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 purpose of the study was to describe andropause-related difficulties experienced by men. Methods: Two focus group interviews were conducted to collect the data from 10 Participants with andropause-related difficulties experienced. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: We organized the responses concerning andropause symptoms into five essential categories: 1) uncontrollable physical changes, 2) intellectual decline, 3) changes in sexual function, 4) difficulties in controlling emotions, and 5) separation from society. The attempts to alleviate andropause were classified into seven distinct categories: 1) dietary modifications, 2) engaging in physical activities, 3) pursuing leisure and hobbies, 4) enhancing self-esteem and self-perception, 5) seeking support and comprehension from one's social circle, 6) utilizing informational resources concerning andropause, and 7) embracing and accepting andropause reality. Conclusion: We analyzed the issues arising from andropause and the corresponding efforts to address them. A comprehensive understanding of andropause's causes, mechanisms, effective nursing interventions, and essential development of management programs, including education, is imperative.

PURPOSE
This study attempts to explore the experiences of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donation (HSCD) among donors and experts of HSCD-related institutions in South Korea.
METHODS
In July 2017, 7 donors and 8 experts with experience of HSCD-related work were interviewed. The transcribed data were qualitatively analyzed to identify major themes and sub-themes representing the experiences of the donors and experts.
RESULTS
The analysis indicated that donors' HSCD-related experiences were structured into 5 themes (“Lack of understanding of HSCD”, “Difficulty in decision-making regarding HSCD”, “Major hassles involving HSCD”, “Meaningful experiences and hopefulness” and “More effort by government and institutions for future donors”). The experts' experiences were structured into 4 themes (“Improving the donation procedure through government support”, “Improving the donation procedure through campaign reinforcement”, “Donors' characteristics”, and “Meaning of my job”).
CONCLUSION
HSCD-related institutions must manage donors more carefully. This would involve keeping them aware of what they are likely to experience throughout the donation procedure, follow-up monitoring, and continuous support. Efforts should be taken to inform nurses involved in HSCD of research on donors' experiences, and they must be systematically trained to ease donors' difficulties.

Citations

• Physical and Psychological Discomfort Experienced by Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Donors
  Miok Kim, Tai-Gyu Kim, Su-Hee Beom
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2020; 17(7): 2316.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
This study explored the care experience of persons assisting the disabled people with their activities.
METHODS
Concurrent triangulation mixed methods design was used. The quantitative data on care experience were collected from 370 personal assistants for the disabled persons from May 10 to June 30, 2017, while qualitative data were collected through focus group interviews with 11 personal assistants in August 2017.
RESULTS
The participants experienced unfair treatment including requests for doing work for the client's family or unrelated work (35.2%), violence or assault (23.6%), sexual harassment or interest (7.1%), and infection risk (7.1%). Many of them suffered from health problems such as work-related muscular pain, headache, or fatigue. There was low satisfaction with the psychosocial work environment and 16.2% participants experienced depression. The participants' care experience was classified into four categories of “feeling like giving up because of emotional difficulty”, “work overload and tough working condition”, “expectation to improve work confidence through practical skill training”, and “hope for systematic support”.
CONCLUSION
The results suggest that need-based emotional competence building programs are required to prevent their physical and emotional exhaustion among the personal assistants along with strengthening their job capacity. Furthermore, the decision makers need to pay attention to their work environment to ensure their emotional competence.

PURPOSE
Although many studies have reported the high-stress levels of clinical nurses, there are few studies regarding the stress of clinical nurses who are concurrently working and studying as graduate students. This study investigated the stress, self-efficacy, and context of stress experienced by clinical nurses in graduate school.
METHODS
Explanatory sequential strategy of mixed method was used. Stress and self-efficacy were quantitatively analyzed by general and academic characteristics of 61 nurses. The effect of self-efficacy on stress and the conditional effect of the years employed were investigated through conditional process analysis. Stress and related contextual aspects were explored through focus group interviews, differentiated by the number of years employed, with 22 nurses in June of 2018.
RESULTS
The average score of self-efficacy was 3.42±0.53, and stress was 2.88±0.60, out of 5 points. There were no differences in self-efficacy and stress according to demographics and academic characteristics. The moderation effect of the number of years employed on stress was present for those nurses with under 8.88 years of experience. Nurses who had under 9 years of work experience endured a busy schedule full of study and work. On the other hand, participants with more than 9 years of work experience reported having household chores or childcare, so their academic career was less of a priority, and they faced incrementally increasing physical illness or strain in their family life.
CONCLUSION
Since graduate school provides clinical nurses with the opportunity to further advance within the nursing field, a supportive environment is imperative.

