PURPOSE
This study was to explore work experience among nurses with low back pain. Specific aims were to identify problems nurses face as workers at a hospital and how they interact with other workers.
METHODS
Grounded theory methodology was utilized. Data were collected from iterative fieldwork with individual in-depth interviews from 9 nurses with low back pain as key informants, and a head nurse and a charge nurse who had experiences working with nurses with low back pain as general informants.
RESULTS
Through constant comparative analysis, a core category emerged as "to make one's own ground". The process of "to make one's own ground" was identified as four categories: perception of limitations, intervening conditions, balancing limitations, and controlling limitations. Intervening conditions were identified as 'working conditions' and 'personal traits'.
CONCLUSION
Findings of the study indicate that there is a need for health professionals and administrators to understand limitations to working experience among nurses with low back pain. In addition, institutional and psychological support program is needed to improve an adaptation to working environment among nurses with low back pain.

PURPOSE
The study was designed to identify influencing and mediating factors of health behaviors of stroke patients based on the hypothetical model constructed in this study.
METHODS
Non-experimental correlational research design was used. One hundred and five stroke patients were conveniently selected from one university hospital located in Incheon. Data were collected with survey and analyzed by path analysis to examine the significant influencing and mediating factors of health behaviors in stroke patients.
RESULTS
Age, diagnosis, disability in ADL, knowledge related to health behavior, and self-efficacy had significant direct causal influences on health behavior. And it was shown that knowledge and self-efficacy mediated influence of cohabitation status with family (whether or not living together with family) on health behavior. Self-efficacy also mediated influence of knowledge on health behavior.
CONCLUSION
From the results, it was proposed that providing knowledge related to health behavior and enhancing self-efficacy by educating skill necessary for health behaviors and promoting health related beliefs might increase health behavior particularly for stroke patients living together with family.

PURPOSE
This study was conducted to compare the nurse licensure examination system in Korea with that of the United States (US).
METHODS
Focus interviews with the administrative staff of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) were held. two areas were explored in the interviews: the item development process and the general administrative operating procedures.
RESULTS
NCLEX-RN items are designed for entry-level practice. The items are subjected to a series of 12 steps including a item writing panel, a content and editorial review, a sensitivity panel, a pre-test, a Differential item functioning panel and a committee review. NCSBN is responsible for the test for registered nurses and one for practical nurses. In contrast the Korean National Health Personnel Licensing Board (KNHPLB) is responsible for nursing is and 21 other health related licensure. Another difference is that in Korea there is no consistent and specialized staff to develop question items. Items are developed by educators who are not active nurses (this last statemtne is not a finding but a point of view usually not given in findings.).
CONCLUSION
Korean nurses form the largest group of health related job categories and the most direct to health care consumers. Therefore, the nursing licensure exam should be acknowledged as the most influential licensure exam in health care services. We recommend a nursing specialized licensing institution to be established with active nurse'participation in item development process to reflect clinical practice into licensure exam.

PURPOSE
The objective of this study was to identify the moderating and mediating effects of transformational-leadership in the relationship between medication error management climate and error reporting intention.
METHODS
Participants in this study were 118 nurses from 11 hospitals in Korea. The scales of medication error management climate, transformational-leadership and error reporting intention of nurses were used in this study. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, partial Pearson correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression were used for data analysis.
RESULTS
Higher transformational leadership group members had higher error management climate (t=3.88~4.64, p<.001) and higher intention to error reporting (t=2.49, p=.014). There were significant positive correlations between subcategories of medication error management climate and transformational leadership (r=.37~.51, p<.001). But error reporting intention was related to the transformational leadership (r=.28 p=.002), two subcategories such as 'learn from error' (r=.26, p=.004) and 'medication error competence' (r=.25, p=.008) of medication error management climate. Transformational-leadership was a moderator and a mediator between medication error management climate and error reporting intention.
CONCLUSION
Based on the results of this study, transformational-leadership promotion training program to construct medication error management climate and to improve error reporting intention should be needed.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aroma foot reflexology massage on mood states specifically depression and brain waves of elderly women with osteoarthritis.
METHODS
The study was a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design. The participants were 62 elderly women with osteoarthritis. The instruments were the Korean-Profile of Mood States-Brief for mood states and 8-channel EEG (Electroencephalogram) system for brain waves. Data were collected from March to May, 2012. Twenty-six participants were assigned to the treatment group and twenty-six to the comparison group. The data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 17.0 version program, and included descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANCOVA. The intervention was conducted three times a week for two weeks.
RESULTS
There were significantly improvement in reported depression. s. Brain waves (EEG) increased significantly in F3, T3 of alpha wave and in F4, T3, and P4 of beta wave between the two groups.
CONCLUSION
Aroma foot reflexology massage can be utilized as an effective intervention to decrease depression of mood states, increase of alpha, and beta brain wave on woman elderly with osteoarthritis.

