The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a coping scale for families of patients with schizophrenia(CSFPS).

Item construction was derived from literature reviews and interviews with family members and psychiatric nurses. Content validity was tested by experts. Each item was scored on a four-point Likert scale. The preliminary questionnaire was administered to 188 family members of patients with schizophrenia. The data were analyzed using item analysis, factor analysis, Pearson correlation coefficients, and Cronbach's alpha.

From the factor analysis, 32 items in five factors were derived. The factors were named active coping strategies, avoidance coping strategies, hospital treatment-oriented coping strategies, emotional coping strategies, and suppressive coping strategies for problematic behaviors. The five factors explained 49.7% of the total variance, Cronbach's alpha of the total items was .83 and the factors ranged from .66 to .86.

The results of this study suggest that CSFPS is a reliable and valid instrument to measure coping in families of patients with schizophrenia.

The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors for a nosocomial urinary tract infection in intensive care units with a foley catheterization which showed a positive urine culture.

Three-hundred eighty-seven patients were included in the study. A retrospective review of the electrical medical record system's databases and medical record sheets in hospitalized patients from January 2003 to December 2003 was used. The collected data was analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, chi-square test and logistic regression analysis.

The frequency of the participants' nosocomial urinary tract infection was 72.9%. Significant risk factors for a nosocomial urinary tract infection were ‘age’, ‘place of catheter insertion’, ‘frequency of catheter change’, and ‘duration of catheterization’. These variables explained 18.4% of variance in the experience of nosocomial urinary tract infection in intensive care units with foley catheterization.

Medical personnel can decrease the incidence of a nosocomial urinary tract infection by recognizing and paying attention to the duration of catheterization, frequency of catheter change, and place of catheter insertion. As a result, specific and scrupulous strategies should be developed to reflect these factors for decreasing nosocomial urinary tract infections.

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship among job stress, family stress and perceived health status of middle school teachers and to present basic information about promoting health and coping with stress.

Participants(N=547) was recruited in B city from November 2005 to December 2005. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation and multiple regression.

The degree of job stress of the middle school teachers was 54.47 out of a total score of 88; that of family stress was 46.57 out of a total score of 96; and that of perceived health status was 78.59 out of the perfect score 100. There was a significantly negative relationship between job stress and perceived health status (r=-.274, p<.001), and family stress and perceived health status(r=-.408, p<.001). However, there was a positive relationship between job stress and family stress(r=.298, p<.001).Family stress, gender, charging subject, job stress, charging grade and number of family member was 27.1% of the variance in perceived health status of middle school teachers.

Family stress has the most important impact on perceived health status with middle school teachers. Based on the finding, we could conclude that both job stress and family stress management shouldbe required to improve perceived health status.

The purpose of this study was to show a relationship between health perception and health promoting behaviors in chronic low back pain patients.

The subjects for this study were 213 persons who the visited hospital with low back pain-related problems.

The higher the levelof the health perception in chronic back pain patients was the higher the rate of the practice of health promoting behaviors (r=0.393, p<.001). The health perception T score was 50.00±10.00. As for health promoting behaviors, the T score was 49.99±10.00. The subscale of the highest mean score was interpersonal support (2.96±0.64) and the subscale of the lowest mean score was exercise (2.13±0.99).

This study showed that chronic low back pain patients had a lower level of perception of their health, and their practice to improve their health was not enough. Therefore, nurses should educate and encourage chronic low back pain patients in proper exercises and correct posture to strengthen and maintain lumbar extension muscle power.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a rehabilitation program on physical health, physiological indicators and quality of life in breast cancer mastectomy patients.

The subjects included thirty-one patients with breast cancer (17 in the experimental group and 14 in the control group). The subjects in the experimental group participated in a rehabilitation program for 10 weeks, which was composed of an exercise program, teaching, counseling and support for 2 sessions per week.

There was a significant increase in flexion, internal rotation and external rotation but no significant increase in extension in the experimental group compared to the control group. The total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, LDL, and CD56 in the experimental group compared to the control group was not significantly decreased after the rehabilitation program. Compared to the control group, quality of life in the experimental group was significantly improved and fatigue in that group was significantly decreased after the rehabilitation program.

The 10-week rehabilitation program showed a large affirmative effect on physical health, physiological indicators and quality of life in breast cancer mastectomy patients.

The purpose of the study was to identify the effects of problem solving nursing counseling and intensified walking exercise on diabetic self-care, coping strategies, and glycemic control among older adults with DM type II.

