The purpose of this study was to present an effective nursing intervention for helping the patients of mental illness by determining the effect of nursing-logotherapy on purpose in life and finding meaning, and hope of the patients of mental illness by developing and applicating program of nursing-logotherapy. The data was collected from March to September in 1995, and its subjects were the patients of mental illness who was appropriate to the standard of this study among the patients of mental illness who hospitalized into Neuro-Psychiatric ward of M. and B. hospital located in Pusan area. They were all 60 subjects, thirty of them for an experimental group and the rest for a control group. The research design was an equivalent control group pre-test and post-test design as an quasiexpe-rimental research and the conceptual framework was an interpersonal model. The data analysis was computerized by using SP-SS/PC+ and hypothesis testing was done with 2-way ANCOVA and simple correlation. Results were summarized as follows : 1. There were significant changes of purpose in life and finding meaning in an experimental group before and after treatment and a control group before and after. 2. There were significant changes of hope in an experimental group before and after treatment and a control group before and after. 3. The positive correlation between purpose in life and finding meaning and hope of the patients of mental illness were observed. Consequently, nursing-logotherapy could significantly increase the purpose in life and finding meaning, and of hope, so it could be said an effective nursing intervention for helping the healing of the patients of mental illness.

Cardiac catheterization is a diagnostic procedure which is intrusive and anxiety provoking. Patient education and information offer have been suggested as effective nursing interventions to reduce patients' anxiety and stress. Main objectives of this study are : 1) to develop concrete objectives information for patients undergoing cardiac catheterization ; 2) to analyze the types of information included in the newly developed concrete objective information. The subjects of this study are 11 patients who were admitted to the CCU of a general hospital in Seoul. The subjects were provided with preparatory information about cardiac catheterization by using interview and a booklet. After the procedure, the subjects were asked to describe additional information which they suggest to be added into the booklet and the physical sensations felt during the procedure. The results of the study are summarized as follows : Most subjects were satisfied with the preparatory information that was provided by interview and the booklet before the procedure. But patients suggested several problems related to the content of the booklet. First, they reported difficulty to differentiate the terms-coronary angio gram and cardiac catheterization. Also, some patients expressed that they feared after reading the information about the incision of inguinal area. Subjects responded that the information about the direct process of the test did not reduce their anxiety and the information was not detail enough. Next, most subjects would want to know about the monitor and the sound from monitor. They said that they could not hear instructions from doctor of nurse during the procedure due to tension. Considering above response results, the need for more effective way to provide information, like visual and auditory information through video tape for giving information is suggested. Sensations related to the procedure were the smell coming from sterilization of inguinal area, stinging pain in groin when the doctor inserts a needle into artery, and the sensation of pressure and moving of vessels surrounding neck when the catheter was inserted and visualized on fluoroscopy. Besides, subject reported hot sensation and burning feeling in face and chest area, and nausea when dye is injected by hand. In the analysis of information content, there was 79% agreement on the actual units of analysis that were coded. In the analysis of type of information, procedural information was 60.4%. Concrete objective information was 28.1%, and other information was 11.5%. Agreement of the coders in categorizing the units of information was determined by using Cohen's kappa which corrects for chance agreement. Cohen's kappa was .84.

The purpose of the study is to explore and describe the lived experience of family members with gastric cancer patients using the grounded theory methodology. The participants were ten spouses of gastric cancer patients who had some kind of treatment at the hospital. They were asked open-ended and descriptive questions in order for them to talk about their experiences in their owl terms. As the interview progressed the questions became more specific to discuss themes and working hypotheses that emerged from the analysis of previous interviews. All interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed for the analysis. Constant the core category that was emerged from the comparative analysis is "magmaggam" which can be described as a psychological distress due to a high level of uncertainty regarding the health of the patient and the future of the caregivers. Psychological distress includes several emotional feelings such as frustration, anxiety, fear, guilty, and self depreciation. Subcategories or strategies related to the core category are 1) managing illness, 2) using folk medicine, 3) giving the patient a reason to live, 4) being patient, 5) losing reality, 6) anticipatory experience on the patient's death and parting, and 7) changing interpersonal relationships. The results of this study would help clinical nurses to develop nursing intervention to help spouses of gastric cancer patients establish efficient coping strategies in dealing with the problems they face.