Citations

• Experiences of Career Nurses Balancing Clinical Nursing with Ongoing Studies
  Yunhyung Kim, Yeonsook Joo, Eun Hee Kang, Jeong Hye Kim
  Journal of Korean Association for Qualitative Research.2024; 9(3): 215.     CrossRef
• Experience of Work-Study Balance among Clinical Nurses in a Nursing Doctoral Program: A Qualitative Study
  Suyeon Noh, Yeongbin Yu, Sunyeob Choi
  Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing.2023; 30(2): 193.     CrossRef
• Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Mobile App-Based Stress-Management Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial
  Won Ju Hwang, Hyun Hee Jo
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2019; 16(21): 4270.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
Nurses' infection prevention and control responsibilities have been emphasized owing to the increasing infection rate in long-term care facilities in South Korea. The aim of this study was to explore nurses' perspectives on challenging situations and the areas of improvement related to their role in infection management.
METHODS
An exploratory descriptive qualitative study was conducted with a purposive sample of 15 nursing staff from five long-term care facilities. A focus group interview with semi-structured questions was conducted between January and May 2017. The study participants' discussions were analyzed using conventional content analysis with line-by-line coding.
RESULTS
The participants discussed the breadth of challenges interfering with their ability to provide optimal infection care, from practical human resource management issues to organizational and environmental barriers, and laid a foundation based on which lacking areas can be improved. The analysis produced key themes centered on healthcare personnel-related professionalism, professional role boundaries, daily workflow and management, interdisciplinary collaboration, standards and protocols, and technological infrastructure.
CONCLUSION
Although participants expressed negative feelings toward the constraints in long-term care facilities, they demonstrated the willingness to create a positive change and offered suggestions for improvement and support to improve resident safety and care management. Therefore, special attention should be paid to nurses' perspectives on their work and roles regarding infection control practices and supporting them with available sources.

Citations

• The Multiple Determinants of Infection Prevention and Control Practices in Nursing Homes: A Scoping Review
  Kanako Fujimoto, Momoe Utsumi, Toshiyuki Swa, Aoi Furuya, Ayumi Ikuji, Ayami Nakanishi, Nahoko Harada
  Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.2025; 26(6): 105593.     CrossRef
• Development of an infection control competency scale for clinical nurses: an instrument design study
  Yong Hwan Hyeon, Kyoung Ja Moon
  BMC Nursing.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Beyond the control of the care home: A meta‐ethnography of qualitative studies of Infection Prevention and Control in residential and nursing homes for older people
  Gavin Daker‐White, Maria Panagioti, Sally Giles, Thomas Blakeman, Victoria Moore, Alex Hall, Paul P. Jones, Oliver Wright, Bethany Shears, Natasha Tyler, Stephen Campbell
  Health Expectations.2022; 25(5): 2095.     CrossRef
• Nurses’ Outlook on Healthcare-associated Infection Surveillance: Findings from Focus Group Discussions
  Soumya Christabel, Christopher Sudhaker , Muralidhar Varma
  Africa Journal of Nursing and Midwifery.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Nurses’ perceptions of the potential evolution of their role in antibiotic stewardship in nursing homes: a French qualitative study
  Céline Bridey, Gaëlle Le Dref, Aurélie Bocquier, Stéphanie Bonnay, Céline Pulcini, Nathalie Thilly
  JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
• The factors contributing to missed care and non-compliance in infection prevention and control practices of nurses: A scoping review
  Lauren McCauley, Marcia Kirwan, Anne Matthews
  International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances.2021; 3: 100039.     CrossRef
• Omissions of Care in Nursing Home Settings: A Narrative Review
  Aaron M. Ogletree, Rikki Mangrum, Yael Harris, David R. Gifford, Rouguia Barry, Linda Bergofsky, Deborah Perfetto
  Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.2020; 21(5): 604.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to explore Inattentional Blindness (IB) as experienced by hospital nurses.
METHODS
Data were collected from August 3 to October 30, 2017 through focus group interviews with 24 nurses working in a university hospital in Seoul, Korea. Four focus group interviews were conducted and all interviews were recorded. Data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis.
RESULTS
Three categories and seven subcategories were identified from 96 units of analysis, as follows: 1) occurrence of IB (preoccupation with specific factors, pressure from external factors, unexpected event); 2) triggers of IB (distraction, low expectation of error); and 3) influences due to exposure to IB (continuous self-surveillance, perceived need for thinking expansion).
CONCLUSION
The findings of this study show that nurses experienced IB directly and indirectly while performing their duties. IB occurred especially in common nursing situations, such as health assessment and medication administration. The results also suggest that it is necessary to develop strategies to prevent IB in the clinical setting, which can be useful not only to ensure patient safety but also to help patients regain their health.

