PURPOSE This study is to develop a hypothetical structural model of the quality of life of single aged women and to explain the compatibilities between the models and actual data. METHODS: Ten theoretical variables were used to evaluate of the quality of life of single aged women. 300 of single aged women were selected as the subjects. A hypothetical prediction model of quality of life was tested by the covariance structure analysis with PC-LISREL 8.12. RESULTS: Economy, religion activity, leisure activity, social support, self-esteem, depression and health prompting behavior were the significant variables which affected to the quality of life directly in the single aged women. But social support, self-esteem affected to them indirectly. Knowing perceived health status directly but it affected indirectly to the quality of life in single aged women. CONCLUSION: In this study, it was discovered that self-esteem was the most important factor to affect to the quality of life in single aged women and the next was the depression and health promoting behavior. As a result, it was discovered that age, economic status, self-esteem and depression were the significant factors to affect to the quality of life in single aged women.
PURPOSE The purposes of the study were to understand the levels of older adults' perceived stresses in terms of family relationship, physical health, financial difficulty, death of family members, and household environment, and to identify the influences of the stresses on their suicidal ideation. METHODS The subjects were 302 older adults residing in Daegu, Korea. The data were collected by questionnaires between March and April 2007. RESULTS Older adults perceived the highest level of stress from the death of family members and had high levels of stresses from physical health, family relationships, financial difficulty, and household environment in order. The variables influencing suicidal ideation were stresses from family relationships, physical health, and financial difficulty. CONCLUSION Based on the findings, it is recommended that nurses provide in-depth screening of suicide risk for older adults who visit general health care settings through the identification of the levels of stresses in terms of family relationships, physical health, and financial difficulty. It is further suggested to provide collaborative interventions between primary health care providers and psychiatric professionals for suicide prevention and treatment in older adults.
PURPOSE Regarding the respiratory function of patients with an artificial airway, this study compared the effects between normal saline with chest vibration and normal saline with expectorant mixture, administered before endotracheal suction. METHODS The study was conducted in the ICUs of one university hospital located in Incheon. The experimental group I received normal saline with chest vibration administered before endotracheal suction while the experimental group II received normal saline with expectorant mixture administered before endotracheal suction. For respiratory function, PaO2, PaCO2, and O2 saturation were measured by ABGA at 3 minutes after endotracheal suction for both pre-test and post-test. RESULTS The two groups were not different significantly regarding PaO2 level and O2 saturation after the treatments, while, the experimental group II had lower PaCO2 level than the experimental group I after the treatments (t = 2.075, p = .042). For experimental group II, post-test score of PaCO2 level was significantly lower than that of the pre-test score (t = 1.842, p = .075). CONCLUSION The administration of normal saline with expectorant mixture before endotracheal suction reduced PaCO2 level and improved the respiratory function.
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to discover the recovery process of those having had myocardial infarction. METHODS 15 participants with myocardial infarction were recruited by theoretical sampling methods. The data were retrieved through in depth interview, participant observation, and medical records of the patients. Collected data were analyzed through grounded theory approach of Strauss and Corbin(1998). RESULTS 63 concepts, 27 subcategories, and 11 categories were deduced from the open coding process. The recovery process of myocardial infarction showed to be a process of 'Controling healthy track', and chronological recovery process was a four-step process of recognizing disruption of healthy track, making efforts for controlling the disrupted healthy track, reconstructing the new healthy track, and adapting to the new healthy track phase. 'Controling healthy track' had three types of self-initiation, contention of reality, and fateful acceptance. CONCLUSION The results provided basic information for nursing intervention strategies depending on 'Controling healthy track' process by each phase and different types.
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between depression and attention concentration by smoking status among adolescents. METHODS: Depression was measured by Radloff's Center for Epidemiological studies Depression(1977) and modified by Korean(Chon & Lee, 1992), attention concentration measured by Nideffer's Test of Attention and Interpersonal Style(1976) and modified by Korean adolescents(Seo, 2004; Shin, 1988). The collected data was analyzed by the Mean +/- SD, chi-square-test, ANOVA, Scheffe and Pearson correlation coefficient(SPSS 13.0). RESULTS 1. The smoking level appeared to heavy smoking group 31(22%), light smoking group 15(11%), non smoking group 92(67%). 2. The smoking level was different between the time to begin smoking, period of smoking and smoking amount/day. 3. Smoking group's depression was higher than those of the non smoking group and attention concentration was lower than those of the non smoking group. 4. The smoking amount had a significant positive correlation with depression and a significant negative correlation with attention concentration. Depression had a significant negative correlation with attention concentration. CONCLUSION The result of this study offered the basis data for smoking prevention and treatment of adolescents.
