The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the various measures available for assessment of oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OXLIPN) and to evaluate the measurement properties of each assessment tool.

A systematic review was conducted to identify existing measures for OXLIPN found in the databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, RISS and KoreaMed. The quality of the 24 identified tools was evaluated based on their properties of measurement including content validity, internal consistency, criterion validity, construct validity, reproducibility, responsiveness, floor-ceiling effects and interpretability.

Ten (41.7%) of the 24 tools were identified as specific measures for assessing OXLIPN and the most popular type of measures were clinical grading systems by clinicians (58.3%) and only 29.2% of measures were identified as patient reported outcomes. The most frequently used tool was National Cancer Institute-Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI-CTC), but the validity of NCI-CTC has not been reported appropriately. Overall, the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (NPSI) received the best psychometric scores, and the Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool (CIPNAT) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynaecologic Oncology Group-neurotoxicity-12 (FACT/GOG-Ntx-12) followed NPSI.

To select appropriate measure, evidences should be accumulated through the clinical use of tools. Therefore, practitioner and researchers are urged to report relevant statistics required for the validation of the currently used measures for assessment of OXLIPN.

The purpose of this study was to test and validate a model to predict living and brain death organ donation intention in nursing students. The conceptual model was based on the theory planned behavior.

Quota sampling methodology was used to recruit 921 nursing students from all over the country and data collection was done from October 1 to December 20, 2013.

The model fit indices for the hypothetical model were suitable for the recommended level. Knowledge, attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control explained 40.2% and 40.1% respectively for both living and brain death organ donation intention. Subjective norm was the most direct influential factor for organ donation intention. Knowledge had significant direct effect on attitude and indirect effect on subjective norm and perceived behavioral control. These effects were higher in brain death organ donation intention than in living donation intention.

The overall findings of this study suggest the need to develop systematic education programs to increases knowledge about brain death organ donation. The development, application, and evaluation of intervention programs are required to improve subjective norm.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of lifestyle intervention on the development of fatigue, nutritional status and quality of life of patients with gynecologic cancer.

A nonequivalent control group quasi-experimental design was used. Participants were 49 patients with gynecologic cancer. They were assigned to the experiment group (n=24) or the control group (n=25). The lifestyle intervention for this study consisted of physical activity, nutritional education, telephone call counseling, health counseling, monitoring for lifestyle, and affective support based on Cox's Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior and was implemented for six weeks.

Significant group differences were found for fatigue (p=.037), nutritional status (p=.034) and social/family well-being (p=.035) in these patients with gynecologic cancer.

Results indicate that this lifestyle intervention is effective in lessening fatigue, and improving nutritional status and social/family well-being. Therefore, nurses in hospitals should develop strategies to expand and provide lifestyle interventions for patients with cancer.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of the Thera-Band exercise program following total knee arthroplasty.

The research design for this study was a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design. Participants were 30 patients for the experimental group and 30 patients for the control group. The experimental group participated in the Thera- Band exercise program in addition to conventional CPM (continuous passive motion) exercise. The control group received conventional CPM exercise only. Outcome measures were pain, knee flexion range of motion, CRP, and psychological parameters (self-efficacy and fear of falling). Data were analyzed using χ²-test, Fisher's exact test, t-test, and repeated measure ANOVA with SPSS/PC version 21.0.

There were significant improvement in self-efficacy, and decreases in pain, and fear of falling in the experimental group compared to the control group. However, no significant differences were found between the two groups for CRP and knee flexion ROM.

The Thera-Band exercise program gave an additional benefit over the conventional CPM exercise for patients following total knee arthroplasty, and is recommended for use as an effective nursing intervention for patients after total knee arthroplasty.

This study was done to develop an empowerment program for people with chronic mental illness and to analyze effects of the program on level of empowerment.

The research was conducted using a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Participants were 37 people with chronic mental illness (experimental group: 18, control group: 19). The empowerment program was provided for 8 weeks (15 sessions). Data were collected between July 21 and October 17, 2014. Data were analyzed using Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, Sapiro-wilk test, and Repeated measure ANOVA with SPSS/WIN 18.0.

Quantitative results show that self-efficacy, interpersonal relationships, attitudes in the workplace, occupational performance capacity, and levels of empowered execute were significantly better in the experimental group compared to the control group.

Study findings indicate that this empowerment program for persons with chronic mental illness is effective for improving self efficacy, interpersonal skills, attitudes in the workplace, occupational performance capacity, levels of empowered execute.

The focus of this study was on symptom management to predict quality of life among individuals with heart failure. The theoretical model was constructed based on situation-specific theory of heart failure self-care and literature review.

For participants, 241 outpatients at a university hospital were invited to the study from May 19 to July 30, 2014. Data were collected with structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSSWIN and AMOS 20.0.

