This study was attempted to evaluate how the self efficacy promotion and exercise training program effect on the postoperative general conditions of transplant recipients after kidney transplantations. The subjects were selected randomly among the patients who underwent renal trans- plantations at three major transplantation hospitals in Seoul, Korea. This study was carried out between November 1999 and March 2000. The observed subjects in this study consisted of 56 patients. The exercise training group(n=16) received the self efficacy promotion and exercise training program for 12 weeks which contained general knowledge for compliance instruction, exercise training and self efficacy promotion education. The self efficacy group(n=18) received general knowledge for compliance instruction and self efficacy promotion education but no exercise training was given. The control group(n=22) were not offered any education. The knowledge for compliance, self efficacy, physical conditions(weight, muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility), lab studies (hemoglobin, creatinine, cholesterol), activities of daily living and quality of life were evaluated 3 times, before the experiment, at 8 weeks and at 12 weeks. The data were analyzed with mean, standard deviation, Chi-square test, ANOVA and Scheff test. The results were as follows: 1. The knowledge and self efficacy score of the exercise training group and self efficacy group were significantly increased than those of the control group(p=.0001). 2. The weight of the exercise training group was significantly decreased compared to those of the self efficacy group and the control group(p=.0001). Muscle strength (grip strength, back lift strength), and flexibility of all 3 groups were significantly changed(p=.0001). However, muscle endurance in all 3 groups showed no significant differences. 3. The hemoglobin level of the exercise training group and the self efficacy group were significantly increased compared to that of the control group(p=.0001) and the cholesterol levels of the exercise training group and the self efficacy group were significantly decreased compared to that of the control group(p=,0001). However, the creatinine levels in all 3 groups showed no significant differences. 4. The activities of daily living scores of the exercise training group was significantly increased than that of the control group (p=.0003), and the quality of life scores of the exercise training group and the self efficacy group were significantly better than that of the control group(p=.0001). It would be expected that this self efficacy promotion and exercise training program could be applied widely as an effective nursing intervention for kidney transplant recipients.

The purpose of this study was to explore the educational needs of patients with, kidney transplants and their family members to develop a rehabilitational and educational program. Data were collected from January 29, 1999 to April 20, 1999 with interviews using a structured questionnaire. There were 184 subjects in this study. of them, 107 were patients who had kidney transplants and had visited at the out-patient department of three general hospitals located in Seoul and 77 were family members. The questionnaire used for this study was developed by the investigator through a literature review and from data collected from 11 professional personnel and three kidney transplant patients and their families. The data were analyzed using the SAS program with t-test, ANOVA, Scheff test, Pearson correlation coefficient. 1) In the patient group, total mean score for educational needs was 154.61 and the item mean score was 3.96. For the family group, total mean score for educational needs was 168.84 and the item mean score was 4.15. So in the family group, educational needs were scored higher than by the patient group. With regard to domains, both patient and family groups had as the highest educational needs, the domain of physical health and the top ten items in the educational needs were also in the domain of physical health. 2) In the patient group, women and the divorce/ bereavement group had higher educational needs in the domain of nutritional management, those who had been admitted longer than four weeks from their kidney transplant had higher educational needs in the domain of physical health and those who were less than 4 years from their transplant had higher educational needs in the domain of follow-up care. In the family group, those who were Catholics and had high school education had higher educational needs in the domain of nutritional management. 3) In the patient group, academic background was positively correlated(r=.208, p=.031) to educational needs.

The purpose of this study was to generated a grounded theory of how families with kidney donor or recipient copel with kidney transplantations. Interview data from twelve familes involved in didney transplants was analyzed using the grounded theory method. Data analysis revealed that "protecting the family" was the main theme that represented family member experiences. In order to maintain family function and to protect the family from breaking up, family members had to adjust the family structure from the traditional style of a husband-centered family, to one that was patient health-centered. the process of this adjustment was a very long and difficult one, taking several years from the recognition of the kidney disease to the kidney transplants. Family members, especially spouses, employed nine different strategies to deal with various problems and conflicts which occurred during the process : 1) paying attention to the patient's illness and complications ; 2) accepting the patients's illness as the family's illness as well ; 3) managing the patient's illness and complications that occurred ; 4) being thrifty ; 5) supporting the kidney donor ; 6) accepting and replacing the lost roles of the patient ; 7) keeping composure and encouraging the patient ; 8) sustaining the patient's independence ; 9) self-restraining sexual desires.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe the essence and the structure of lived experience of people with kidney transplantation. Initially, nine individual interviews were conducted to gather data regarding their subjective experiences. And two focus group interviews were utilized to validate or discard the themes that were emerged from the analysis using Colaizzi's method. Among 17 participants, 13 had living related kidney donations, one living unrelated, and the remaining two cadavor donations. About 130 significant statements were extracted and these were clustered into 11 themes. All participants felt anxiety and fear toward the rejection of transplantation and the complication of immunosuppressive drugs. Although they were initially satisfied with their life after kidney transplantation most of them lost a self-confidence and experienced loneliness, depression, and despair. Most of the participants also felt guilty for not being able to accomplish their appropriate roles in the family. They also had financial difficulties and social restrictions. However, they overcame these psychosocial distress by exercising, working and sharing love with others. They also could overcome it by living a religious life and by working to help others with kidney transplantations. Most of them felt gratitude toward the donor and did not have a psychological rejection toward the kidney transplanted. The results of the study might help nurses who work with people with kidney transplantations in establishing and implementing an effective nursing intervention by understanding their lived experience.