PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship of stress, perception of occurrence risk of cancer and cancer preventive health behavior in three-shift nurses. METHODS: The participants of this study were 252 three shifts nurses working at three medium and small sized hospitals with 100 to 300 beds. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from September to October 2014. RESULTS: The mean score for stress was 24.35+/-7.93. The mean score of perception for occurrence risk of cancer was 12.63+/-4.12 and cancer preventive health behavior was 58.07+/-8.87. Stress had a positive relationship with the perception of occurrence risk of cancer (r=.40, p<.001); the perception of occurrence risk of cancer had a positive relationship with the preventive health behavior against it (r=.31, p<.001); and stress had a positive relationship with preventive health behavior against it (r=.33, p<.001). CONCLUSION: The findings show that participants stress levels were high and degrees of perceptions of occurrence risk and cancer preventive health behaviors were low. Significant correlations were found among these variables. On the basis of these findings, development of intervention is required to reduce stress and enhance the perception of occurrence risk of cancer and cancer preventive health behavior among three shifts nurses.
Health Behavior*

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate clinical characteristics of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in cancer patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinical characteristics in patients with VTE confirmed with cancer. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify differences associated with the development, between the pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) groups. RESULTS: From January 2009 to December 2014, a total of 103 patients with VTE were included in the final analysis: mean age, 70.6+/-11.8 years; female, 56.3%. Most of the patients had a solid cancer (95.1%), and half of all patients had distant metastasis (50.5%). Proportion of patients with VTE who received chemotherapy within a year was 64.1%. Central venous catheters were applied to 59 patients within 6 weeks before the diagnosis of VTE. The proportion of patients with DVT only among VTE patients was 21.4%. In logistic regression analysis, central venous catheter insertion (OR=2.66, 95% CI=1.09, 6.49; p=.032), as well as lung metastasis (OR=2.94; 95% CI=1.06, 8.18; p=.039) were significant predictors for PE rather than DVT only. CONCLUSION: VTE developed in patients with advanced stage cancer. Further studies analyzing the effects of prophylactic anticoagulation in patients with cancer in regards to development of VTE are recommended.
Central Venous Catheters ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Venous Thromboembolism* ; Venous Thrombosis

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore educational needs for sexual health, to identify relations among educational needs for sexual health, depression and quality of life, and to identify the factors affecting quality of life in patients with prostate cancer aged > 40 years. METHODS: A sample of 78 patients was recruited from a university hospital in Seoul. A cross-sectional design was used in which participants completed the questionnaires to assess educational needs for sexual health, depression and quality of life. The data were analyzed using the t-test, ANOVA, correlation analysis and stepwise regression analysis. RESULTS: The quality of life of participants differed significantly by occupation status before and after diagnosis, stage at diagnosis, underlying disease, performance status, and in the Gleason sum score. Stepwise regression analysis of the data showed that depression, sexual interaction, Gleason sum score, and occupation since diagnosis were the statistically significant factors associated with quality of life of patients with prostate cancer. This regression model explained 55.1% of the quality of life. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that depression and sexual interaction had the greatest impact on quality of life in prostate cancer patients. In clinical practice, we recommend that healthcare professionals take the initiative to provide adequate and accurate information about sexual health to prostate cancer survivors.
Delivery of Health Care ; Depression* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Needs Assessment ; Occupations ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Neoplasms* ; Quality of Life* ; Reproductive Health* ; Seoul ; Survivors

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of a discharge education program for hospitalized readmitted patients with chemotherapy-in terms of sick role behavior and educational satisfaction. METHODS: The data were collected with a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design and were analyzed with a nonequivalent control group pre-posttest design. The subjects included 49 patients with cancer, 25 in the experimental group, and 24 in the control group. Data were analyzed with spss win 21, chi2-tests, paired t-tests, and independent t-tests. RESULTS: The experimental group was educated according to their needs at discharge, and they showed higher compliance with sick role behavior. CONCLUSION: To improve compliance with sick role behavior, readmitted hematologic neoplasms chemotherapy patients should receive discharge education according to their needs at the clinic by using an educational manual.
Compliance* ; Drug Therapy* ; Education* ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Humans ; Patient Satisfaction ; Sick Role*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and to examine the relationship between CIPN and depression. METHODS: A purposive sample of 105 patients treated with chemotherapy were recruited in the cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires. The instruments used were the Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool (CIPNAT) and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: The most frequent suffering symptom of CIPN was 'tingling feeling in the hand and foot'. Of the motor symptoms, 'muscle weakness' was the most frequent symptom and 'muscle or joint aches' was the strongest suffering symptom of CIPN. The mean score for suffering of CIPN was 4.1. The mean score was 1.04 for depression and the prevalence was 48.5%. CIPN was significantly positively correlated with depression (r=.38, p<.001). The result of simple regression analysis revealed that CIPN was predictive of depression (R2=.136, p<.001). CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study, nursing intervention programs focusing on CIPN management and alleviating depression are recommended.
Anxiety ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression* ; Drug Therapy ; Hand ; Humans ; Joints ; Nursing ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases* ; Prevalence