The goodness of fit index for the hypothetical model was .93, incremental fit index, .90, and comparative fit index, .90. As the outcomes satisfied the recommended level, the hypothetical model appeared to fit the data. Seven of the eight hypotheses selected for the hypothetical model were statistically significant. The predictors of symptom management, symptom management confidence and social support together explained 32% of the variance in quality of life. The 28% of variance in symptom management was explained by symptom recognition, heart failure knowledge and symptom management confidence. The 4% of variance in symptom management confidence was explained by social support.

The hypothetical model of this study was confirmed to be adequate in explaining and predicting quality of life among patients with heart failure through symptom management. Effective strategies to improve quality of life among patients with heart failure should focus on symptom management. Symptom management can be enhanced by providing educational programs, encouraging social support and confidence, consequently improving quality of life among this population.

The purpose of this study was to investigate individual and organizational level of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors associated with CVD risk in Korean blue-collar workers working in small sized companies.

Self-report questionnaires and blood sampling for lipid and glucose were collected from 492 workers in 31 small sized companies in Korea. Multilevel modeling was conducted to estimate effects of related factors at the individual and organizational level.

Multilevel regression analysis showed that workers in the workplace having a cafeteria had 1.81 times higher CVD risk after adjusting for factors at the individual level (p=.022). The explanatory power of variables related to organizational level variances in CVD risk was 17.1%.

The results of this study indicate that differences in the CVD risk were related to organizational factors. It is necessary to consider not only individual factors but also organizational factors when planning a CVD risk reduction program. The factors caused by having cafeteria in the workplace can be reduced by improvement in the CVD-related risk environment, therefore an organizational-level intervention approach should be available to reduce CVD risk of workers in small sized companies in Korea.

The aim of this study was to verify psychosocial issues faced by psychiatric and community mental health nurse practitioners (PCMHNP) working in community mental health centers, and to identify the adaptation processes used to resolve the issues.

Data were collected through in-depth interviews between December 2013 and August 2014. Participants were 11 PCMHNP working in community mental health centers. Analysis was done using the grounded theory methodology. The first question was "How did you start working at a community mental health center; what were the difficulties you faced during your employment and how did you resolve them?"

The core category was 'regulating within relationships.' The adaptation process was categorized into three sequential stages: 'nesting,' 'hanging around the nest,' and 'settling into the nest.' Various action/interaction strategies were employed in these stages. The adaptation results from using these strategies were 'psychiatric nursing within life' and 'a long way to go.'

The results of this study are significant as they aid in understanding the psychosocial adaptation processes of PCMHNP working in community mental health centers, and indicate areas to be addressed in the future in order for PCMHNP to fulfill their professional role in the local community.

The purpose of this study was to construct and test a structural equation model of quality of work life for clinical nurses based on Peterson and Wilson's Culture-Work-Health model (CWHM).

A structured questionnaire was completed by 523 clinical nurses to analyze the relationships between concepts of CWHM-organizational culture, social support, employee health, organizational health, and quality of work life. Among these conceptual variables of CWHM, employee health was measured by perceived health status, and organizational health was measured by presenteeism. SPSS21.0 and AMOS 21.0 programs were used to analyze the efficiency of the hypothesized model and calculate the direct and indirect effects of factors affecting quality of work life among clinical nurses.

The goodness-of-fit statistics of the final modified hypothetical model are as follows: χ²=586.03, χ²/df=4.19, GFI=.89, AGFI=.85, CFI=.91, TLI=.90, NFI=.89, and RMSEA=.08. The results revealed that organizational culture, social support, organizational health, and employee health accounted for 69% of clinical nurses' quality of work life.

The major findings of this study indicate that it is essential to create a positive organizational culture and provide adequate organizational support to maintain a balance between the health of clinical nurses and the organization. Further repeated and expanded studies are needed to explore the multidimensional aspects of clinical nurses' quality of work life in Korea, including various factors, such as work environment, work stress, and burnout.

The purpose of this study was to identify the level of distress and posttraumatic growth in fathers of chronically ill children and also, to identify the relation between characteristics of the fathers and children and their posttraumatic growth and to investigate factors that influence posttraumatic growth.

In this study, 48 fathers who visited a university hospital in Seoul, Korea and who gave written consent completed the questionnaire between September 23 and November 19, 2013. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression.

The level of distress in fathers of chronically ill children was relatively high and the majority of them were experiencing posttraumatic growth. Models including the variable (deliberate rumination, religiousness, optimism) explained 64.3% (F=26.38, p< .001) of the variance for posttraumatic growth. Deliberate rumination (β=.59, p< .001) was the most influential factor.

The findings demonstrate that it is essential for nurses to intervene and facilitate continuously so as to promote posttraumatic growth and relieve distress in fathers of chronically ill children. Furthermore, it is also necessary for nurses to find ways to develop ideal interventions to activate deliberate rumination and offer spiritual care and help maintain optimism in these individuals.

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of predictive factors related to family strength and develop a structural equation model that explains family strength among married working women.