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a 2-week somatosensory stimulation program on cognitive function and ADL of patients with brain damage. METHODS The sample consisted of two groups of patients with stroke: 10 patients with a mean age of 59.0 years who were treated with somatosensory stimulation, and 9 patients with a mean age of 51.78 years, who were not treated with somatosensory intervention. A nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design was used to assess the functional recovery after stroke. Instruments used in this study were MMSE-K for cognitive function and FIM for ADL. RESULTS The hypothesis 1 that "Patients with stroke who were treated with the somatosensory stimulation program will show higher MMSE-K score than that of the non-treatment group" was supported(Z = -2.390, p = .017). The hypothesis 2 that "Patients with stroke who were treated with the somatosensory stimulation program will show higher FIM score than that of the non-treatment group", however, was partially supported(social cognition: Z = -2.204, p = .045). CONCLUSION Somatosensory stimulation was effective to patients with stroke in improving their cognitive function. These findings suggest that somatosensory input can be adopted to nursing intervention for functional recovery after stroke.
PURPOSE This study aimed to develop the first standardized education & training program for education of senile long-term care managers to improve the quality of senile long-term care service. METHODS The study developed programs through literature review, specialists' conference and interview with the linear approach from February, 2007 to May, 2007. RESULTS Senile long-term care managers should have qualification of 51 items in knowledge, 35 items in technology and 17 items in attitude. Total 8 subjects were education & training subjects of senile long-term care managers and the study proposed targets of each subject and education & training level divided into top, middle and bottom. Total education & training hours were composed of 70 hours in theory, 50 hours in practical technique and 40 hours in social welfare practice in agencies. CONCLUSION The study will contributed development of the first education & training programs for education of senile long-term care managers. Therefore, the study proposes that the study will be applied to a systematical education & training course through program verification after applying real programs to senile long-term care managers and that it is necessary to develop the standardized education & training program for higher senile long-term care managers.
PURPOSE The study was to examine the effect of lumbar stabilization exercise on back pain, physical fitness, sleep, and depression in middle-aged women who have chronic back pain. METHODS With one group pre-post test design, 18 subjects who have had more than 6 months of back pain were recruited by convenience sampling in D metropolitan area. Lumbar stabilization exercise was based on Tai Chi for back pain program developed by Lam(2003). This program was mainly focusing on strengthening lumbar stabilizing muscle for one hour per session, twice a week for 20 weeks. Degree of back pain, back pain disability, sleep, and depression were measured at three time points(pretest, 12 weeks, and 20 weeks) by a structured study questionnaire. Physical fitness variables including waist flexibility, mobility, and back muscle strength were measured three times at health promotion center located in the university hospital. Data were analyzed by frequency, descriptive statistics, and repeated measures of ANOVA. RESULTS Mean age of subjects was 52 years(SD = 6.4). Most of them(90%) had suffered from back pain more than one year and 67% was taking medicine to relieve their back pain. Results showed that back pain score and disability score were not significantly decreased after the exercise. On physical fitness variables, however, waist flexibility(F = 3.50, p = .04) and mobility(F = 3.31, p = .04) were improved after the exercise. Quality of sleep(F = 4.48, p = .03) was improved gradually and depression scores were also decreased(F = 3.12, p = .05) after the exercise. CONCLUSION This lumbar stabilization exercise was not able to reduce chronic back pain, but could improve physical fitness and psycho-social variables for community dwelling women who have chronic back pain. Further study is needed to replicate this exercise with control group to confirm the positive effect.
PURPOSE This ethnography in communication aimed to explore the changes in consciousness on time and temporality as an elderly became older. This study focused on time as a primary message systems of Edward Hall. METHODS The assumption of the study was that the aging body as an expression of biological time is a meta of physical, personal, and social time. Data were collected from iterative fieldwork in a clan between Jan, 1990 and April, 2007. The key informants were 13 women and men aged 70 years old or more at the beginning of study. Changes in physical time and temporality as the women's body declined in its physical function was analyzed. As the cultural context, informants' every life and the history of the clan were also analyzed. RESULTS The meta-time of the informants were constituted as follows: In the low-contextual dimension, physical time perceived as longer and personal time perceived as shorter than they were young; In high-contextual dimension, informant and residents had a polychronic perspective and aged-centered time perspectives.; In the supernatural dimension of time, sacred time were reinforced by rituals. Informants extended temporality to their springs' world and ancestors' world. CONCLUSION As the informants recognized slugged body movements and time-limited present life, their views on their life world towards the future of spring and of the sacred world of ancestors. Thereby, their identity as a member of a clan was reinforced. This result informed us on what we should focus on when caring with older women.