PURPOSE
This study was undertaken to identify which delirium screening instrument would be more useful in clinical practice.
METHODS
Data were collected from 118 nurses from six hospitals in five provinces in Korea. For the delirium screening three instruments were compared: NEECHAM Confusion Scale (NEECHAM), Nursing Delirium Screening Scale (Nu-DESC), Delirium Observation Scale (DOS). The MMSE-K was used for concurrent validity. The nurse subjects were surveyed as to the practical clinical value of each instrument. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and Kuder-Richardson 20 were used to confirm the reliability.
RESULTS
The range of three scales reliability was .70~.82 and the range of correlation coefficient was .63~.82 with MMSE-K. For sensitivity of NEECHAM, Nu-DESC and DOS was 1.00, 1.00 and 0.81 respectively and specificity NEECHAM, Nu-DESC and DOS was 0.88, 0.89 and 0.89 respectively. Nurses rated the practical use of the DOS scale as significantly easier to use than the NEECHAM and Nu-DESC.
CONCLUSION
NEECHAM, Nu-DESC and DOS scales were acceptable in terms of reliability, validity, sensitivity and specificity. However, nurses rated the DOS scale as easier scale to use and had more relevance to their practice.

Citations

• Evaluation of Clinical Usefulness of Delirium Assessment Tools for Elderly Patients after Neurosurgery
  Su-Jung Kim, Jun-Ah Song
  Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing.2015; 17(1): 38.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to develop sleeve-type restraints and to compare the sleeve-type and conventional wrist restraints.
METHODS
Forty four pairs of intensive care unit (ICU) patients and their families participated in the experiment. The nurses applied sleeve-type restraints to the patients in the experimental group, and wrist restraints to the control group. The trained research assistant measured ROMs, skin temperature, edema, and skin lesions of both upper extremities (UEs) before, 24, 48, and 72 hours after the restraints applied. The emotional response of family was measured 72 hours after the restraints applied. Thirty one ICU nurses evaluated the efficiency of both types of restraints.
RESULTS
Compared to the control group, changes of ROMs, edema, and skin abrasions on both U/Es of the experimental group indicated a significant difference in physical side effects. The emotional response scores of the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group. The mean efficiency scores for the sleeve-type restraints were significantly higher than those for the wrist restraints.
CONCLUSION
The results indicate that the sleeve-type restraints are better than wrist restraints with respect to physical side effects, emotional responses of family members, and application efficiency.

Citations

• Factors Influencing Nursing Practice for Physical Restraints among Nurses in the Intensive Care Unit
  Da Eun Kim, Hye Sook Min
  Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing.2022; 15(3): 62.     CrossRef
• Perceptions and Intention of Nurses in Using Physical Restraints for Dementia Patients in Geriatric Hospitals
  Hyunju Lee, Kye Ha Kim
  Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing.2016; 18(3): 159.     CrossRef
• Development and Application of Glove Type Restraints for Elderly Patients in Nursing Care Facilities: A Pilot Study
  Kisook Kim, Nanju Park
  Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing.2016; 18(3): 107.     CrossRef
• Families' Perception and Attitude toward Applied Physical Restraints in General Neurological Wards
  So-Yeon Ha, Yi-Kyung Ha, Myung-Hee Kim
  Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society.2015; 16(5): 3293.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
This prospective study was designed to investigate the prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI), voided volume, post void residual volume (PVRV), daytime frequency and nocturia in women over 40 years.
METHODS
The sample comprised of 302 women over 40 years.The study lasted from February 2008 to November 2009. Data about daytime frequency and nocturia were gathered from 48 hour bladder diary. Further, a PVRV was assessed through a bladder ultrasonography. Data were analyzed using the t-test, Mann Whitney test, Kruskal Wallis test and multiple regression.
RESULTS
Although the prevalence of UI among the women was as high as 70.5%, the perception rate of UI was as low as 10.8%.Single voided volume of women without or with UI was 223 mL or 198 mL (p<.001), respectively; PVRV, 25.8 mL or 23.6 mL (p=.055); daytime frequency, 5.89 or 6.96 (p<.001); nocturia, 0.99 or 1.23 (p=.040). Age (beta=0.19, p=.001), single voided volume (beta=-0.16, p=.006), and nocturia (beta=0.12, p=.034) were associated with UI.
CONCLUSION
The prevalence of UI was found to be 70.5% among the participants. The assessment of single urinary volume and nocturia through a bladder diary lends support to identifying UI for women over 40 years.