Ninety nine DM patients who were older than 50 were recruited from DM clinics or public health centers and conveniently assigned into three groups: the Polar(n=41), counseling(n=30) and control groups (n=28). Participants in both Polar and counseling groups attended weekly problem solving nursing counseling for 12 weeks. Polar heart rate monitors were used in the Polar group to intensify walking exercise. Data was collected from November 2003 to August 2004 and analyzed by ANOVA or ANCOVA using the SPSS WIN program.

After a 12 week intervention, participants in both the Polar and counseling groups reported increased diabetic self care behaviors and decreased blood glucose levels, which is significantly different from those in the control group. There were no distinctively different program effects between the Polar and counseling groups.

Based on the findings, we concluded that problem solving counseling alone could have positive effects on diabetic self care and glycemic controls for older adults with DM. Future research is needed to identify long-term effects of the program.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of problem solving nursing counseling and walking exerciseon weight loss, cardiovascular risk factors, and self-efficacy of diabetic control among obese diabetic patients. The Polar heart rate monitor was used for walking exercise to utilize the Biofeedback mechanism.

Fifty nine diabetic patients were conveniently placed into experimental (n=35) and control groups (n=24). The experimental group participated inweekly nursing counseling for 12 weeks and was encouraged to do walking exercise using a Polar monitor. The control group remained in the same treatment as before. The data wascollected from November 2003 to August 2004 and analyzed using t-tests and ANCOVAs.

After 12 weeks, the participants in the experimental group reported significantly decreased body weight (p=.004) and total scores on theParma scale (p=.001). While the participants in the control group reported significantly increased levels of blood triglyceride (p=.046) and HDL (p=.018).

Based on the findings, we concluded that problem focused nursing counseling with intensified walking exercise could reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications and body weight among obese diabetic patients. Future research to explore the long-term effects of nursing counseling on diabetic complications is warranted.

The purpose of this study was to explore the levels of depression experienced by clients (N=152) with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus(DM), and to compare the levels of self care activity, metabolic control and cardiovascular risk factors between depressed and non-depressed clients.

Participants aged 50 and above were conveniently recruited in B city. The levels of depression, self-care activity, metabolic control of glucose and lipids, and cardiovascular risk factors of the participants were measured by using questionnaires and blood tests from November, 2003 to June, 2004. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, Spearman rho and t-test using the SPSS WIN 10.0 program.

The prevalence of depression(CES-D=16) among the participants was 44.1%. The levels of self-care activities(p=.012), glucose(p=.019), total cholesterol(p=.022), LDL(.007) and cardiovascular risk factors(p=.012) were significantly higher in the depressed group than those in the non-depressed group.

Based on the findings, we concluded that many DM patients experience depression and the depression of type 2 DM clients is significantly related with self care activities, diabetic control, and cardiovascular complications. However, this study did not address causality among these variables. Therefore, further research, such as a longitudinal cohort study, is needed to identify causality among these variables.

The purpose of this study was to identify the influencing factors on the development of pressure ulcers in patients undergoing surgery which lasted more than two hours.

One hundred nineteen surgical adult patients were included in the study. Data was measured on each participant from December 2003 to February 2004. It was collected using a structured researcher-administered sheet and analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, chi-square test and logistic regression analysis.

The prevalence of a perioperative pressure ulcer was 26.1%. The level of moisture, friction and shear, length of surgery, and perioperative irrigation were significantly higher in the pressure ulcer group than those in the non-pressure ulcer group. The level of activity and level of consciousness were significantly lower in the pressure ulcer group than those in the non-pressure ulcer group. Significant influencing factors on the development of pressure ulcer were ‘ moisture’ and 'irrigation' and those variables explained 23.1% of varience in the development of a pressure ulcer during surgery.

It is necessary to develop a strategy to prevent pressure ulcer by taking ‘ moisture' and 'irrigation' into account during the preoperative, perioperative and postoperative period.

This study was to explore the experiences of perioperative patients with cancer. The purpose of this inquiry was to describe the essence of such experiences, and to understand them from the patients'point of view.

Participants in this study were 9 cancer patients with ages ranging from 31 to 70 years old, living in B city, who experienced cancer operations. Data collection consisted of in-depth interviews and an observation method done from October to December in 2003. In analysing data, Colaizzi's(1978) phenomenological research method was adopted.

Five categories emerged from ten theme clusters. The five categories were: ‘ shock’, ‘ expectations & wishes’, ‘ despair’, ‘ feelings of burden’, ‘ continual pain’.

The results of this study showthat oncology nurses need to pay more attention to the psychosocial aspect of nursing to empathize and support the cancer patients who suffer and its treatment, and operations.