately high learning effectiveness of HFS among Chinese undergraduate nursing students (121.81 ± 14.93). The learning effectiveness for equipment resources (15.02 ± 2.38), course arrangement (11.18 ± 1.73), and confidence (18.56 ± 3.67) was relatively low. Extroversion and mixed personality (β = 0.14 and 0.10) and “dislike” or “general like” of the course (β = −0.45 and −0.33) were found to influence learning effectiveness (F = 54.79, p < .001, adjusted R 2 = .29). In addition, the qualitative findings indicated that the participants felt positively regarding the “debriefing,” “clinical abilities,” and “problem solving” dimensions of the training. Conclusions/Implications for Practice The focus of the education process and curriculum design of HFS activities should be on improving course arrangement, equipment resources, and students' confidence while paying attention to nursing students' personality traits and course preferences.

This systematic review found a medium effect of massage on SBP and a small effect on DBP in patients with hypertension or prehypertension. High-quality randomized controlled trials are urgently required to confirm these results, although the findings of this study can be used to guide future research.

Background New teaching strategies must be developed not only to enhance nurse’s competence but also to allow nurses to respond to the complex health care needs of today’s society. The purpose of this study was to explore the learning outcomes of a flipped classroom teaching approach in an adult-health nursing course for students in a two-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Methods The study had a quasi-experimental design. An 18-week flipped classroom teaching approach was applied in an adult-health nursing course. In total, 485 nursing students enrolled in the study, with 287 in the experimental group and 198 in the control group. The Self-Evaluated Core Competencies Scale, Metacognitive Inventory for Nursing Students, Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale, and self-designed learning satisfaction questionnaire were used to evaluate the students’ learning outcomes. Results The experimental group showed a statistically significant increase in the overall scores for self-evaluated core competencies, the “self-modification” subscale of the Metacognitive Inventory for Nursing Students, and in overall self-directed learning readiness; further, they also showed high levels of course satisfaction. Conclusions A flipped classroom teaching approach had a positive impact on student’s learning motivation and contributed to better learning outcomes in an adult-health nursing course. The flipped classroom combined with hybrid teaching methods is a suitable and effective learning strategy for a registered nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program to tackle today’s complex revolution in nursing curricula, and may enhance nursing students’ abilities to address numerous challenges.

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