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
This study was conducted to explore nursing education modality for facilitating undergraduate students' critical thinking within the Korean nursing education context.
METHODS
Data were collected from four group interviews from two focus groups, which were composed of six nursing professors in each group. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
RESULTS
Five themes with 13 sub-themes involving 10 categories were delineated. The five themes were managing shared resources, a supportive system in preparing qualified faculty, reflective thinking (self-directed learning), theory courses for understanding nursing resources, and clinical practicum for exercising critical thinking.
CONCLUSION
A nursing educational model for facilitating critical thinking within Korean context was suggested. This could be used as an accelerator in developing nursing undergraduate course programs for critical thinking in Korea.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors related to Breast cancer Screening using Mammography and CBE of Korean women over 40 years of age.
METHODS
The participants for this study were 183 Korean women living in 3 urban cities and aged from 40 to 75. The data were collected using structured questionnaires which included sociodemographic factors (11 items), frequency and regularity of mammography and clinical breast examination (7 items), knowledge (16 items), health belief model scale (28 items), and family support (4 items) about breast cancer and breast cancer screening. Frequencies, Chronbach's alpha for reliability, Chi-square, t-test and logistic regression with the SPSS/WIN 12 program were used to analyze the data.
RESULTS
The percentages of Korean women who had a mammography and CBE for breast cancer screening were 60.1 and 31.1, respectively. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that regular check ups and perceived barriers were significant predictors of mammography and CBE use for breast cancer screening.
CONCLUSION
In order to increase the frequency of breast cancer screening practices, educational support and a health care delivery system is needed to improve the chance of regular health check ups.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the seniorobic program on physical function and fall in elderly.
METHODS
The experimental group and control group was composed of 22 subjects each. The subjects in the experimental group had participated in the seniorobic program for 12 weeks which consisted of exercise and education. Muscle strength, flexibility, balance and the frequency of fall for each subject were measured before, and at the 6th and 12th weeks of the seniorobic program. Data were analyzed using SPSS /WIN 12.0 program.
RESULTS
The experimental group had significantly increased their flexibility at the 6th and 12th weeks of the seniorobic program, their the lower limb muscle strength and balance at the 12th week of the seniorobic program. There was no significant difference in the frequency of fall between the experimental group and the control group during the period of seniorobic program.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that the seniorobic program can increase lower limb muscle strength, flexibility and improve the balance of the elderly

PURPOSE
This study was to develop and evaluate the clinical utility of the breast and ovarian cancer genetic counselling program specific for 20 Korean women(KBOCGP).
METHODS
The KBOCGP was developed using three types of approaches: an ethnography among Korean women who underwent BRCA1/2 test, designing and implementing one week clinical genetic educational course for clinical cancer nurses, educational observation visits to three American cancer genetic counselling programs. And then pre-experimental design was implicated to evaluate the change of the women's knowledge about the hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and the level of the satisfaction with genetic counselling.
RESULTS
The mean score of the knowledge has significantly increased from 7.45 +/- 3.86 to 11.55 +/- 2.21(t = 5.63, p < .001). The level of the satisfaction with the counselling was very high (27.47 +/- 1.35). Because most of the subjects have young kids, they showed strong concerns about their kids' getting cancer.
CONCLUSION
This new KBOCGP is the satisfactory program for the education and communication of the genetic information to the Korean women with HBOC. But it is needed more to strengthen the cultural sensitivity especially to Korean family relationships. Authors recommend that this program be provided by other nurses who are counselling women at high risk of breast cancer.

PURPOSE
This study was conducted to examine the knowledge level and assessment experience of nurses in regards to delirium, and to utilize the study results as baseline data for planning delirium education programs for nurses.
METHODS
Subjects were 465 nurses who were working in a general hospital. A 'delirium related knowledge and assessment experience' questionnaire was used to collect data.
RESULTS
Knowledge levels regarding delirium averaged 70 out of 100, and at each domain, they scored 87 for etiology of delirium, 62 for symptoms, and 69 for nursing management. The knowledge level of delirium was significantly different according to educational level (F=3.851, p=.022), past education related to geriatrics(t=2.471, p=.014), and awareness of need for in-service education on geriatric nursing(F=2.663, p=.032). About 85% of nurses had past experience of dealing with delirious patients and only 7.7% of nurses used delirious state assessment tools.
CONCLUSION
According to the above results, it is necessary, not only to provide delirium related educational programs for nurses, but also to emphasize the usefulness of applying the assessment tool.