PURPOSE
Liver transplantation (LT) is the best treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease and most patients with LT return to their normal life. However, pregnancy and childbirth for women with LT are less common, mainly because it is considered to be dangerous for their health. The purpose of this study was to describe how Korean women after LT experience their pregnancy and childbirth.
METHODS
This study was designed to explore the experiences of pregnancy and childbirth of women with LT. Data were collected by individual in-depth interviews with four women who were pregnant and gave birth following LT in 2009. All interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. The transcribed data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
RESULTS
Four themes emerged as a result of analysis: recovery of lost feminity and marriage; fulfilling roles through pregnancy; life-risking pregnancy; and perfect family achieved by childbirth. These themes describe in detail about challenges and concerns the women with LT faced for their pregnancy and childbirth as well as many emotionally touching experiences.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study would support health professionals to be better prepared to help women with LT for pregnancy and childbirth by providing in-depth and insightful information.

Citations

• Lived Experiences of Korean Young Adults After Heart Transplantation: A Phenomenological Approach
  Hye Jin Yoo, Eunyoung E. Suh
  Asian Nursing Research.2021; 15(2): 89.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The plan proposed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2012 did not reflect the position of nurses and focused only on how to increase the number of nurses. There is a need for coming up with a specific and viable alternative plan considering the qualitative aspect of nursing, delegation of nursing tasks, the in-death analysis of the reasons for leaving the nursing profession, and the legal standards based on varying nursing tasks.
METHODS
Drawing on a review of existing literature, this report was written to examine policy directions and the factors that influence the institutional environment that regulates the supply and demand of the nursing workforce in Korea.
RESULTS
Implementing the government's plan for introducing a new type of nurse, the registered practical nurse, which generally requires a two-year associate's degree, must be reconsidered. Also, a concrete plan to make use of unemployed nurses and to close the salary gap between nurses working at hospitals in cities and those working at hospitals in rural areas must be prepared. Furthermore, there is a need for introducing a new rating system aimed at boosting the quality of nursing care in small-and medium-sized hospitals, thereby increasing the number of nursing professionals who provide high quality care.
CONCLUSION
In preparation for expected poor quality of care and looming unemployment crisis due to the increase in the number of nursing professionals, a practical and concrete plan for the supply and demand of the nursing workforce should be made. The Korean Nurses Association should mount a profession-wide campaign to make the government formulate a new and viable policy on the supply and demand of the nursing workforce.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a walking program for office workers in terms of social cognitive theory, walking activities and physiological indexes.
METHODS
A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The sample consisted of 50 office workers who were identified as having low levels of physical activity according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ Research Committee, 2005). The participants were recruited from two companies in Seoul. Of the 50 participants, 26 were assigned to the non-equivalent experimental group and 24 to the control group. The walking program consisted of six didactic sessions via e-mail, two individual telecoaching sessions and three support group meetings over ten weeks. Data were analyzed using SPSS 17.0 program.
RESULTS
The non-equivalent experimental group reported significantly higher posttest scores in walking activities and adhering to the walking protocol than the control group. There were no differences in reported self-efficacy, outcome expectations, body mass index and blood pressure between the two groups.
CONCLUSION
These findings indicate that a walking program based on social cognitive theory is effective in increasing physical activities for office workers.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of burden, family resilience and adaptation of caregivers of elderly patients with dementia, and further to identify factors influencing their adaptation.
METHODS
A cross-sectional descriptive study was designed. Data were collected from questionnaires distributed to 131 family caregivers of elderly patients who visited at the Centers for Dementia in Seoul during 2012~2013. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation analysis, and stepwise multiple regression.
RESULTS
The average age of the care giving subjects was 63.58, and 31.3% were male, and 41.2% were the spouses. Statistically significant relationships were found between burden and adaptation (r=-.38, p<.001), and between family resilience and adaptation (r=.52, p<.001), and between burden and family resilience (r=-.35, p=.001). Thirty percent of adaptation was explained by burden and family resilience. The most influencing factor to adaptation was family resilience which explained about 27% of the variance.
CONCLUSION
The results of the study clearly indicate that family resilience explains better than burden on adaptation of family caregivers. Thus, to develop more effective nursing intervention for family caregivers of elderly patients with dementia, it would be necessary to integrate family resilience in the programs. 27% is not that much and I wonder if we have to do more work to identify the factors that influence care giving.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a peer cervical cancer prevention education program on Korean female college students' knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and intention.
METHODS
A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a non-equivalent control group was used. The participants were 58 female college students in a metropolitan city in Korea. The sample consisted of an intervention group (n=28) that participated in a peer education program and a control group (n=30). Data were measured using self-administered questionnaires at two time points: prior to the intervention and after the intervention.
RESULTS
Compared to the control group, the experimental group reported significantly positive changes for knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and intent to practice cervical cancer prevention behaviors.
CONCLUSION
The findings of this study indicated that a peer education program developed for Korean female college students was a useful and effective intervention strategy to promote cervical cancer prevention behaviors in Korean sociocultural contexts.