Purpose This study aimed to explore the roles, facilitators, barriers, and future directions of rapid response teams (RRTs) in Korean hospitals from the perspectives of both RRT and ward nurses.
Methods Focus group interviews were conducted with 10 RRT nurses and 10 ward nurses across three hospitals that employed RRTs in Korea from August 2021 to February 2022. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis to identify themes relevant to RRT operations.
Results The analysis yielded 10 subtopics and 4 main themes: the exploration of RRT's essential roles, the facilitators and barriers impacting RRT operations, and the construction of a blueprint for future systems. Notable barriers included unclear job assignments without legal safeguards, conflict arising from hierarchical structures, and insufficient organizational support. The following facilitators were identified: transformed perceptions through collaborative efforts, organizational recognition and support, and self-reinforcement by demonstrating expertise.
Conclusion This study highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing RRTs in Korean hospitals, including the need for clear role definitions, effective interprofessional collaboration, and organizational support. Based on these findings, future efforts should focus on establishing legal frameworks that define the scope of practice for RRT nurses.
Purpose The aim of this study was to identify the effects of stigma, social support, and resilience on post-traumatic growth in patients with stroke and to provide foundational data for developing nursing interventions that can effectively promote post-traumatic growth in this population.
Methods This cross-sectional study employed a questionnaire-based survey. The participants were 150 patients who attended the neurology outpatient clinic three months after a stroke diagnosis. Data were collected between February and April 2024 using a structured self-report questionnaire. Analyses included descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, inferential statistics(independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Scheffé's test), and hierarchical multiple regression using SPSS/WIN 27.0.
Results The mean post-traumatic growth score was 2.52±1.05 out of 5. Significant factors affecting post-traumatic growth were age, education, religion, the presence of a housemate, income, time since stroke onset, stroke type, and stroke recurrence. Post-traumatic growth was positively correlated with social support (r=.44, p<.001) and resilience (r=.53, p<.001), but not significantly correlated with stigma. Regression analysis identified resilience (β=.37, p<.001), religion (β=.29, p<.001), and stroke type (β=.23, p=.033) as significant predictors, explaining 44.2% of the variance in post-traumatic growth (F=9.45, p<.001).
Conclusion Developing and implementing nursing interventions to increase resilience may be crucial for promoting post-traumatic growth in patients with stroke. Further research is needed to design and evaluate these interventions.
Purpose This study aimed to assess the level of depression among older adults experiencing tinnitus and to identify predictive factors of depression through an analysis of secondary data.
Methods Data from the ninth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2022 were utilized for this analysis. We examined individuals aged 60 years or older who had experienced tinnitus for more than 6 months. Complex sample analysis techniques were conducted, and multiple regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of depression.
Results The study included 231 participants. Significant differences in depression levels were observed across several demographics and health factors, including gender, education level, self-rated health status, living alone, and stress level. Depression levels were significantly correlated with self-rated health status, stress levels, and average sleep duration. Additionally, significant correlations were found between self-rated health and stress levels, self-rated health and the number of chronic diseases, as well as between stress levels and the number of chronic diseases. Multiple regression analysis indicated that self-rated health status (p<.001), stress level (p<.001), and average sleep duration (p=.042) were significantly associated with depression. Specifically, poorer self-rated health, higher stress levels, and shorter sleep duration were associated with higher levels of depression.
Conclusion In older patients with tinnitus, self-rated health status, stress level, and average sleep duration significantly impact depression levels. These findings provide an important foundation for developing interventions to reduce depression in individuals with tinnitus.
Purpose This study aimed to determine the rates of intensive care unit readmission and to identify the factors influencing readmission among intensive care unit patients aged≥65 years with internal medicine conditions.
Methods We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records from a tertiary care hospital in Seoul, analyzing the characteristics of patients who were and were not readmitted between December 2020 and September 2022.
Results A total of 351 patients were included. The unplanned intensive care unit readmission rate was 4.8% within 7 days and 9.1% beyond 7 days after discharge. Comorbid diabetes, higher total bilirubin levels at intensive care unit admission, lower PaO2/FiO2 ratios at discharge, and elevated Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) levels at discharge were associated with an increased risk of readmission within 7 days. In contrast, hypertension, prolonged intensive care unit stays, and lower hemoglobin levels at discharge were associated with readmissions occurring after 7 days.
Conclusion Intensive care unit readmission among older patients is influenced by several clinical and hematological factors. Nurses should consider a patient's history of diabetes and hypertension, length of intensive care unit stay, and laboratory values-specifically total bilirubin at admission, and PaO2/FiO2 ratio, hemoglobin, and BUN levels at discharge-when making discharge decisions. These findings can inform the development of discharge guidelines.
Purpose The incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) rises significantly in the post-middle-age population, and stress along with depressive symptoms hinders effective DM management. This study examined the mediating effect of social capital (trust in the physical environment, reciprocity, social participation, and social networks) on the relationship between perceived stress and depression among middle-aged adults with DM in Korea. It also aimed to provide data for developing targeted interventions to enhance blood glucose management in this population.
Methods A descriptive correlational study using data from the 2019 Community Health Survey by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) was conducted. Complex sample regression analysis and the Sobel test were employed for mediation analysis. The study included 9,394 middle-aged adults (aged 45-64 years) diagnosed with DM. The analysis assessed the effects of perceived stress on social capital and depression, as well as the mediating role of social capital.
Results Perceived stress negatively impacted social capital (β=-0.16, p<.001) and positively influenced depression (β=0.37, p<.001). Both perceived stress and social capital significantly affected depression (F=998.83, p<.001), with social capital showing a partial mediating effect (z=2.65, p<.001).
Conclusion Social capital partially mediated the relationship between stress and depression, suggesting its potential as a strategy for reducing stress and lowering depression among middle-aged adults with DM. These findings lay the groundwork for targeted interventions to improve blood glucose management in this population. Future research should explore the relationships among specific components of social capital, stress, and depression.
Purpose This study aimed to examine the relationship among professor-student interactions, grit, and adaptation to college life.
Methods In this quantitative, cross-sectional study, participants completed a structured questionnaire comprising 48 items: 8 on general characteristics, 8 on professor-student interactions, 12 on grit, and 20 on adaptation to college life. Data were collected from 165 nursing students at two four-year universities between April 15 and May 20, 2023.
Results Professor-student interactions had a mean score of 3.76±0.59 out of 5, grit had a mean score of 3.09±0.53, and adaptation to college life had a mean score of 3.48±0.51. Regression analysis identified significant predictors of adaptation to college life, including professor-student interactions (β=.26, p<.001), grit-perseverance of effort (β=.18, p=.047), and satisfaction with the major, with the "very satisfied" (β=.40, p<.001) and "satisfied" (β=.24, p=.002) categories showing significant impacts. The overall regression model was statistically significant (F=20.76, p<.001) and accounted for 32.5% of the variance in adaptation to college life.
Conclusion Educational programs designed to strengthen professor-student interactions, enhance grit, and improve satisfaction with one's major should be developed to help nursing students adapt to college life. These findings have important implications for nursing education practices, the improvement of student support systems, and the preparation of students for their professional roles.