Citations

• Effects of patient deterioration simulation using inattentional blindness for final year nursing students: A randomized controlled trial
  Jaewon Park, Kyoung-Ja Kim
  Nurse Education Today.2021; 106: 105080.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to explore the communication experience of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in the workplace.
METHODS
The present study utilized a qualitative approach using focus group interview method. A total of three focus groups of 15 ICU nurses from two university hospitals were formed. The conversations during the focus group interviews were recorded and analyzed through Colaizzi's phenomenological method.
RESULTS
As a result of analyzing participants' conversation, Five theme clusters were elicited, namely, "one-way communication", "differences in the position of senior and junior nurses", "communication crisis", "beginning of understanding", and "movement toward change" out of 15 themes and 138 significant sentences.
CONCLUSION
ICU nurses report having experienced communication crisis because of the one-way communication of the ICU nursing environment and the hierarchical differences in junior and senior nurses' position. Systematic education and continuous training on communication skills need to be provided to improve interpersonal relationship among nurses and work environment in the ICUs.

Citations

• A Comparison of the Importance, Satisfaction, and Barrier Levels of Communication Performance between Family Members and Staff Nurses in Intensive Care Units
  Haetsal Hong, Myoungock Jang
  Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing.2025; 18(1): 55.     CrossRef
• Experience of Clinical Adaptation among Nurses in Intensive Care Unit
  Jin Young Hong, Sue Kyung Sohn
  Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing.2024; 17(1): 1.     CrossRef
• A Survey on Situation-related Communication Educational Needs for Novice Intensive Care Unit Nurses
  Wonjung Hwang, Jeongmin Ha, Dahye Park
  Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing.2024; 17(1): 17.     CrossRef
• Effects of Personality Traits and Mentalization on Workplace Bullying Experiences among Intensive Care Unit Nurses
  Sun Joo Jang, Eunhye Kim, Haeyoung Lee, Amanda Jane Henderson
  Journal of Nursing Management.2023; 2023: 1.     CrossRef
• Nurses’ experiences of caring for severe COVID-19 patients
  Myoung Mi Kang, Ye Na Park, Seong Young Park, Ju Hyun Kim
  Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing.2022; 15(2): 14.     CrossRef
• Person-Centered Care Practice, Patient Safety Competence, and Patient Safety Nursing Activities of Nurses Working in Geriatric Hospitals
  Ayoung Huh, Juh Hyun Shin
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2021; 18(10): 5169.     CrossRef
• ICU nurses’ experiences of feeling hurt by medical personnel
  Jung-Hoon Lee, Yeoungsuk Song
  The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education.2021; 27(4): 347.     CrossRef
• A Study the Relationships among Verbal Violence Experience, Job Stress, and Resilience and the Communication Ability of Operating Room Nurses
  Hyejung Jung, Yoonshin Lee, Sung Hee Shin
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration.2020; 26(2): 120.     CrossRef
• The Relationship between the Work Environment and Person-centered Critical Care Nursing for Intensive Care Nurses
  Jiyeon Kang, Yun Mi Lim
  Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing.2019; 12(2): 73.     CrossRef
• Experience of Communication for Patient Safety by Perioperative Nurses
  Shinae Ahn, Nam-Ju Lee
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration.2019; 25(4): 329.     CrossRef
• Emergency department nurses’ experience of performing CPR in South Korea
  Mi-ran Lee, Chiyoung Cha
  International Emergency Nursing.2018; 38: 29.     CrossRef
• Reliability and Validity of the Assessment Tool for Measuring Communication Skills in Nursing Simulation Education
  Hee Mo Yang, Seon Young Hwang
  Korean Journal of Adult Nursing.2016; 28(1): 95.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of the study was to describe psychosocial difficulties experienced by cancer patients.
METHODS
Three focus group interviews were conducted to collect the data from 19 outpatients with cancer undergoing treatments during 2009. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis of grounded theory.
RESULTS
As a result of constant comparative analysis, 'psychosocial distress' was identified as a core category, and seven subcategories were identified. 'Plunged into negative emotions' and 'damaged self-identity' were identified as major categories in the individual dimension. 'Difficulty in dealing with diagnosis' and 'hasty expectations and concerns' were identified in the dimension of family. 'Inefficient communication' and 'lack of necessary information' were identified in the dimension of health care setting. 'Lonely journey into a strange territory' was identified in the dimension of society.
CONCLUSION
The results of the study indicate that cancer patients experience a wide range of psychosocial problems. Thus, in assessing and relieving psychosocial distress of cancer patients, it is necessary to focus not only on the level of the individual but also on the levels of family, health care setting, and society in general is necessary.