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of structured patient education on knowledge and behavior about selfcare in hemodialysis patients, and to find the strategy to promote their selfcare behavior. In conclusion, structured patient education in hemodialysis patients was improved the level of knowledge and behavior about selfcare. But there was a little relationship between the knowledge and behavior about selfcare. That is ; structured patient education is the effective nursing intervention to improve their selfcare knowledge and behavior, but further research is needed to find the factor to increase selfcare behavior in hemodialysis patients.

This study is a phenomenological study done to promote understanding of the dying process in patients with terminal cancer who were in an independent hospice center. The purpose of study was to explore and understand indepth information on the dying process in order to provide data for holistic hospice care in nursing and to give insights in to practical applications in the nursing care. In ?depth interviewing was done from may, through November, 1995 with 11 patient with cancer who were being cared for at K Hospice Care Center. Experiences in the dying process were discussed as they expressed feelings about death including (a) feeling of isolation because family members try to hide the diagnosis of cancer, (b) hopelessness, (c) guilt, anger, and hostility, (d) suffering from pain, (e) fear of death. However, subjects did not deny death itself and were developing peace of mind and acceptance of death through religion.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to discuss and address the state of the knowledge development and the nature of knowledge regarding fatigue. METHOD: This study analyzed the 63 fatigue related articles published from 1990 to 2001. The analysis schema was 'Alternative linkages among philosophy, theory, and method for nursing science' (Kim, 1993). RESULT: The 63 articles had been studied only within 5 types among all 96 types of linkages. Most of the articles (59 among 63 articles) had been studied within scientific realism and deductive logic. Fifty-three articles among 59 articles were the type of explanatory and predictive theory, grasping reality by the etic method on the controlled setting. CONCLUSION: This study suggests more development of knowledge regarding fatigue with various logics, especially with discovery logic such as inductive and retroductive or methods in multiple designs on various subjects under various philosophy needed for nursing practice.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the change patterns of fatigue and quality of life during consecutive chemotherapies and to determine the relationship of these two variables. METHOD: Stomach cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were recruited from a university hospital in Seoul. Each chemotherapy, subjects were asked to respond to the questionnaires regarding their fatigue and quality of life. The number of subjects who completed 4 cycles and over was 11. Fatigue was measured with Lee's tool(1999). Quality of life was measured with a tool revised by the author based on Padilla et al(1983). RESULT: Most patients were in 1st stage(5 patients) or 3rd stage(5 patients). Fatigue was revealed at its highest level in the 3rd or 4th chemotherapy and at its lowest level in the 1st or 6th chemotherapy. A quality of life appeared at its highest level in the 5th or 6th chemotherapy and the lowest level in 3rd or 4th chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Among 6 cycles of chemotherapy, in 3-4th chemotherapy the fatigue was the highest and the quality of life were the lowest. Many patients decided to stop treatment at the same period. Therefore we can recognize cancer patients receiving chemo- therapy are in the highest risk at the time of the 3-4 th chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the differences in terms of services and cost between CVA without typical diseases (Group I), and CVA with typical diseases (Group II), in their Hospital-based home health care. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 308 CVA patients who used home care nursing during the second phase demonstration project of their hospital-based home health care. Results: The results of the study was as follows 1. Group II had more home visit (15.3/12.7) (p>0.05), and cases of death when home care (16.8/11.4) (p<0.05). 2. Group II needed more services than Group I such as bladder irrigation, skin care, bed sore care, glycerin enema, finger enema, lung care, urine sugar test, monitoring and surveillance of fluid infusion and R.O.M exercise (p<0.05). 3. The variables that showed statistical significance in the regression analysis were family style, OPD visit, level of consciousness, patient's state on termination of home care, and some extend of home health care services (R2=0.373, 0.205). CONCLUSION: Home nursing care needs to be planned by severity in Hospital-based home health care for CVA patients.

