Purpose: This study is descriptive research to examine the effects of the clinical nurse’s character and nursing informatics competencies of nurses working at veterans hospitals on their nursing performance. Methods: Data were collected from 192 nurses with over one year of clinical experience working at three veterans' hospitals in B, D, and G Metropolitan from September 6 to September 30, 2021. The collected data were analyzed with the SPSS 25.0 program in descriptive statistics, an independent t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression. The Scheffé test was used as a post hoc test. Results: Nursing performance had a statistically significant positive correlation with the clinical nurse’s character (r=.69, p<.001) and nursing informatics competency (r=.73, p<.001). The study results showed that nursing informatics competency (β=.49, p<.001) and the clinical nurse’s character (β=.41, p<.001) significantly affected nursing performance. The total explanatory power of these variables was 62.4% (F=32.26, p<.001). Conclusion The above results of this study show that the most significant factors in nursing performance are nursing information competency and the clinical nurse’s character exhibit better nursing performance. Programs for improving nursing informatics competency and implementation methods need to be developed to improve nursing performance. It is also necessary to apply an effective clinical nurse’s character program to enhance the level of the clinical nurse’s character.

PURPOSE: This study was a prospective longitudinal study to identify changes in quality of life in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). It was based on Roy's adaptation model. METHODS: The questionnaires were administered before HSCT, 30 and 100 days after HSCT. Of the 48 potentially eligible patients, 44 (91.7%) participated in the study and 40 (90.9%) completed the questionnaires at 100 days after HSCT. Multilevel analysis was applied to analyze changes in quality of life. RESULTS: Overall, quality of life showed a decreasing tendency from pre-HSCT to 100 days after HSCT. The adaptation level of participants was compensatory. Type of conditioning was the significant factor influencing quality of life before HSCT (beta00=79.92, p <.001; beta01= - 12.64, p <.001) and the change rate of quality of life (beta10= - 1.66, p =.020; beta11=2.88, p =.014). Symptom severity (beta20= - 1.81, p =.004), depression (beta30= - 0.58, p =.001), social dependency (beta40= - 0.35, p =.165), and loneliness (beta50= - 0.23, p =.065) had a negative effect on changes in quality of life. Symptom severity and depression were statistically significant factors influencing changes in quality of life. CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, the development of nursing intervention is needed to improve quality of life in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the early immune reconstruction period. The interventions should include programs to enhance coping capacity and programs to help control symptom severity and depression. Also these interventions need to be started from the beginning of HSCT and a multidisciplinary approach would be helpful.
Adult ; Aged ; Dependency (Psychology) ; Depression ; Female ; *Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Loneliness ; Longitudinal Studies ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multilevel Analysis ; Neoplasms/therapy ; Prospective Studies ; *Quality of Life ; Severity of Illness Index ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Transplantation, Homologous

Purpose: This study is a descriptive study to identify the degree of workplace bullying experience of newly graduated nurses and the difference in coping and adaptation processing, organizational socialization in relation to workplace bullying experience. Methods: The Study participants were newly graduated nurses with 3 months to 1-year clinical experience (N=186) and conveniently sampled from a small to medium-sized hospital located in G Metropolitan City. Data were collected in July 2018, using structured questionnaires. Results: Half of the participants (50.0%) reported workplace bullying experience. Most bulling experiences were person or work related. Newly graduated nurses who experienced bullying in the workplace demonstrated significantly lower coping and adaptation process (t=3.34, p=.001) and organizational socialization (t=7.46, p=<.001) than nurses who did not experience bullying in the workplace. Conclusion Orientation programs for newly graduated nurses need to include contents that can improve the coping and adaptation process. Nursing managers at small and medium-sized general hospitals should actively support the mentor-mentee program to promote the organizational socialization of newly graduated nurses.

PURPOSE: This study compared the effect of two oral care agents on preventing stomatitis and discomfort for acute leukemic patients. METHODS: A total of forty patients was enrolled and randomly assigned to sodium bicarbonate or chlorhexidine group. WHO oral toxicity scale was used for measuring stomatitis and Beck's subjective oral discomfort scale for evaluating oral comfort. Data was collected from August 2009 to February 2010. The data was analyzed using Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: Data analyzed was thirty five one. The incidence of stomatitis was 47.4%, 68.8% in sodium bicarbonate and chlohexidine group respectively. The onset of stomatitis was about the 10th and 9th day after chemotherapy initiation, and the duration was 8.0 and 8.67 day respectively. The severity of stomatitis was highest on the 21st day after chemotherapy initiation. There were no statistical differences in the status of stomatitis and the levels of oral comfort during treatment periods. CONCLUSION: Nurses should routinely assess oral cavity and encourage patients to do oral care actively from second to third week after chemotherapy initiation. Also sodium bicarbonate agent can be recommended to for preventing stomatitis.
Chlorhexidine ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mouth ; Sodium Bicarbonate ; Stomatitis

