Purpose: : This study aimed to explore the essence and meaning of light sedation for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: : Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 patients receiving light sedation therapy in the cardiac ICU of a university hospital in South Korea. The content of the interviews was analyzed using Elo and Kyngäs’s inductive content analysis method. Data collection and analysis were performed iteratively to enable a continuous comparative analysis. Results: : The main category derived from the analysis was the “coexistence of partial consciousness and discomfort.” Three general categories were identified: (1) the state of being neither asleep nor awake, (2) persistent discomfort, and (3) ambivalence toward consciousness. The subcategories included a fragmented memory, disorientation, surreal experiences, brain fog, half-heard noises, physical discomfort, mental distress, preference for sleep, and preference for being awake. Conclusion : Patients in the ICU under light sedation experienced an incomplete state of consciousness while experiencing various types of discomfort. Nurses should understand the patients’ subjective experiences with light sedation to provide patient-centered care. Based on these findings, further research is required to develop and apply nursing interventions for patients under light sedation.

Purpose: : This scoping review examined the assessment of learning outcomes in simulation-based education to recognize and respond to deteriorating patients in nursing education. Methods: : The review followed Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute’s manual. Studies were retrieved from databases such as Cochrane Central, PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Results: : A total of 15 studies, published between 2010 and 2023, were reviewed. Only six studies (40%) assessed both the cognitive learning outcomes related to recognition and the psychomotor outcomes related to responses to DPs. The learning outcomes included knowledge, situational awareness, cognition, the modified early warning score (MEWS), the situation–background–assessment–recommendation score, and teamwork in the cognitive domain; the MEWS action algorithm and psychomotor performance in the psychomotor domain; and self-efficacy, confidence, and self-confidence in the affective domain. Conclusion : Effective SBE for recognizing and responding to DPs should be designed to assess cognitive and psychomotor learning outcomes in nursing education. Future research should focus on enhancing non-technical skills through various approaches to SBE to recognize and respond to DPs.

Purpose: : This study compared the levels of importance, satisfaction, and barriers of communication performance between family members and nurses in intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: : The participants were 64 family members of patients admitted to an ICU and 66 nurses working in ICUs at a university hospital. The data were collected via structured questionnaires from December 27, 2023, to March 15, 2024, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests to compare the responses of family members and nurses. Results: : A higher importance of communication was conveyed by family members than by nurses (t=2.455, p=.015). Both groups recognized the importance of providing information related to the patient’s condition and treatment. Satisfaction with communication was higher among families than nurses (t=5.172, p＜.001). Both groups were satisfied with the items pertaining to the use of easy-to-understand language and the ability to answer their questions, but these were ranked differently. Nurses reported a higher barrier level than family members (t=–5.591, p＜.001). Both groups agreed that nurses appearing busy or lacking the time to communicate were significant barriers. Conclusion : Family members of the patients in the ICU recognized the importance of communication and were satisfied with the communication with nurses. They preferred informative and friendly communication that focused on their needs. Therefore, interventions and educational programs for communication performance and environmental factors must be considered to optimize the quality of nursing services for family members in ICUs.

Purpose: : This study aimed to identify the factors influencing burnout in intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency room (ER) nurses who cared for patients who attempted suicide. Methods: : The sample comprised 154 nurses who had worked for more than 6 months in the ICU and ER of 2 tertiary hospitals located in Busan, South Korea. Data were collected from April 2 to 30, 2024, using structured online questionnaires. The responses were analyzed using a t-test, analysis of variance, Scheffé test, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple linear regression via SPSS program Results: : Burnout was negatively correlated with compassion satisfaction (r=–.61, p＜.001) and positively correlated with secondary traumatic stress (r=.57, p＜.001). The factors affecting burnout were compassion satisfaction (β=–.56, p＜.001) and secondary traumatic stress (β=.52, p＜.001). The total explanatory power of these variables for burnout was 66.4%. Conclusion : These findings offer strong empirical evidence for the importance of compassion satisfaction and secondary traumatic stress in explaining burnout among nurses. Based on these results, we intend to provide the foundation for developing an intervention program to prevent burnout among ICU and ER nurses who care for patients who attempt suicide.

Purpose: : This study examined the effects of a multimodal intervention (earplugs, eye patches, and aromatherapy) on sleep quality and duration in intensive care unit(ICU)patients and the feasibility of the intervention to address sleep disturbances. Methods: : This experimental study comprised a nonequivalent control group and non-synchronized design. The participants included 50 adult patients admitted to the ICU with an internal medicine diagnosis who did not receive postoperative care. The intervention was conducted on a random day from 10 pm to 5 am the following morning. Subjective sleep quality was measured using the Korean version of the Richards–Campbell Sleep Questionnaire, and objective sleep duration was recorded using a smartwatch (Galaxy Watch 5; Samsung Electronics). Data were collected from September 2023 to March 2024 and analyzed using a t-test, χ2 test, Fisher’s exact test, and analysis of covariance. Results: : The multimodal intervention significantly improved the subjective andobjective measures of sleep quality. The experimental group had higher scores on sleep depth, falling asleep, sleeping without awakening, returning to sleep, and overall sleep quality. Objective measures revealed longer total sleep time, actual sleep time, light sleep, and deep sleep in the experimental group, with no differences in rapid eye movement sleep, sleep efficiency, or ratio of awakening. Conclusion : The multimodal sleep intervention effectively improved patients’ sleep quality and duration, demonstrating the feasibility of using multimodal interventions to improve sleep quality in clinical settings.