The purpose of this study is to analyze ER patient's Triage and other statistical data. The subjects were 12,618 patients who visited the ER during the year 1998. The study showed the following results; 1. The male vs female ratio was 1.3 : 1.0, the male were in the majority (56.6%), and the age range of 20-29 old was the majority (15.3). The patients who visited ER at 8-10 pm were the majority (11.5%). On Sunday the number of patients who visited the ER were 2,189, and the majority were 17.4%. On Saturday the number of patients was visited the ER were 1,944 patients the second majority (15.4%). Their traffic means : the general passenger cars (75.5%), 119 or hospital ambulance (11.3%). 2. The reasons of visiting ER were : diseases (59.2%), injuries (23.7%). The disease vs injury ratio was 100 : 69. 3. Triage : urgent 40.7%, non-urgent 38.2%, acute 17.8%, and critical 3.2%. 4. The time of waiting and staying in the ER by the Triaget: the average time was 572 minutes (9.53 hrs.). The majority of critical patients (20.5%), acute patients (24.7%) and urgent patients (21.2%) stayed 12-24 hrs., but the majority of non-emergent (27.8%) stayed not longer than one hour. 5. Treatments by the Triage : the 42.9% of critical patients, and 61.3% of acute patients, 57.5% of urgent patients were admitted. But 91.8% of the non-emergents were discharged and 4.7% was admitted. Mortality of total ER visiter were 1.7%. DAA portion was 0.86%. 26.6% of the critical patients were DAA. DAA vs DOA ratio was 1.3 : 1.0. 6. Visiting time, monthly and seasonal distribution by the Triage : the majority of critical patients (12.2%), visited 10-12 am. The majority of acute (12.9%) and urgent (11.7%) visited 4-6 pm, but the majority of non-emergents (15.1%) visited during 8-10 pm. Autumn visiter were the majority (27.6%). The percentage of non-emergent visited in Spring was 41.4% and Autumn was 41.3%. The percentage of urgents who visited in the Summer was 45.3% and the Winter was 40.4%. By clinical departments: the 48.0% of critical patients was NS. The 45.5% of acute and the 33.6% of urgent patients were IM. But the majority of non-emergent patients was PS (21.2%), and the second majority of non-emergent patients was oral Surgery (12.8%).

The purpose of this study is to develop self-efficacy promotion program and to test its effects on self-efficacy, self-care, physiologic index of hemodialysis patients after applying this program to them. Preliminary study was carried out to identify the levels and types of self-care, self-efficacy of hemodialysis patients. To develop self-efficacy promoting program, several discussions with nursing professors and nurse specialists on hemodialysis patients were made after in-depth literature review on the area. Through these processes, the self-efficacy promoting program including 20 minutes long videotape and other counciling documents were completed. This videotape consisted of specific self-care techniques for hemodialysis patients including management of fistula, measurement of blood presure and body weight, special diets, medications, exercise and rest, management of physical problems and social adjustment. Two group equivalent pre and post test quasai-experimental research design was used in this study. The total subjects were 34 hemodialysis patients who received hemodialysis three time per week at 1 university hospital. Seventeen experimental group subjects were matched with control group subjects in sex and age. Data were analysed with the SPSS window program. Homogeniety between experimental and control group pretest data was tested by 2 and t-test. There were no significanct differences in general characteristics, illness history, specific self-efficacy and self-care between the two groups. The differences of general self-efficacy of two groups were tested with the Repeated Measure ANCOVA because of significant differences of pretest data of general self efficacy between two groups. The differences of self-efficacy and self-care of two groups were tested with Repeated Measure ANOVA and the differences of physiologic indecies including blood potassium level and blood phosphorus level and interdialytic weight gain were tested by t-test. The results were as follows: 1. There was no significant difference in general self-efficacy between the two groups over four different time, and no interaction by groups and by time. 2. There was significant difference in specific self-efficacy between the two groups over four different time, and interaction by groups and by time. 3. There was significant difference in self-care between the two groups over four different time, and interaction by groups and by time. 4. There were no significant differences of blood potassium level and blood phosphorus level, but there was significant difference of interdialytic weight gain between the two groups. From the results above, it can be concluded that the self-efficacy promotion program for hemodialysis patients was effective to improve degree of specific self-efficacy and self-care and to decrease interdialytic weight gain. Considering results, the followings are recommended: 1) Repeated studies are needed for another hemodialysis patients. 2) This program can be used for improving degree of self-efficacy and self-care of hemodialysis patients by nurse practitioner and nurse educator.