To achieve optimal decalcification in tissue and tissue preservation, we have tried magnetic field method and made some promising results. We used pulsed unipolar magnetic field obtained by rectification of 250 V-60 cycle, A.C. As a new method of bony decalcification, using 5% nitric acid, 10% formic acid and 10% formic acid+3% hydrochloric acid solutions, experimental groups were decalcified in the center of the magnetic field. The concentration of calcium ion in the decalcifying solution was measured by calcium-oxalate turbidity test by photometry method, and direct visualization of calcium radiopacity was obtained by soft X-ray view during the decalcification process. The pH change during decalcification was continuously checked and needle penetration method was also used. All the decalcification solution used in this study showed accelerated effect of bony decalcification in the strong magnetic field. Among them 5% nitric acid produced complete decalcification for the medium size bony specimen (less than 10x10x10 mm) within 24 hours, and the histologic feature was almost free of acid-chemical degeneration. The pH of all the decalcification solutions decreased in the strong magnetic field, maximum within 4~6 hours, and kept strong acidity throughout the decalcification procedure. After removal of the magnetic field the pH of all the decalcification solution returned to their original values after 24 hours. It was presumed that the cause of the accelerated decalcification in the magnetic field was due to combined effects of the rapid increase of acidity and the increased molecular resonance to stimulate the ionization of mineral elements.

This study is verifying the hypothesis that distraction followed by recompression may promote fracture healing of the osteoporotic bone on the assumption that distraction induces increased callus formation at the distracted gap and recompression results in fusiform callus, having biomechanically stronger fracture stiffness. Sixty-six Sprague-Dawley rats, in which osteoporosis were induced 6-8 weeks after oophorectomy, were separated into two groups. Group I was control group that had fracture healing by simple external fixation. Group II was experimental group that had fracture healing by monofocal distraction-compression. Radiomorphometric study revealed that there was significantly increased amount of callus and ensuing bone formation, which becehe obvious from 20 days after osteotomy in group II compared with group I. Biomechanical study also showed that tensile break strength was significantly higher in group II compared with group I with time. It is concluded that monofocal distraction-compression method may be one of the useful method to promote fracture healing of the estrogen deficient osteoporotic bone.
Animals ; Bony Callus ; Estrogens ; Female ; Fracture Healing* ; Osteogenesis ; Osteoporosis* ; Osteotomy ; Ovariectomy ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to assess the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Coping and Adaptation Processing Scale-Short-Form in patients with cancer. METHODS: The original scale was translated into Korean using Brislin's translation model. The Korean Short-Form and the Functional Assessment Cancer Therapy-General were administered to 164 Korean patients with cancer using convenience sampling method. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 23.0. Construct validity, criterion validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency reliability of the Korean Coping and Adaptation Processing Scale-Short-Form were evaluated. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis supported the construct validity with a four-factor solution that explained 60.6% of the total variance. Factor loadings of the 15 items on the four subscales ranged .52~.86. The four-subscale model was validated by confirmatory factor analysis (Normed χ2=1.38 (p=.013), GFI=.92, SRMR=.02, RMSEA=.05, TLI=.94, and CFI=.95), and criterion validity was demonstrated with the Functional Assessment Cancer Therapy-General. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency of the total scale was .83 and ranged .68~.81 for all subscales, demonstrating sufficient test-retest reliability. CONCLUSION: The Korean version showed satisfactory construct and criterion validity, as well as internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
Humans ; Methods ; Reproducibility of Results*

Choriocarcinoma associated with a normal pregnancy is rare. Especially, choriocarcinoma coexistent with a viable pregnancy is even rarer and commonly presents with widespread metastatic disease. We experienced a patient at 34th week of pregnancy with dyspnea and sputum production due to pulmonary metastasis of choriocarcinoma. The serum B-hCG level was extremely elevated and the placenta had multifocal choriocarcinoma. After vaginal delivery, the patient was successfully treated with combination chemotherapy (EMA-CO). The patient is receiving follow up with monthly measurement of hCG values. We report one case of metastatic choriocarcinoma with viable pregnancy with review of literature.
Choriocarcinoma* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Placenta ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy* ; Sputum

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to evaluate the relationship between tinnitus and the level of anxiety and depression experienced by subjective tinnitus patients, and to determine the effect of the level of anxiety and depression to the results of tinnitus treatment. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 104 patients were included in this study. All the patients conducted Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State Trait Anxiety Inventory 1, 2 (STAI 1, 2) to evaluate their psychometric properties. The subjective patterns of tinnitus before and after treatment were assessed through questionnaires. RESULTS: Significant correlation between THI scores and BDI, STAI 1, 2 scores were observed in the moderate and severe tinnitus group. The patients were classified into two groups depending on their THI scores, and also classified into two groups according to BDI, STAI 1, 2 results. Analysis of differences after treatment indicated significantly improved VAS scores after treatment in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: The subjective level of tinnitus is significantly related with depression and anxiety symptoms when inconvenience caused by tinnitus was moderate or over. Assessments on tinnitus after treatment appeared to have improved significantly regardless of the severity of tinnitus, level of depression or anxiety disorder.
Anxiety ; Anxiety Disorders ; Depression ; Humans ; Psychometrics ; Tinnitus

Leukocytosis and neutrophilia is common during the acute phase of Kawasaki disease whereas leukopenia is not common and severe neutropenia is rare. Severe neutropenia is defined as absolute neutrophil count less than 500/mm3. There are only few publicatons reporting of atypical Kawasaki disease with severe neutropenia. We report a case of atypical Kawasaki disease with severe neutropenia.
Leukocytosis ; Leukopenia ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Neutropenia* ; Neutrophils