Purpose: : This study aimed to identify and compare the effects of home-use mechanical ventilator (MV) and facility-use mechanical ventilator on early discharge from the intensive care units (ICUs). Methods: : This retrospective study used data from the electronic medical records of 290 patients who underwent MV in the ICU of a tertiary general hospital in Seoul. Results: : Significant differences were observed in the length of ICU stay, total number of days of MV application, and length of hospital stay. The length of ICU stay was 30.00±28.14 days in the home-use MV group and 23.74±18.24 days in the facility-use MV group for facility-use (t=2.25, p=.026). The total number of days of MV application in ICU was 24.44±21.86 days in the home-use MV group and 19.35±14.25 days in the facility-use MV group (t=2.35, p=.020). The length of hospital stay was 101.88± 141.81 days in the home-use MV group and 74.24±71.38 days in the facility-use MV group (t=2.10, p=.037). The readmission rates within 72 hours of discharge from the ICU were 2.1% and 2.1%, respectively. Conclusion : A facility-use ventilator shortens the length of ICU stay and the total number of days of MV application in the ICU compared with a home-use mechanical ventilator, and it can be safely used for early discharge of patients from the ICU.

Purpose: : This study aimed to explore the essence and meaning of light sedation for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: : Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 patients receiving light sedation therapy in the cardiac ICU of a university hospital in South Korea. The content of the interviews was analyzed using Elo and Kyngäs’s inductive content analysis method. Data collection and analysis were performed iteratively to enable a continuous comparative analysis. Results: : The main category derived from the analysis was the “coexistence of partial consciousness and discomfort.” Three general categories were identified: (1) the state of being neither asleep nor awake, (2) persistent discomfort, and (3) ambivalence toward consciousness. The subcategories included a fragmented memory, disorientation, surreal experiences, brain fog, half-heard noises, physical discomfort, mental distress, preference for sleep, and preference for being awake. Conclusion : Patients in the ICU under light sedation experienced an incomplete state of consciousness while experiencing various types of discomfort. Nurses should understand the patients’ subjective experiences with light sedation to provide patient-centered care. Based on these findings, further research is required to develop and apply nursing interventions for patients under light sedation.

Purpose: : This scoping review examined the assessment of learning outcomes in simulation-based education to recognize and respond to deteriorating patients in nursing education. Methods: : The review followed Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute’s manual. Studies were retrieved from databases such as Cochrane Central, PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Results: : A total of 15 studies, published between 2010 and 2023, were reviewed. Only six studies (40%) assessed both the cognitive learning outcomes related to recognition and the psychomotor outcomes related to responses to DPs. The learning outcomes included knowledge, situational awareness, cognition, the modified early warning score (MEWS), the situation–background–assessment–recommendation score, and teamwork in the cognitive domain; the MEWS action algorithm and psychomotor performance in the psychomotor domain; and self-efficacy, confidence, and self-confidence in the affective domain. Conclusion : Effective SBE for recognizing and responding to DPs should be designed to assess cognitive and psychomotor learning outcomes in nursing education. Future research should focus on enhancing non-technical skills through various approaches to SBE to recognize and respond to DPs.

Purpose: : This study compared the levels of importance, satisfaction, and barriers of communication performance between family members and nurses in intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: : The participants were 64 family members of patients admitted to an ICU and 66 nurses working in ICUs at a university hospital. The data were collected via structured questionnaires from December 27, 2023, to March 15, 2024, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests to compare the responses of family members and nurses. Results: : A higher importance of communication was conveyed by family members than by nurses (t=2.455, p=.015). Both groups recognized the importance of providing information related to the patient’s condition and treatment. Satisfaction with communication was higher among families than nurses (t=5.172, p＜.001). Both groups were satisfied with the items pertaining to the use of easy-to-understand language and the ability to answer their questions, but these were ranked differently. Nurses reported a higher barrier level than family members (t=–5.591, p＜.001). Both groups agreed that nurses appearing busy or lacking the time to communicate were significant barriers. Conclusion : Family members of the patients in the ICU recognized the importance of communication and were satisfied with the communication with nurses. They preferred informative and friendly communication that focused on their needs. Therefore, interventions and educational programs for communication performance and environmental factors must be considered to optimize the quality of nursing services for family members in ICUs.

Purpose: : This study aimed to identify the factors influencing burnout in intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency room (ER) nurses who cared for patients who attempted suicide. Methods: : The sample comprised 154 nurses who had worked for more than 6 months in the ICU and ER of 2 tertiary hospitals located in Busan, South Korea. Data were collected from April 2 to 30, 2024, using structured online questionnaires. The responses were analyzed using a t-test, analysis of variance, Scheffé test, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple linear regression via SPSS program Results: : Burnout was negatively correlated with compassion satisfaction (r=–.61, p＜.001) and positively correlated with secondary traumatic stress (r=.57, p＜.001). The factors affecting burnout were compassion satisfaction (β=–.56, p＜.001) and secondary traumatic stress (β=.52, p＜.001). The total explanatory power of these variables for burnout was 66.4%. Conclusion : These findings offer strong empirical evidence for the importance of compassion satisfaction and secondary traumatic stress in explaining burnout among nurses. Based on these results, we intend to provide the foundation for developing an intervention program to prevent burnout among ICU and ER nurses who care for patients who attempt suicide.