PURPOSE
High risk women with congenital heart disease decide to get pregnancy is determined by not individual autonomous intention but complex interaction with their physical status and socio-psychological environments. This study tried to the answer to the question. : "What is experience high risk women who have congenital heart disease during transition to parenthood?". METHOD: A micro-ethnographic research method and oral historic research approach were done at the Grown-Up Congenital Heart Disease Clinic in one Korean metropolitan city from July 2002 to September 2003. RESULT: It was discovered that high risk women's experience of transitional parenthood is accounted as the process of lonely and fearful self-accomplishment. Their need for self- accomplishment creates them seek more opportunities to increase enduring abilities for their parenthood. CONCLUSION: We suggest that from the time of beginning of patient's making decisions about becoming pregnant, collaborative efforts must be considered that priority level of patient's needs be reviewed and find appropriate advices for their situation. Special counseling program should be provided to all the prospective parents with understanding their meaning of parenthood.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to explain the effects of upper extremity exercise program on hemiplegic stroke patients. METHOD: The research was designed by a non-equivalent pretest-posttest way. The data were collected from February to August 2003 at a community health center located in Seoul. The study subjects were a conveniently selected group of 27 hemiplegic patients. The subjects were divided into two groups, the experimental group and the control group. 14 subjects were assigned to the experimental group in which the subjects did the upper extremity exercise training for 2 hours once a week during four weeks, while 13 subjects were assigned to the control group. The outcomes were evaluated on the basis of the upper extremity motor ability(hand power, pinch power, upper extremity ROMs), amount of motor use and the degree of depression. RESULT: 1. After treatment, the motor abilities of the affected upper extremity(hand power, pinch power, ROMs of wrist flexion/extension, shoulder extension) were significantly different between the two groups. However, there were no significant differences in elbow and shoulder flexion between experimental and control group. 2. After treatment, amount of motor use of affected upper extremity were significantly different between the two groups. 3. After treatment, the degree of depression were significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In considering these results, the upper extremity exercise program could be effective for hemiplegic patients by improving the function of their upper extremity. Long-term studies are needed to determine the effects of upper extremity exercise program.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was To exam the skin and pressure sore and To evaluate the predictive validity for the new pressure sores risk assessment scale. METHOD: There was finally 211 neurosurgery subject admitted in Chung-Ang Univ. Hospital from Nov, 11, 2002 to Feb, 11, 2003. Data was collected three times per week from 48-72hr after admission until incidence of pressure sores or discharge or die. Inclusion criteria were; (1) no pressure sores at admittance, (2) at least 3 times assessment, (3) adults older than 16yrs, (4) patients consent to participate in study. RESULT: 1. 34 case of 211 developed pressure sores(11.6%). 2. The coccyx area was the most common occurrence site of pressure sores. 3. At the cutoff point 23 of sensitivity 100%, specificity 76.3% was higher in 2003 than specificity 63.8% at the cutoff point 26 of sencitivity 100% in 1991. 4. "Moisture" of subscale for pressure sores risk factor was the strongest predictor. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the New Pressure Sores Risk Assessment Scale still predict the risk of developing pressure sores in neurosurgical subject.