This study is based on grounded theory methodology by Strauss & Corbin(1998). Ten hospitalized subjects were interviewed for data collection. In the process of data analysis, 'acceptance' is found to be the causal condition, while 'health professionals' skillfulness', 'ward environment', 'history of hospitalization', and 'general conditions' were identified as context, 'felling of relief' as the core phenomenon, 'self-efficacy', 'support of others', and 'life style' as the intermediate situation, 'passive reaction', 'alternative reaction' and 'active reaction' as the strategy and 'stabilization', 'satisfaction', 'hope' and 'carrying out' as consequences. 'Feeling of relief' is found to go through the three stages of recognition-generation-maintenance after the five different patterns. 1) In case the health professionals are skillful, the ward environment is favorable, the general conditions of the patients improved and as a result the feeling of relief is strong, during the first hospitalization, the self-efficacy of the subjects tends to be strong. They proceed toward the goal set for themselves with a renewed hope and active or alternative reaction toward the feeling of relief. 2) The subjects tend to proceed toward the goal set for themselves with a renewed hope and active and alternative reaction toward the feeling of relief in case health professionals are skillful, the ward environment is favorable the general conditions of the subjects improved, self-efficacy is strong, and lifestyle is autonomous, during the second hospitalization even though support of others is merely superficial. 3) The subjects tend to stabilize, and satisfy themselves with the given situation with passive and alternative reaction to the feeling of relief in case health professionals are skillful and the ward environment is favorable but the general conditions worsened and accordingly the feeling of relief, is weak and life style is dependent during the second hospitalization although the subjects' self-efficacy is strong and support of others is specific. 4) The subjects tend to stabilize and satisfy themselves with the given situation with passive and alternative reaction to the feeling of relief in case health professionals are unskillful the ward environment is unfavorable, the general conditions improved, support of others is specific but life style is dependent and self-efficacy is weak during the first hospitalization. 5) The subjects tend to stabilize and satisfy themselves with the given situation in case health professionals are unskillful the ward environment is unfavorable but the general conditions improved support of others is specific and as a result self-efficacy is strong but life style is dependent.