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to compare the importance and performance of nursing interventions linked to five nursing diagnoses in CVA patients. METHODS First, total 37 nursing diagnoses were identified from the analysis of 78 nursing records of CVA patients, and then top 5 diagnoses were mapped with nursing interventions. Second, each intervention was compared in terms of importance and performance by 80 nurses working at neurosurgical units from 5 general hospitals. Data were analyzed using mean, SD, and t-test using the SPSS program. RESULTS Selected the top five nursing diagnoses were Acute Pain, Risk for Disuse Syndrome, Decreased Intracranial Adaptive Capacity, Ineffective Cerebral Tissue Perfusion and Acute Confusion. In general, most of the interventions were scored higher in importance than performance and most of independent interventions were not performed as frequently as it perceived in importance. The interventions which scored high in performance were the interventions ordered by physician or interventions related to medication behavior. CONCLUSION We identified which nursing interventions should be performed more frequently and more critically important to nursing diagnoses. We recommend further research that enhances the performance of nursing interventions to provide better quality of nursing services to the patients in practice.
PURPOSE The study was done to analyze the effects of aroma inhalation method on preoperative anxiety of abdominal surgical patients. METHODS The research design was a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design. The data were collected from July 25 to October 21, 2005 at C Medical Center in Seoul. The patients were divided into two group of 24 subjects each. In order for measuring the all patient's anxiety before operation and aroma inhalation, Spidlberger(1975) trait anxiety, VAS(visual analogue scale) state anxiety, blood pressure, pulse rate were taken. After experimental group was taken aroma inhalation, VAS state anxiety, blood pressure, pulse rate were measured for two group. RESULTS After aroma inhalation, VAS state anxiety level, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate of the experimental group were decreased significantly than those of control group(p = .000, p = .000, p = .030. p = .000). CONCLUSION The aroma inhalation method can be considered an effective nursing intervention that relieves the preoperative anxiety of abdominal surgical patients and stabilizes vital signs.
PURPOSE This study was intended to determine how the choice of music affects the physiological and psychological status of women college student during music therapy. METHODS: A nonequivalent experimental group pretest-posttest design was used. 19 out of 54 subjects were assigned to listen to their favorite music and 17 to their unfavorite music for 20 minutes using MP3 players and headphones. Anxiety, blood pressure, pulse and blood glucose levels of the subjects were measured before treatment. The data was analyzed by Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon signed rank test using the SPSS/WIN 10.0 program. RESULTS The result showed that systolic blood pressure, blood glucose and anxiety level decreased significantly in the favorite music group. however systolic blood pressure, pulse rate and anxiety level increased significantly in the unfavorite music group. The favorite music group showed a significantly higher level of satisfaction than the unfavorite music group. CONCLUSION Choice of music affects the physiological and psychological status of an individual. Favorite music listening would enhance the effect of music therapy. Therefore, selection of music must be considered in light of the subject's preference and characteristics.
PURPOSE This study was conducted to examine the factors related to quality of life in elderly. METHODS: This was a descriptive correlation study. The subjects were 356 elderly over 65 years old. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression with a SAS statistics. RESULTS: The predictors of quality of life in elderly were depression, life satisfaction, self esteem, economic state, family support, perceived health state, and age. These factors explained 71.9% of the total variance. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest the need to develop nursing strategy to improve quality of life in elderly. To improve the quality of life in elderly, the above major influencing factors should be considered.
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to identify relatively important predictors of quality of life (QOL) of HSCT recipients among client's characteristics(age, gender, family income, religiosity), HSCT-related characteristics(time since HSCT, type of HSCT, decision maker of HSCT) and social support. METHODS: Eighty two participants who had a HSCT were recruited for the study. Data were analyzed by descriptive analysis, pearson's correlation, ANOVA and stepwise multiple regression using SPSS for Window(version 12.0) program to answer the research questions. RESULTS: Family income, time since HSCT and religiosity explained 23.8% of the variance in the QOL of HSCT recipients. HSCT recipients who had higher family income, longer time past since HSCT, and more religious tend to have higher quality of life. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study, we could know that the HSCT recipients need certain amount of time to recover their QOL after HSCT. Opportunities of reemployment and religious support should be considered when we develop intervention program for HSCT recipients.
PURPOSE This study was conducted to develop a timeout protocol as the process of patients verification in the operating room, and to evaluate its effects. METHODS: The timeout protocol was developed based on the experience of practices and the universal protocol of JCAHO 2004. The subjects of this study were 192 surgical members working in the operating room at an university hospital in Daegu, Korea. RESULTS: The timeout protocol was developed in six steps; participants verification, encouragement of compliance, verification of right 3 PSP, agreement of surgical team members, verification of the parties to a patient, patient agreement. The data which have been resulted from the experimental group show significantly higher than those of control group as follows; cognition(t = -6.580, p = .000), contents of performance; progress of anesthesiologist as leader(chi-square = 29.029, p = .000), verification of right patient, right site and right procedure(chi-square = 40.663, p = .000), participation of surgical team(chi-square = 68.412, p = .000), and the number of cases of performance(chi-square = 242.900, p = .000). CONCLUSION: It suggests that medical accidents caused by failures in a preoperative verification process can be prevented if a timeout is conducted active involvement and effective communication among surgical team members for a final verification of the correct patient, procedure, and site.