PURPOSE: This study was performed to identify the key elements for the improvement of healthcare services for foreigners in Korea. METHOD: Delphi technique was used for this study. As the members of an expert panel for this study, 32 healthcare professionals, who were physicians, nurses, administrators, and care coordinators, with at least 6 months of experiences in international clinics and healthcare services in five metropolitan areas in Korea participated. Data collections were conducted three times from August to October, 2009. The priority and the importance were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS Win 15.0. RESULT: The key element selected most frequently by the experts was the 'Healthcare providers' abilities for foreign languages' followed by 'Guidelines for facing medical accidences and disputes', 'Information and guide for healthcare services written in English', ''Informed consent preventing medical disputes', 'System of healthcare service fees for foreigners'. CONCLUSIONS: The key elements for the improvement of healthcare services for foreigners in Korea were mostly the requirements for effective communication with the foreign clients and the systemic support. The key elements identified in this study can be applied usefully for the development of strategies to improve the quality of healthcare services for foreigners.
Administrative Personnel ; Delivery of Health Care ; Delphi Technique ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Fees and Charges ; Humans ; Korea ; Quality of Health Care

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify relationships among post-traumatic stress (PTS), job stress and turnover intention in emergency department (ED) nurses. METHODS: Participants were 250 ED nurses who had worked for one month or longer in the ED one of three university hospitals or seven general hospitals in Daegu City or Gyeong Buk Province in Korea. Structured questionnaires were used to measure PTS, job stress, and turnover intention of participants. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, path analysis, and stepwise multiple regression with the SPSS program. RESULTS: There were significant relationships between PTS, job stress and turnover intention. PTS influenced turnover intention directly and was indirectly mediated by job stress. The experience of traumatic events influenced PTS, job stress, and turnover intention. Indirect experience of traumatic events in the ED was an important predictor, explaining 20.1% of PTS in high-risk post-traumatic participants. CONCLUSION: PTS can be an important factor for job stress and turnover intention. The direct and indirect experience of traumatic events can influence PTS, job stress, and turnover intention in ED nurses. Based on these results, strategies for managing PTS and relating job stress are recommended to reduce turnover intention in ED nurses.
Emergencies ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, University ; Intention ; Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

PURPOSE: This study was performed to identify the importance and performance of hospice volunteer's activities perceived by hospice volunteers. METHODS: The subjects were 259 hospice volunteers from six hospitals in Daegu and Gyeongsangbukdo areas. A list of hospice volunteer's activities was developed by authors, based on literature, and interviews with the hospice volunteers were used to measure the perception on the importance and performance of their activities. Data were analyzed by using Descriptive statistics, t-test, One-way ANOVA with Scheffe test, and Pearson's product-moment correlation in SPSS Win 12.0. RESULTS: The average of the importance of hospice volunteer's activities was 3.09 and the performance was 2.31, which was lower than the importance. There was a significant correlation between the importance and the performance (r=.487, P=.000). There were significant differences in total score of the importance, depending on religion, education, and period of hospice volunteer activity of subjects. There were significant differences in total score of the performance, depending on age, religion, and period of hospice volunteer activity of subjects. CONCLUSION: The importance of hospice volunteer's activities, perceived by hospice volunteers, was relatively high, however their performance didn't reach the level of the importance. Some characteristics of the volunteers influenced the perception of the importance and performance of the hospice volunteer's activities. The findings of this study are expected to provide useful information for the development of educational and management programs the hospice volunteers.
Hospices

The purpose of this study was to identify the perception of nurse experts on the contribution of nursing interventions to Nursing Outcomes Classification NOC nursing outcomes. A nursing outcome is a nursing-sensitive patient outcome primarily affected by nursing interventions. As one of the standardized language systems of nursing outcomes, the NOC must be examined for applicability before it is used in Korea. Data were collected in February and March 2003 using a 5-point Likert scale. For data collection, 230 quality improvement (QI) or quality assurance (QA) nurses from general hospitals in Korea were asked to rate the extent that nursing interventions contribute to each of the NOC nursing outcomes (2000) in their hospitals. Ninety-six nurses from 63 hospitals responded and the response rate was 41.7%. Mean scores for perception of contribution of nursing interventions to each of the NOC nursing outcomes ranged from 2.18 to 4.54. Vital Signs Status had the highest score (M=4.54), and Abuse Recovery: Financial, the lowest score (M=2.18). Of the seven NOC domains, the mean score was highest for Physiologic Health (M=3.91) and lowest for Community Health (M=2.92). Of the 29 NOC classes, the mean score for perceived contribution was highest for Metabolic Regulation (M=4.32) and lowest for Community Well-Being (M=2.92). Participants perceived that nursing interventions in general hospitals in Korea contributed, at least to a certain extent, to most of the NOC nursing outcomes. Based on these results, NOC should have relatively good applicability in Korea.
*Vocabulary, Controlled ; Quality Indicators, Health Care ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care)/*classification/methods ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*psychology ; *Nursing Service, Hospital ; *Nursing Care ; Korea ; Humans ; Hospitals, General ; Health Care Surveys ; *Attitude of Health Personnel ; Adult

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the response patterns of nursing unit managers regarding workplace bullying. METHODS: Q methodology was used to identify the response patterns. Thirty-six Q samples were selected from the Q population of 210 that included literature reviews and in-depth interviews with clinical nurses and nursing managers. Participants were 30 nursing unit managers who had experience managing workplace bullying and they classified the Q samples into a normal distribution frame measured on a nine-point scale. The data were analyzed using the PC-QUANL program. RESULTS: Five types of response patterns were identified: (1) sympathetic-understanding acceleration, (2) harmonious-team approach, (3) preventive-organizational management, (4) passive observation, and (5) leading-active intervention. The preventive-organizational management type was most frequently used by the nursing unit managers. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicated that nursing unit managers attempted to prevent and solve workplace bullying in various ways. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and conduct leadership training and intervention programs that appropriately address the response patterns of nursing unit managers, such as those identified in this study.
Acceleration ; Bullying ; Leadership ; Nursing

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the response patterns of nursing unit managers regarding workplace bullying. METHODS: Q methodology was used to identify the response patterns. Thirty-six Q samples were selected from the Q population of 210 that included literature reviews and in-depth interviews with clinical nurses and nursing managers. Participants were 30 nursing unit managers who had experience managing workplace bullying and they classified the Q samples into a normal distribution frame measured on a nine-point scale. The data were analyzed using the PC-QUANL program. RESULTS: Five types of response patterns were identified: (1) sympathetic-understanding acceleration, (2) harmonious-team approach, (3) preventive-organizational management, (4) passive observation, and (5) leading-active intervention. The preventive-organizational management type was most frequently used by the nursing unit managers. CONCLUSION The results of this study indicated that nursing unit managers attempted to prevent and solve workplace bullying in various ways. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and conduct leadership training and intervention programs that appropriately address the response patterns of nursing unit managers, such as those identified in this study.