Many patients of acute myocardial infarction showed delay time before seeking treatment although they needed immediate thrombolytic therapy once they perceived their symptoms. The objectives of this study were to identify the relationship between clinical symptoms and the delay, and to find the time spent before seeking the treatment. This study was a retrospective research. The delay time for the treatment consisted of the length of delay from symptom onset to patients' decision (T1), from patients' decision making to finding transportation (T2), and from taking transportation to the first hospital arrival(T3). The subjects were 89 patients who were admitted in the ICU and Cardiac Ward at Chonnam University Hospital with the first attack of acute myocardial infarction. The data was collected for three months from March 1st to May 31st of 1998 through questionnaires and reviewing patients' charts: The chart information was suppled by two nurses working at the ICU and Cardiac Ward. The data was analyzed by using frequency, mean and ANOVA through the SAS program. The results of study summarized as follows: 1. Sixty two patients (69.7%) were male and twenty seven patients (30.3%) were female, the ratio of male to female was 2.3 : 1. 2. In daily life, the 70.8% of the patients felt chest pain and discomfort fatigue in 67.4%, dyspnea in 57.3%, and pain in arm, neck, and jaw in 52.8%. During the attack, 97.8% of the patients felt chest pain and discomfort dyspnea in 82.1%, pain in arm, neck, jaw in 67.4% and perspiration in 51.7%. 3. The length of time a patient spent seeking time for treatment (T1+T2+T3) was 94.6 minutes, in which the time for patients' decision making for treatment (T1) was 70.3 minutes, time for finding transportation (T2) was 8.2 minutes, and time for the transportation of the patient to the first hospital (T3) was 16.1 minutes. Time for patients' decision making to go to a hospital(T1) was 74.2% of the total time sought for treatment.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between the knowledge and educational needs related to recurrent in coronary artery bypass graft patients as a basis to provide an individual nursing education for the population. The subjects consisted of 110 patients who had coronary artery bypass graft(CABG) at Asan Medical Center in Seoul and Sechong hospital in Buchon. Data was obtained from a knowledge questionnaire and a learning needs questionnaire between November 1998 and February 1999. Data were analyzed using SAS program for Wilcoxon rank sum test and Spearman correlation coefficient. The results were as follows : 1. With regard to the 18 items to measure knowledge, the mean (median) of items 'don't know' was 4.9(4) items. The mean (median) of items answered wrong was 3.2(3) items. The number of items answered 'don't know' tend to show higher in those who had less education, blue color jobs and myocardiac infarction history than in their counter parts. 2. With regard to the level of knowledge by questionnaire about CABG, The most "I dont know" (59.1%) highly response was 'He has to be treated with anticoagulant drug to prevent revasculized vessel from obstructing.' The seond highest response (56.4%) was 'If you were hypotensive, the coronary attack would collapse. 'During the hospitalized day, the patient has complete bedrest.' The highest error probability was cholesterol has not to intake.', 'After surgery, the sexual life is need controlled for 1 year. 3. The mean of educational needs was 3.38. With regard to the level of learning needs by sentence about CABG, 'Food that benefit heart disease', 'Recurrence possibility of heart disease', 'Management
method
of operation site', 'Risk symptom that visit hospital or report immediately' were higher than other sentenses. With regard to the level of learning needs by factor 'food(5 items)', 'disease(9 items)' and 'exercise(3 items)' showed the highest than other factors. The educational needs by patients characteristics tend to show higher in males, under the age of 49, middle or high school degree, previous experience of admission with coronary artery disease, history of myocardial infarction, expierience of PTCA, history of cerebro-vascular accident, previous expierience of smoking than in their counter parts. 4. The number of items answered 'don't know', wrong and correct weren't correlated with the level educational needs. As the results, the number of items answered 'don't know' tend to show higher in those who had less educated, blue color jobs and myocardiac infarction history than in their counter parts. There were higher frequency of items answered 'don't know' in those who had no hypertension . There were higher frequency of items answered 'don't know' on anti-thrombolitic theraphy, hypotension and pain relief. Also there were higher frequency of items answered wrong on bed rest period, cholesterol intake, and sexual life. Educational needs were higher in young age group, had previous experience of procesure and history of other disease. And when we educate CABG patients, education for diet, recurrence possibility of disease, management methods of operation site and risk symptom should be emphasized. There were higher frequency of items answered 'don't know' in those who had no hypertension.