The purpose of study was to examine the effect of supportive touch on the surgical patients with anxiety in the operation room. The method of this study has been carried out under the similar experiment of Nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design by conveniently selecting 25 experimental group and 25 control group totalling 50 patients in immediatery prior to surgery in the operation room. The data were collected from June. 22, 1998 through Aug. 28, 1998 at C-University hospital in Seoul. The subjects were 50 adult patients who were operated under general anesthesia and had undergone laparotomy. They did not have any complication, were alert enough to be interviewed and agreed willingly to participate in this study. The tool for measurement was the testing protocol for Trait-State anxiety developed by spilberger and the visual analogue scale developed by cline etc. and blood pressure, pulse rate and respiration rate and blood sugar level. SPSS program was used for the analysis. The hemogenety of the control and experimertal group was examined by x2-test and t-test. The results of this study are as follows: 1. There was the significant difference of the state anxiety between the experimental group and the control group (P=0.012) Just before surgery. 2. There was a partially significant difference in the vital signs between the experimental group and control group just before surgery. (systolic blood pressure: P=0.000, diastolic blood pressure: P=0.972, pulse rate: P=0.572, resp rate: P=0.186). 3. There was the significant difference of the blood sugar level between the experimental group and the control group(P=0.002) just before surgery. 4. There was a partially significant difference in the vital signs and blood sugar level of the experimental group and the control group when pre-therapeutic and post-therapeutic readings were compared. (systolic blood pressure: P=0.000, diastolic blood pressure: P=0.035, pulse rate: P=0.796, resp rate: P=0.242, blood sugar level: P=0.002).

The purpose of the study is to research the side effects of chemotherapy which are experienced by cancer patients, theirself-care behaviors to manage the side effect symptoms, and to for provide the fundamental knowledge basis for nursing intervention and self-care education. The subjects were 15 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in 2 university hospitals. The side effects and self-care behaviors were categorized into 7 themes. 1) First theme Patients experienced nausea, vomiting, alteration in appetite, constipation, diarrhea, and indigestion. Patients used emetics, ate sweets, fruits, drank alcohol and cold veberages to deal with nausea and vomiting. They took their favorites, and yogurt and medicine, and an easily digestible diet to decrease the side effects on digestive function. 2) Second theme Patients experienced oral-dryness & stomatitis. Patients consumed water, candy a warm food and various beverages. 3) Third theme, To cope with changed sense of taste, patient ate their favorite foods, and to help offset alteration in tactile sense they used massage. Concerning changed sensitivity to decreased temperature, ultraviolet treatment and various means of keeping warm were used. To deal with the changed sense of smell and hearing, they avoided noise and bad odors as much as possible. 4) Fourth theme Patients experienced discoloured skin and alopecia. Patients wore appropriate clothes to hide it. To deal with alopecia, they used hats, head kerchief, and positive thinking. 5) Fifth theme Patients experienced weight loss, URI symptoms, fatigue, pain, insomnia and they took various food health products, medicines, and naps. 6) Sixth theme Patients experienced musculoskeletal changes and decreased amounts and range of activities. They did self-care behaviors such as taking baths, exercising etc. 7) Seventh theme Patients felt varing level of anxiety and for this they had fellowship with support companies and used religion, self-control, and positive thinking. From the above research, it can be concluded that : Patients used self-care behaviors which were not proved in effectiveness and education for the prevention and management of the related side effects of chemotherapy was not effective, either.

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of position change with 30degree laterally inclined position on pressure sores prevention. This study was designed as a Nonequivalent Control Group Quasi-experiment study. The subjects were collected with convenience sample of 30 patients who were hospitalized at ICU(Intensive Care Unit) of C university hospital in Seoul from March 1 to October 31, 1997. The patients were not able to change of position without help. The 15 patients were assigned to the control group and the other 15 patients to the experimental group. The both group were done position change every 2 hours and were observed whether pressure sores was developed for 2 weeks. For the experimental group, two positioning methods were alternatively used : 30degree right lateral, 30degree left lateral. For the control group, 90degree right and left lateral position were applied instead of 30degree lateral position. New Pressure Risk Assessment Scale was utilized to assess pressure sore risk. It is consists of 8 subscales which reflect sensory perception, skin moisture, activity, mobility, friction and shear, nutritional status, body temperature, and amount of medications(analgesics and sedatives). The results of this study are as follows ; 1. The incidence of pressure sores in total sample was 13 cases(43.3%) : 10 cases(76.9%) in control group, 3 cases(23.1%) in experimental group. the incidence rate of pressure sores in experimental group was significant lower than control group. 2. The sites of pressure scores development were 5 cases in trochanteric region, 4 cases in hip region, 2 cases in flank region, 1 cases in sacral region and 1 case in occipital region. Trochanteric region sores were not developed in experimental group. 3. The mean hospitalized period before pressure sores development were 7.3 day in experimental group and 4.1 day in control group. According to the results from this study, suggestions are as follows ; 1. Development of device which enable to keep 30degree laterally inclined position for 2 hours is needed. 2. It is necessary to study variously and objectively usefulness of 30degree laterally inclined position change which is applied to the other pressure risk assessment scale.