A hypothesized model was developed based on literature reviews and predictors of family strength by Yoo. This constructed model was built of an eight pathway form. Two exogenous variables included in this model were ego-resilience and family support. Three endogenous variables included in this model were functional couple communication, family stress and family strength. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire from 319 married working women who were 30~40 of age and lived in cities of Chungnam province in Korea. Data were analyzed with PASW/WIN 18.0 and AMOS 18.0 programs.

Family support had a positive direct, indirect and total effect on family strength. Family stress had a negative direct, indirect and total effect on family strength. Functional couple communication had a positive direct and total effect on family strength. These predictive variables of family strength explained 61.8% of model.

The results of the study show a structural equation model for family strength of married working women and that predicting factors for family strength are family support, family stress, and functional couple communication. To improve family strength of married working women, the results of this study suggest nursing access and mediative programs to improve family support and functional couple communication, and reduce family stress.

Safety of humans is an important factor that affects health overall, and injuries are one of the major public-health problems in the world. The purposes of this study were to describe the International safe Community movement which contributes to the injury prevention and safety promotion all over the world, and to identify out the application and developmental strategies for Korea.

A review was done of previous research, reviews, and reports on the history, concepts, basic principles, and recommendations for actions of the Safe Community.

For this study, the application strategies of the International Safe Community movement in Korea were examined to deduce the strengths of the safe Community program. Community-based injury prevention work according to the International Safe Community model is a successful and cost-effective way of reducing injuries in the community.

Through the International Safe Community program, communities are able to realize a healthy community and achieve improved quality of lives for the people, which is the ultimate objective of the Safe Community model. In addition, it will contribute to the economic vitalization and gain through energy and enhancement of productivity of people.

Effective transitional care is needed to improve the quality of life in older adult patients with chronic illness and avoid discontinuity of care and adverse events. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the key features, broader implications, and the utility of Meleis' transition theory intended for the transitional care of older adults with chronic illnesses. We present the role of nurse in the context of transitional care and propose future directions to increase the quality of nursing care.

The online databases Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, and Science Direct were searched for relevant literature published since 1970 along with textbooks regarding nursing theory.

An evaluation of the usefulness of transition theory based on transitional care in older adult patients with chronic illnesses is provided. Healthy transition should be the expected standard of nursing care for older adults across all healthcare settings.

Nurses need to contribute to the development of transitional care for vulnerable populations; however, transition theory needs to be enhanced through additional theoretical work and repeated evaluations of the applicability in areas of transitional care.

This study explored the effects of neurofeedback training on Electroencephalogram (EEG), Continuous Performance Task (CPT) and ADHD symptoms in ADHD prone college students.

Two hundred forty seven college students completed Korean Version of Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS-K) and Korean Version of Beck Depression Inventory (K-BDI). The 16 participants who ranked in the top 25% of CAARS-K score and had 16 less of K-BDI score participated in this study. Among them, 8 participants who are fit for the research schedule were assigned to neurofeedback training group and 8 not fit for the research schedule to the control group. All participants completed Adult Attention Deficiency Questionnaire, CPT and EEG measurement at pretest. The neurofeedback group received 15 neurofeedback training sessions (5 weeks, 3 sessions per week). The control group did not receive any treatment. Four weeks after completion of the program, all participants completed CAARS-K, Adult Attention Deficiency Questionnaire, CPT and EEG measurement for post-test.

The neurofeedback group showed more significant improvement in EEG, CPT performance and ADHD symptoms than the control group. The improvements were maintained at follow up.

Neurofeedback training adjusted abnormal EEG and was effective in improving objective and subjective ADHD symptoms in ADHD prone college students.

An emerging trend in Asian higher education is English-medium instruction (EMI), which uses English as the primary instructional language. EMI prepares domestic students for international leadership; however, students report difficulty in learning, and educators have raised questions concerning the effectiveness of EMI. The flipped learning model (FLM), in which lecture and homework activities for a course are reversed, was applied to an English-medium course offered by a college of nursing in Korea. The aims of this study were to: 1) revise an existing English-medium nursing course using the FLM; 2) explore students’ learning experiences and their acceptance of the FLM; and 3) identify key factors in the success of FLM.

We used a descriptive, cross-sectional, mixed-methods design and the participants were students at one nursing school in Korea. A series of course development meetings with faculties from the nursing school and the center for teaching and learning were used to develop the course format and content. We conducted course evaluations using the Flipped Course Evaluation Questionnaire with open-ended questions and focus group interviews.

Students (N=75) in a 15-week nursing course responded to a survey after completing the course. Among them, seven students participated in one of two focus groups. Overall, students accepted and favored the flipped learning strategy, and indicated that the method enhanced lecture content and their understanding of it. Factors associated with effective instruction included structured monitoring systems and motivational environments.

The FLM requires sufficient preparation to facilitate student motivation and maximize learning outcomes.