PURPOSE: Span of Control defines the scope of the managers' responsibilities to manage nursing staff. This study was done to measure span of control of front-line nurse managers (FLNMs) in Korea hospitals resulting in improvement in their work efficiency. METHODS: A sample of 203 FLNMs from five tertiary hospitals was recruited and completed the questionnaires. Data were analyzed using χ²-test, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé, and Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: FLNMs had ‘narrow’ (n=8, 4.3%), ‘appropriate’ (n=161, 87.0%), and ‘wide’ (n=16, 8.6%) span of control. Span of control had significant correlations with the number of nurses (r=.63, p<.001), the number of non-nurses (r=.53, p<.001), units (r=.52, p<.001), staff (r=.83, p<.001), and programs (r=.67, p<.001). CONCLUSION: The research findings indicate that attention should be given to unit complexity, program diversity, total staff, and skills. Moreover, administrators of hospital and nursing departments need to provide systematic support in accordance with FLNMs’ wide span of control.
Administrative Personnel ; Humans ; Korea ; Nurse Administrators* ; Nursing ; Nursing Staff ; Personnel Management ; Tertiary Care Centers

BACKGROUND: The phenomenon of nursing turnover has been explained by organizational commitment, job satisfaction, or intent to stay in previous studies; yet the combined contribution of these factors to nurse turnover has not been examined. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to develop and test a turnover model which included professionalism, job-related variables, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intent to stay. METHOD: A total of 424 registered nurses in a university hospital completed a self-administered questionnaire including Professionalism Scale, Job Diagnostic Survey, Nurse Assessment Survey, and intention to stay. Nurses were classified as to whether they remained in or had left the organization 18 months after the survey. Multiple regression and logistic regression analyses were conducted to test the model. RESULTS: Overall job satisfaction and intent to stay were the most important determinants of nursing turnover. Organizational commitment positively affected intent to stay and indirectly decreased turnover through intent to stay. Satisfaction with coworkers and supervisor were the most important factors in explaining overall job satisfaction. Satisfaction with pay, autonomy, and feedback from job also positively affected overall job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Using the results of the tested model nurse managers and administrators could predict turnover by monitoring its determinants, and ultimately reduce the turnover rate through early intervention.
Administrative Personnel ; Early Intervention (Education) ; Humans ; Intention ; Job Satisfaction ; Logistic Models ; Nurse Administrators ; Nursing ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was a descriptive study conducted to investigate the effects of intellectual capital on organizational performance of nurses in medium and small hospitals. METHODS: Data were collected from 241 nurses working in medium and/or small hospitals located in G City from August 10 to September 17, 2011. The measurement tools were the Intellectual Capital scale and Organizational Performance scale. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, one way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical regression with SPSS WIN 18.0 PC. RESULTS: Intellectual capital composed of human, customer, and structure capital had significant effects on organizational performance of nurses working in medium and small hospitals and explained 50.4% of the variance. CONCLUSION: In order to promote organizational performance of nurses, nursing managers and administrators need to invest more resources into the intellectual capital of the system including human, customer, and structure capital.
Administrative Personnel ; Humans

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to explore and describe hospice palliative nurses' experience of caring for terminal cancer patients. METHODS: Eleven hospice palliative nurses participated in the study. Data were collected through individual in-depth unstructured interviews with participants from November, 2012 to October, 2013. Theoretical sampling was used to the point of theoretical saturation. Data were analyzed using Corbin and Strauss' 'Grounded Theory Method.' RESULTS: From open coding, 25 sub-categories and 12 categories were identified. Analysis revealed that the core category was 'becoming stepping-stones between life and death enduring burdens', consisting of three phases: the phase of withdrawal, the phase of exertion, and the phase of maturity. Through this process, participants utilized various action/interactional strategies such as 'maintaining a distance', 'sharing intimate daily life', 'being a mediator for a peaceful death', 'grieving and remembering'. The consequences of these strategies were a transcendental perspective towards life and ambivalent feelings toward hospice nursing. CONCLUSION: In-depth understanding of the hospice palliative nurses' experience of caring for terminal cancer patients will guide nurse managers and policy makers to promote effective nursing strategies to better support hospice palliative nurses.
Administrative Personnel ; Clinical Coding ; Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing ; Hospices* ; Humans ; Nurse Administrators ; Nursing ; Patient Care ; Qualitative Research ; Terminal Care

PURPOSE: This study investigated the correlation between person-centered care (PCC) and nursing service quality of nurses in long-term care hospitals. METHODS: The subjects were 114 nurses working in 8 long-term care hospitals. Instruments for evaluating PCC and nursing service quality were used. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, two samples-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation and Multiple regression. RESULTS: The mean of PCC was 3.25±0.45 out of 5 and the nursing service quality was 3.87±0.40. There were significant differences in PCC in terms of age and income satisfaction, the application of their opinions, the satisfaction of hospital managers, administrators and nurse managers. There were significant differences in nursing service quality according to age, position, the satisfaction of hospital managers, administrators and nurse managers. Nurses' PCC showed a significant positive correlation with nursing service quality. Factors influencing nursing service quality included PCC, their position and age and the most influencing one was PCC. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the PCC is the strongest affecting element to the quality of nursing service in long-term care hospitals. Therefore, the strategies to improve the practice of person-centered care should be carried out to enhance the quality of nursing service.
Administrative Personnel ; Humans ; Long-Term Care* ; Nurse Administrators ; Nursing Services* ; Nursing* ; Patient-Centered Care ; Quality of Health Care