The purpose of this study was to understand and describe experience of the persons with colostomy using ethnographic method. Nine patients were interviewed by authors to explore the experience of the persons with colostomy. The data were collected using informal and in-depth interview, field notes, and medical records. The results were as follows : 1. The ostomates had experienced various physical and psychososcial difficulties in daily life. 1) The physical difficulties include the problems in the management of pouch, a formation of gas, skin irritation, diet control, sexual life, the loss of the sense of defecation, and fatigue. 2) The psychosocial difficulties were anxiety, a sense of disability, a feeling of shame being unable to accept the colostomy, a change in dressing, an economic burden, a withdrawal from social life, a burden of colostomy care, and a burden of sexual life. 2. The process of coping with these difficulties includes positive attitude to colostomy, the acceptance of colostomy care, and the mastery of colostomy care. 1) The positive attitude to colostomy was accomplished through personifying colostomy and positive thinking. 2) The acceptance of colostomy care was accomplished through physical recovery, passive acceptance, and a sense of independence. 3) The mastery of colostomy care was accomplished through diet control, acquirement of self care skills of colostomy. The results of the study might help nurses and other health care workers develop effective nursing interventions for ostomates by understanding ostomates' problems and their coping strategies.

Although there are many peri-operative measures to reduce core temperature loss during operation, rapid drop has been experienced in the first sixty minutes following induction of general anesthesia. Recently, preoperative warming has been emphasized to prevent inadvertant hypothermia during operation. The purpose of this study is to find the effect of preoperative warming on reducing rectal temperature drop in surgical patients. With informed consent, 46 female adult patients, scheduled for total abdominal hysterectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy in the Seoul National University Hospital from September 3, 1996 to September 19, 1996 were divided into two groups. The variables of age and body surface were matched between the two groups as possible. Among them, 24 patients were preparatively covered up to the shoulders with a forced-air warming blanket(WARM TOUCHTM). set between 36-40degrees C for prewarming, and the other 22 patients(control group)were not before the induction of anesthesia. Rectal temperature was measured by mercury thermometer for rectum after admission to the operating room and by rectal probe which was inserted in the rectum just before the induction during the operation. The rectal temperature was monitored and recorded at every fifteen minutes for the first sixty minutes after the induction and each step during the surgery(intubation, surgical draping, peritoneum opening, one hour and the end of the operation) Collected data were analyzed by means of t-test, Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance with PC-SAS. The results of this study are as following. (1) There was no significant difference between the two groups in age, weight, height, room temperature, basal rectal temperature, operation time. (2) Temperature gradient of the rectal temperature in the warming group was less steeper than that in the control roup during the first sixty minutes after general anesthesia. (3) The rectal temperature measured at every fifteen minutes for the first sixty minutes and the end of surgery after the general anesthesia showed the difference between the two groups during surgery. (4) There was no rectal temperature difference during the intubation, however there was significant temperature difference between the two groups from draping to the end of surgery. In conclusion, prewarming of the surgical patient before induction resulted in increased the skin temperature and heat content, which relieved the dangerous core temperature drop which is potential to be provoked within one hour after induction of the surgical patients and kept the rectal temperature higher than that of the control group during surgery. The suggestions from this study shown below : First, further study is needed to find the preventive effect of the core temperature drop in the first sixth minutes after anesthetic induction by preoperative warming for gastrorectal, thoracic surgery patients who man have the core temperature drop during the operation. Second, in other to keep patient normothermia during the surgery, it needs to study whether using pre-and peri-operative warming can prevent hypothermia or not. Finally, the study of the peroperative warming effect on surgical patients' relaxation and thermal discomfort before the operation is needed because most patients in the case group said to have felt thermal comfort ; 'comfortable' and 'good'.

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No abstract available.

No abstract available.