The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of the 8-week, 15-session group art therapy program on self-esteem and mental health status in chronic schizophrenic inpatients. The sample consisted of two groups of chronic schizophrenic inpatients: 10 patients with an average of total disease duration of 8.90 years who participated in a 8-week group art therapy program, and 8 comparison subjects with an average of total disease duration of 8.25 years who did not participate in the program. A pretest-posttest quasiexperimental design was used to assess self-esteem and mental health status at the beginning and at the end of the 8-week, 15-session group art therapy program. The time points for obtaining data were matched for both groups. The effectiveness of the 8-week group art therapy program was assessed by Rosenberg's Self-esteem Scale(Rosenberg, 1965) and SCL-90- R(Derogatis et al., 1973). SPSSWIN 8.0 was utilized for data entry and analysis employing Mann-Whitney U test. The findings of the study indicated the followings: (a) No significant differences were found between two groups in self-esteem and (b) The experimental group showed significantly lower scores in obsessive-compulsive symptom dimension and interpersonal sensitivity symptom dimension on the SCL-90-R than the comparison group after participating in the group art therapy program. In conclusion, the findings showed the possibility of applying group art therapy as an effective nursing intervention for patients with lack of verbal communication skills and social interaction to improve their interpersonal relationship.

Cancer has been considered a life-threatening disease and coping patterns could have a string impact the physical and psychological health of patients and their family. The purpose of this study was to identify the change of coping patterns according to the phases of illness in the patients with cancer and their family caregivers and to compare the coping patterns of patients with those of their caregivers. The phases of illness consisted of 1st(initial) stage, 2nd(metastatic or recurred) stage and 3rd(terminal) stage based on literature. The coping methods were measured using the modified Ways of Coping Questionnaire by Lazarus and Folkman(1984). Seventy-nine patients(35 in stage 1,31 in stage 2, and 13 in stage 3) and ninety-two caregivers(38 in stage 1,30 in stage 2 and 24) agreed to participate from two general hospitals in Seoul and Choongnam. No significant changes were found in the coping patterns according to the phases of illness in both groups. Patients in stage 2 and caregivers in stages 2 and 3 problem-focused coping methods were significantly used more than emotion-focused coping methods. Patients in stage 1 significantly used two coping strategies that were cognitive reconstruction and emotion expression more than caregivers. Patents in stage 2 significantly used emotion-focused coping methods including minimizing threat, blame, and emotion expression excepting wishful thinking more than caregivers. We need more research to identify the relationship between the coping methods and their efficiencies through long-term observation and attempt to develop the nursing interventions that could have an improvement on positive coping methods and provide guidance on the problems the patients experience.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the spiritual well-being of hemodialysis patients and the correlation between spiritual well-being and demographic characteristics and disease related characteristics. The subjects for this study were 98 patients who were diagnosed as having chronic renal failure and were being treated at the hemodialysis units of three hospitals located in Seoul, Pusan and Taegu, Korea. Data were collected from October 27, 1997 to November 15, 1997 by an investigator interviewing with a structured questionnaire. Palautizion and Ellison(1982)'s spiritual well-being scale was used after some modification. The results of this study are as follows; To analyze the differences between demographic characteristics, spiritual well-being, and disease characteristics and the spiritual well-being, T-test and ANOVA were used. 1. There were statistically significant differences in spiritual well-being for the demographic characteristics of age(p=0.0145) religious affiliation(p=0.0001) and level of education(p=0.04). 2. There were statistically significant differences in spiritual well-being for the disease characteristics perceived health status(p=0.0014) and vigor(p=0.01). 3. The mean score for spiritual well-being in hemodialysis patients was 57.10of a possible range 22-88. Among the components of spiritual well-being, the mean score for religious well-being was 27.01 of a possible range 11-44, and for existential well-being 30.09 of a possible range of 11-44. 4. Correlation between general characteristics and spiritual well-being showed that there were significantly positive correlations for level f education(p=0.0036), perceived health status(p=0.0001), vigor(p=0.0036), perceived health status(p=0.0001), vigor(p=0.0036) and religion (p=0.0004).