Vital to the prevention of work-related ill-health (WRIH) is the availability of good quality data regarding WRIH burden and risks. Physician-based surveillance systems such as The Health and Occupation Research (THOR) network in the UK are often established in response to limitations of statutory, compensation-based systems for addressing certain epidemiological aspects of disease surveillance. However, to fulfil their purpose, THOR and others need to have methodologic rigor in capturing and ascertaining cases. This article describes how data collected by THOR and analogous systems can inform WRIH incidence, trends, and other determinants. An overview of the different strands of THOR research is provided, including methodologic advancements facilitated by increased data quantity/quality over time and the value of the research outputs for informing Government and other policy makers. In doing so, the utility of data collected by systems such as THOR to address a wide range of research questions, both in relation to WRIH and to wider issues of public and social health, is demonstrated.
Administrative Personnel ; Humans ; Incidence ; Occupations*

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the Students' Mental Health School-Community Cooperative Model on the school mental health awareness of the participants (school administrators, teachers, students). METHODS: Data were collected from 140 schools that participated in the project. The questionnaires were composed of items about the school mental health policy, climate and capacity. The data was analyzed through paired t-tests between pre and post, and a comparison was made between the 1st and 2nd phase regions. RESULTS: The total scores of the teacher and student groups increased significantly, whereas those of the school administrators did not. The awareness of the teachers showed more changes in the 1st phase regions, while those of the students changed more at the 2nd phase. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, the expansion of the Students' Mental Health School-Community Cooperative Model was proposed.
Administrative Personnel ; Climate ; Humans ; Mental Health*

232 internet sites in Yahoo and Empas were monitored to analyze what good contents of nutrition information on line have for the internet searchers. As the sites on line were disappeared frequently, all the monitored sites were selected on April 25, 2003. 3 disciplined personnels analyzed the contents of the selected sites by using self-developed monitoring format. The results are as follows. Most of sites were administered by the marketing companies and only 8% by public institutions, associations and school. Especially, most of the contents of the sites by marketing companies were advertisement about their goods instead of nutrition information. Only 42.6% of sites indicated the sources of nutrition information. Only 10.3% of site administrators responded about on-line questions quickly within 1 day. Moreover, 46% of sites were not conformed their answering periods. On the other hand, 94.8% of sites offered more than 1 feedback methods. Monitors checked purposes offering on-line informations plurally. Leading purpose was for advertising and marketing their goods(59.5%) and 47% of them were opened for offering food and nutrition information. They offered various informations at the same time. More than half of the sites had the menus for food and nutrition information and connected sites, but the other half of them only advertised their own goods. Positive sides from monitored informations were as follows : 'communicating informations easily' (8.7%) / 'definite informations for daily living' (7.2%) / 'beneficial informations for nutritional management' (4.6%) / 'new informations' (2.1%). Negative sides of offered information were 'not enough to give scientific basis and/or to simplify special evidences too much'(60.8%) / 'to exaggerate the contents' (41.4%) / 'not to indicate the notice of side effect and/or to advertise that there are not side effect from using their goods' (34.1%).
Administrative Personnel ; Hand ; Humans ; Internet* ; Marketing

232 internet sites in Yahoo and Empas were monitored to analyze what good contents of nutrition information on line have for the internet searchers. As the sites on line were disappeared frequently, all the monitored sites were selected on April 25, 2003. 3 disciplined personnels analyzed the contents of the selected sites by using self-developed monitoring format. The results are as follows. Most of sites were administered by the marketing companies and only 8% by public institutions, associations and school. Especially, most of the contents of the sites by marketing companies were advertisement about their goods instead of nutrition information. Only 42.6% of sites indicated the sources of nutrition information. Only 10.3% of site administrators responded about on-line questions quickly within 1 day. Moreover, 46% of sites were not conformed their answering periods. On the other hand, 94.8% of sites offered more than 1 feedback methods. Monitors checked purposes offering on-line informations plurally. Leading purpose was for advertising and marketing their goods(59.5%) and 47% of them were opened for offering food and nutrition information. They offered various informations at the same time. More than half of the sites had the menus for food and nutrition information and connected sites, but the other half of them only advertised their own goods. Positive sides from monitored informations were as follows : 'communicating informations easily' (8.7%) / 'definite informations for daily living' (7.2%) / 'beneficial informations for nutritional management' (4.6%) / 'new informations' (2.1%). Negative sides of offered information were 'not enough to give scientific basis and/or to simplify special evidences too much'(60.8%) / 'to exaggerate the contents' (41.4%) / 'not to indicate the notice of side effect and/or to advertise that there are not side effect from using their goods' (34.1%).
Administrative Personnel ; Hand ; Humans ; Internet* ; Marketing

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to explore how hospital nurses decide to quit working as professional nurses using the grounded theory method. METHOD: The data was collected by individual in-depth interviews with 12 hospital nurses who recently resigned from work and it was analyzed using 'constant comparative analysis.' RESULT: The core category that emerged was "in search of new balance with self, work, and family". Three stages were identified: 1) "unconditionally accepting the working situation of itself," 2) "weighing advantages and disadvantages of working as a hospital nurse", and 3) "redesigning a future". Each stage contains three major strategies. The major strategies of the first stage are "maintaining a learning attitude", "enduring physical burnout," and "enduring unfair interpersonal relationships". The second stage contains "identifying advantages of working", "identifying disadvantages of working", and "comparing the advantages with the disadvantages". Lastly, the third stage includes "reassessing the aim of life", "beginning to construct an alternative life", and "deciding to quit working at a certain point". CONCLUSION: The results of the study will help nursing administrators in designing and implementing an effective turnover prevention program for nurses by understanding more deeply the process of turnover phenomenon among hospital nurses.
Administrative Personnel ; Humans ; Korea* ; Learning ; Nursing