The purpose of this research was to uncover the expertise of ICU nursing in Korea, and to describe nurses' practice based on the degree of skill acquisition. A total of 18 ICU nurses participated in the study. The data was collected through individual in-depth interviews and it was managed using the NUDIST 4.0 software program. The data was analyzed using interpretive phenomenology suggested by Benner. Four properties of expertise of ICU nursing were identified. These are 1) concern and love toward patients; 2) knowledge; 3) skill, and 4) abilities in interpersonal relationships. And the characterisitcs of four levels of skill acquisition, that is advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert, were described with exemplars. The results of this study might help nurse researchers clarify and elaborate on the concept of expertise in ICU nursing, and enable them to understand how the process of skill acquisition occurs in the ICU setting. They might also help nurse managers establish educational goals for ICU nursing for student or novice nurses.
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In this study, we attempted to investigate the needs and problems of the terminal cancer patients and their family caregivers to provide them with nursing information to improve their quality of life and prepare for a peaceful death. Data was collected from August 1, 1995 to July 31, 1996 at the internal medicine unit of S hospital in Seoul area with the two groups of participants who were family members of terminal cancer patients seventy four of them were in-patients and 34 were out-patients who were discharged from the same hospital for home care. The research tool used in this study has been developed by selecting the questionnaires from various references, modifying them for our purpose and refining then based on the results of preliminary study. While general background information about the patients was obtained by reviewing their medical records, all other information was collected by interviewing the primary family caregivers of the patients using the questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed with the SPSS PC+ program. The results of this study are summarized as follows; 1) Most frequently complained symptoms of the terminal cancer patients were in the order of pain(87%), weakness(86.1%), anorexia(83.3%) and fatigue(80.6%). 2) Main therapies for the terminal cancer patients were pain control(58.3%), hyperalimentation(47.2%) and antibiotics(21.3%). 3) Special medical devices that terminal cancer patients used most were oxygen device(11.1%), and feeding tube(5.6%). Other devices were used by less than 5% of the patents. 4) The mobility of 70.4% of the patients was worse than ECOG 3 level, they had to stay in bed more than 50% of a day. 5) Patients wanted their medical staffs to help relieve pain(45.4%), various physical symptoms(29.6%), and problems associated with their emotion(11.1%). 6) 16.7% of the family caregivers hoped for full recovery of the patients, refusing to admit the status of the patients. also, 37% wished for the extension of the patient's life at least for 6 months. 7) Only 38.9% of the family members was preparing for the patient's funeral. 8) 45.4% of family caregivers prefer hospital as the place for the patient's death, 39.8% their own home, and 14.8% undetermined. 9) caregivers of the patients were mostly close family members, i.e., spouse(62%), and sons and daughters or daughter-in-laws(21.3%). 10) 43.5% of the family caregivers were aware of hospice care. 46.8% of them learned about the hospice care from the mass media, 27.7% from health professionals, and the rest from books and other sources. 11) Caregivers were asked about the most difficult problems they encounter in home care, 41 of them pointed out the lack of health professionals they can contact, counsel and get help from in case of emergency, 17 identified the difficulty of finding appropriate transportation to hospital, and 13 stated the difficulty of admission in hospital as needed. 12) 93.6% of family caregivers demanded 24-hour hot line, 80% the visiting nurses and doctors, and 69.4% the volunteer's help. The above results indicate that terminal patients and their family caregivers demand help from qualified health professionals whenever necessary. Hospice care system led by well-trained medical and nursing staffs is one of the viable answers for such demands.
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The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing the outcome of psychosocial rehabilitation for persons with chronic mental illness and to suggest a hypothetical model of psychosocial rehabilitation which is based on the relationship between influencing factors and then to test its fitness empirically.
Data was collected from persons with a chronic mental illness using a self-report questionnaire, and from their case managers using an observed rating questionnaire. A total of 220 cases were used in the final analysis, and a hypothetical model was verified through covariance structure analysis using LISREL.
1) The fitness indices of the model were χ2=133.77 (df=48, p=.00), GFI = 0.93, AGFI = 0.87, RMR = 2.32, NNFI = 0.95 and NFI = 0.95. Twelve paths among fifteen proved to be significant. 2) Psychosocial rehabilitation was influenced directly by symptoms, daily living skill and self-concept, and was influenced indirectly by the psychosocial rehabilitation program service. Psychosocial rehabilitation accounted for 32% of variance of these factors.
This study is expected to contribute to understanding the psychosocial rehabilitation phenomena. Besides it will provide basic information for developing strategies of bio-psycho-sociological interventions and evaluations in regard to influential factors of psychosocial rehabilitation.
This study was to identify the prevalence of orthostatic hypotension and its association with risk factors of orthostatic hypotension aged over 60 in Seoul and Chungju, Korea.
The data were collected from the 22th of August, 2000 to the 7th May 2001. The participants were 74 community-dwelling aged who could stand up from sitting position without assistance. Subjects were interviewed with structured questionnaire in order to ask experience of previous falls, hours in per day, symptoms related orthostatic hypotension and demographic characteristics. Orthostatic hypotension was assessed at 1 minute after the subjects standing from sitting position and defined as 20mmHg or greater decrease in systolic blood pressure after standing.
The prevalence of orthostatic hypotension was 17.1%. The mean drop of systolic blood pressure was 27.46mmHg among orthostatic hypotension subjects. The significant variables which explain the occurrence of orthostatic hypotension was the basal systolic blood pressure, the hit ratio of discriminant function with basal systolic blood pressure was 69.7%.
Finding indicate that this study will contribute to develop nursing strategies to identify risk factors and to prevent orthostatic hypotension for the aged.
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This study was done to develop and test the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Pain Assessment Checklist for Seniors with Limited Ability to Communicate (PACSLAC-K) in assessing pain of elders with dementia living in long-term care facilities.
The PACSLAC-K was developed through forward-backward translation techniques. Survey data were collected from 307 elders with dementia living in 5 long-term care facilities in Korea. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, Spearman's rho, paired t-test, ROC (receiver operation characteristic) curve with the SPSS/WIN (20.0) program.
The PACSLAC-K showed high internal consistency (.90), inter-rater reliability (.86), intra-rater reliability (.93), and high concurrent validity (.74) in paired t-test with PAINAD. Discriminant validity also showed a significant difference compared with no pain. The PACSLAC-K showed a sensitivity of .93, specificity of .88, and Area Under the Curve of .95 in the ROC curve.
The findings of this study demonstrate that PACSLAC-K is useful in assessing pain for elders with dementia living in long-term care facilities.
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The purpose of this study was to investigate sleep habits, sleep disturbance, and circadian types, and to identify factors influencing sleep disturbance in nursing students.
Participants were 140 senior nursing students. The data were collected from May 19 to 27, 2008 using self-report questionnaires.
1) Evening type delayed sleep-wake schedules were more frequent than for morning type, especially during weekend and evening shift duty. 2) In total sleep time, there were no significant statistical differences between morning type and evening type during weekdays, weekend, day or evening shift duty. 3) On weekdays and day shift duty, the mean score for sleep disturbance was significantly higher in the evening type compared to the morning type. 4) Sleep disturbance in weekday and day shift duty was influenced by circadian types, eating habits, and gender.
The circadian types are a very important factor for determining the sleep quantity and quality in nursing students.
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