This study amis for examines the actual physical symptom and stress in caregivers of patients with cerebrovascular disease. The data were collected by a survey conducted from August to September, 1997 which included 65 caregivers of cerebrovascular disease patient in 4 hospitals located in Seoul. The caregiver's stress was measured by Choi(1992)'s instrument and the actual physical symptoms were investigated. The data were analyzed using ANOV, Scheffe test, pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression. The results were as follows : 1. The mean number of caregiver's physical symptom was 3.5. There were significantly higher number of physical symptom in women, those of who have a religious affiliation, those of two perceive their own health status perceived s bad, and those of two perceived their patients disease condition as serious than in their counterparts. Also, the number of caregiver's physical symptom was significantly higher in caregivers whose patients have a paralysis symptom and the disease onset as spontaneous. 2. The average of caregiver's stress was 57.9. The caregiver's stress was the highest in between the ages of 50 and 59. There were also significantly higher level of stress in women, those of two perceived the disease condition of their patient as serious than in counterparts. 3. The most common caregiver's physical symptom was fatigue(87.7%). This was followed by insomnia(58.5%) and muscle (47.4%). 4. Caregiver's physical symptom was positively correlated with caregiver's stress and negatively correlated with patient's activity of daily life. 5. The most important variable affecting the caregiver's physical symptom was patient's activity of daily life which accounted for 12.7% of the total variance in stepwise multiple regression analysis. The most important variable affecting the caregiver's stress was the patient disease condition perceived by the caregiver that accounted for 12.1% of the total variance.

This work was done for 9 patients having experience of a herb medical treatment after being diagnosed as CVA during a year from January, 1996 to December, 1996 by using an ethnographic research method. The summarized result of this research are following. I. The Experience of The Illness. First, the falling-ill phase is the time that they have the first stork of paralysis and the decision pattern of medical institution' comes out. The emotional experience in the period is something like 'frustration', 'anxiety', 'despair', and 'expectation'. Second, the active-treatment phase is the time that the patients as well as their family or care giver not only show the positive attitude and actively participate in the illness treatment but also show a lot of interest in medical institutions and activities of health recovery. There is a primary factor of the continuation of treatment as an experience of treatment and being crushed and sensitivity as an experience of the illness. Third, the rehabilitation phase is the time that the patients or their family become tired and insensitive to the treatment and recuperation, and then reduce the treatment activity. There is a primary in fluence factor of the discontinuance of treatment as an experience of treatment and physical experience and emotional experience as an experience as an experience of the illness. The physical experience is divided into 'personal-hygiene care', and 'the sphere of activity'. The emotional experiences are 'blaming someone', 'contempt' and 'despair' as a negative experience and 'hope' as a positive experience. II. Coping Strategy. There are a physical coping, an emotional and mental coping, a coping, a social coping, and a spiritual coping as a coping strategy used for the patients to overcome their illness and adjust themselves to their altered life. First, the physical coping comes out as 8 categories, 'using and auxiliary tool', 'doing exercise', 'protecting', 'improving their diet', 'taking care of something', 'using subsidiary medicines', 'trying a folk remedy', and 'having interest in their health'. Second, for the emotional and mental coping, there are 'accepting' and 'trying' as a positive coping and a failure of control as a negative coping. Third, the social coping is appeared as 'being supported'. Fourth, the spiritual coping is recognized as 'recourse to God' and 'preparation of death'. After all, the elderly CVA patients in a agricultural area choose the act of treatment based on the traditional belief and the relationship with a caretaker. A personal health can be maintained by taking care of themselves and controling their mind, and the overcome of the illness is decided on the basis of traditional concepts and cultural principles in which the patients as well as the family, neighbors and take care should work out together and cooperate with each other in order to achieve that.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the essence of the experiences of patients in an ICU, and to understand them from the patients' point of view. METHODS: Participants in this study were six patients in P hospital. Data collection consisted of in-depth interviews and an observation method done from January to April in 2005. The method was analysis using the phenomenological method proposed by Colaizzi(1978). RESULTS: The themes were classified into eight theme clusters. The eight theme clusters were finally grouped into four categories, 'shock', 'pain', 'gratefulness' and 'pleasure of revival'. CONCLUSION: The ICU patients had negative experiences in physical.mental critical situations, but also positive experiences in consolation and nurses and families' encouragement. Therefore, ICU nurses must support patients and their families to minimize the negative experiences and maximize the positive experiences.