The purposes of this research were to identify nursing interventions performed by Korean nurses and to compare the interventions performed by nurses working in the oriental medicine hospitals and with those performed by nurses working in the general hospitals. The samples consisted of 144 Korean nurses working in three hospitals, 70 nurses working in the oriental medicine hospitals and 74 nurses working in the general hospitals. The Nursing Interventions Classification(NIC) Use Questionnaire developed by the Iowa Intervention Project team was translated to Korean and verified using the method of back-translation. The questionnaire consists of 433 intervention labels and definition. Thirteen interventions were used at least daily by nurses working in the oriental medicine hospitals, while twenty-one interventions were used at least daily by nurses working in the general hospitals. the most frequently used interventions by nurses working in the oriental medicine hospitals were Documentation, shift Report vital signs Monitoring, Pressure Ulcer Prevention, Positioning, Fall Prevention, Exercise Promotion, Intravenous(IV) Therapy, Pressure Ulcer care, and Bed Rest Care in that crder. For nurses working in the general hospitals the most frequent intervention was Analgesic Administration, followed by the interventions of Medication Administration : Parenteral and Intravenous Therapy(IV) Therapy, Documentation, Intravenous(IV) Insertion, shift Report, Fall Prevention, vital Signs Monitoring, Medication Adnninistraction : and , fluid Monitoring, and Medication Management in that order. The interventions performed least often by nurses working in the oriental medicine hospitals were Hemodialysis Therapy and Bleeding Reduction : Antepartum Uterus, while the interventions performed least often by nurses working in the general hospital were Rape Trauma Treatment and Contact Lens Care. The nurses working in the oriental medicine hospitals performed the interventions in the Physiological : Complex domain significantly more often than the nurses working in the general hospitals, while the nurses working in the general hospitals performed the intervention in the Behavior domain significantly more often than the nurses working in the oriental medicine hospitals. This study suggests that further study will be needed to developed and validate more interventions sensitive to Korean culture.
This paper analyzed the historical origins of the Qi concept and assesses its possible contributions to the development of complementary therapy and new nursing practices.
In order to clarify the Qi concept and measure its theoretical/clinical potentials, this study analyzed both historical data and experimental research that adopt and apply the concept. These include modern/contemporary research measuring its effects in promoting mental and physical health. Using the method of cross-cultural comparison, this study analyzed diverse approaches to the Qi concept and sought to find common features among the approaches.
A historical, cross-cultural analysis revealed several fundamental similarities between Qi theories that have developed in the east and the holistic concepts that have evolved in the western traditions. Especially, the analysis of the more recent research on the Qi concept shows ample possibilities of its future contributions to the development of new diagnostic applications and the promotion of overall human health.
The historical study of the Qi concept found some key common factors in the diverse philosophical traditions in the east and the west. Considering the growing popularity of complementary therapy among health professionals and the general public, the Qi concept and its clinical applications are expected to promote human health. In this context, this research contributes to developing new nursing practices based on the concept by clarifying its philosophical origins and theoretical backgrounds.