PURPOSE: This study was done to explore subjective structure of sexual life of woman with breast cancer after mastectomy and to provide basic data for educational programs and psycho-social support. METHODS: A Q-methodology which provides a method of analyzing subjectivity was used. 30 selected Q-statements from each of the 30 women for breast cancer treatment were normal distributed using a 9-point scale. Subjectivity of sexuality was analyzed using the PC-QUANL program. RESULTS: We identified five types of sexuality among the participants. These five types can be called 'sex of misunderstanding', 'sex of breast preference', 'sex of communication', 'only sexual intercourse', 'meaningless sex'. CONCLUSION: Educational programs or counselling programs that will help the concerned people, including the patients' husbands are needed to address each of the sexual problems identified.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Female ; Humans ; Mastectomy* ; Needs Assessment ; Sexuality ; Spouses

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of distress and to investigate the related problems in breast cancer patients at the end of primary treatment. METHODS: A sample of 118 participants was recruited among outpatients who had successfully completed primary treatment of breast cancer. Data were collected between July, 2013 and October, 2014 using the Distress Thermometer (DT) scale and problem lists. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze data. RESULTS: Among the 118 patients that participated in this study, 34 patients (28.8%) suffered from elevated distress using the previously validated cut point > or =4 for the DT. Problems most frequently encountered were fatigue (68.8%), worry (59.3%), appearance (51.7%) and memory/concentration (48.3%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that depression (OR=9.55), worry (OR=8.34), fatigue (OR=8.19) and age (OR=1.14) were independent predictors for elevated distress scores. CONCLUSION: Utilizing the DT, onethird of breast cancer patients screened met criteria for distress at the end of the primary treatment. Breast cancer patients with depression, worry, fatigue and older age should be targeted for distress screening and management.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Depression ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Outpatients ; Prevalence ; Survivors ; Thermometers

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify trends in nursing research on children and adolescents with cancer in Korea and suggest the direction for future research. METHODS: A COSI model was used to guide the search process between the years 1988 and 2014, using the keywords 'cancer', 'malignancy', 'leukemia', 'HSCT', 'BMT', 'children', 'adolescent' and 'nursing'. RESULTS: Of 104 papers, 10 were doctoral dissertations, 34 were master's theses and 60 were from academic journals. Quantitative research accounted for 91.3% while qualitative research accounted for 7.7%. The most frequently used research designs were quasi-experimental (84.6%) for experimental research and surveys (75.6%) for non-experimental research. As survival rates improved, the focus shifted to descriptive studies examining the adjustment of childhood cancer survivors. CONCLUSION: The overall findings of this study suggest that future research should include more well-designed experimental studies and repeated studies to confirm the effect of previous study findings. Longitudinal studies are recommended to determine long-term child adjustment. Supporting systems and funding are required to help activate research of clinical nurses.
Adolescent* ; Child* ; Financial Management ; Humans ; Korea* ; Longitudinal Studies ; Nursing Research* ; Nursing* ; Qualitative Research ; Research Design ; Survival Rate ; Survivors

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify the present conditions of clinical practicum through analyzing guidebooks used in education institutions for oncology advanced practice nursing programs and to discuss future directions. METHODS: Ten of a total of 13 education institutions participated in this study and ten guidebooks were reviewed from June 1 to October 31, 2014. The standard curriculum developed by the Korean accreditation board of nursing education was used to analyze the present conditions and an analyzing frame was developed by a research team. Two coders independently recorded the data, agreement was 92% and all disagreements was concurrent after discussion. RESULTS: Courses in the area of 'advanced oncology nursing' were most highly established and, courses in the area of 'introduction of oncology nursing' were least established. Some learning objectives were never dealt with and some learning objectives were over dealt with. The national cancer center was most used for practicum. Diverse homework and evaluation methods were used. CONCLUSION: Through analyzing clinical practicum guidebooks for oncology advanced practice nursing students, we found that balanced practicum courses are needed to improve the quality of oncology advanced practice nurse programs.
Accreditation ; Advanced Practice Nursing* ; Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Nursing ; Humans ; Learning

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