BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is the predominant cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea. This study evaluated the sporicidal activities of several disinfectants against C. difficile spores. METHODS: We used toxigenic C. difficile strains with different ribotypes for our study. We compared the sporicidal activities of Cavicide (Metrex Research Corporation, USA), Cidex OPA (Advanced Sterilization Products, USA), 1% Rely+On Virkon (Dupont, UK), 0.25% Surfanios (Laboratoires Anios, France), sodium hypochlorite (Yuhan Clorox, Korea), and 70% ethyl alcohol (Duksan, Korea) by using dilution-neutralization method. The sporicidal activity of the disinfecting agents was considered to be the inactivation factor (IF). The IF was calculated as the log10 colony forming unit (CFU) reduction of the viable count from the initial inoculums. Disinfectants were considered to be sporicidal if they showed an IF> or =4. RESULTS: Cavicide, 70% ethyl alcohol, Rely+On Virkon, and Surfanios showed no reduction in spore counts at all exposure time. Solutions of sodium hypochlorite diluted 1:100 (> or =400 ppm available chlorine), 1:50, and 1:20 were sporicidal after 5 min, 2 min, and 30 s, respectively. Cidex OPA showed sporicidal activity after 30 min. CONCLUSION: To prevent the transmission of CDI, at least 1,000 ppm sodium hypochlorite solution should be used to disinfect the hospital environment. Contaminated endoscopes should be disinfected with Cidex OPA for more than 30 min.
Chlorophenols ; Clostridium ; Clostridium difficile ; Colony Count, Microbial ; Diarrhea ; Disinfectants ; Endoscopes ; Ethanol ; Glutaral ; Peroxides ; Ribotyping ; Sodium Hypochlorite ; Spores ; Stem Cells ; Sterilization ; Sulfuric Acids

The objectives of this research are 1) to access different images held by three consumer groups (patients in university hospital, patients in corporation hospital, persons who are not currently visiting hospitals) on two types of hospitals(university hospitals and corporation hospitals), and 2) to investigate the personal factors affecting images of two types of hospitals. The data for this analysis were collected by questionnaire survey. A total of 403 interviews were conducted. Of these cases, 43 percent are male and 57 percent are female. The major statistical methods used for the analysis are paired t-test, factor analysis and multiple regression. The three consumer groups show a consensus that corporation hospitals are better than university hospitals in some aspects, such as kindness, facilities, and equipments. However, these groups disagree in certain images on two types of hospitals, such as popularity, credibility, and readiness for emergency. The images on two types of hospitals are varied by the respondents' sociodemographic characteristics such as age, sex, and by the type of hospital they are currently visiting.
Consensus ; Emergencies ; Female ; Hospitals, University* ; Humans ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This investigation examined the effect of PBL on the meta-cognition, critical thinking, and problem solving process. METHOD: The research design was pre-posttest with a nonequivalent control group design. Scenarios for PBL sessions were developed on the basis of textbooks and patients' charts and tested for content validity. Seventy six nursing students who took a 'Nursing Process' course from two nursing schools participated in the experimental group and control group. The experimental group performed PBL during the semester. Meta-cognition and problem solving processes were assessed by questionnaires which were developed using pedagogics. Critical thinking was measured by the CCTST(California Critical Thinking Skill Test) Form 2000. The data was analyzed by repeated measure (pretest-posttest) MANOVA, and correlation analysis. RESULT: PBL improved the participants' meta-cognition and problem solving process but not critical thinking. The relationship between meta-cognition and the problem solving process was supported but the relationship between critical thinking and problem solving was not supported. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that PBL has a positive effect on nursing students' educational outcomes. To improve the problem solving ability of nursing students, PBL should be applied to more subjects in the nursing curriculum.
Adult ; *Cognition ; *Education, Nursing ; Female ; Humans ; *Problem Solving ; *Problem-Based Learning ; Students, Nursing/*psychology ; *Thinking

PURPOSE: Professional quality of life is the quality one feels in relation to their work as a helper. The purpose of this study was to describe professional quality of life among emergency nurses. METHODS: A total of 15 emergency rooms were selected in three cities. Among 263 nurses working at these emergency rooms, 178 nurses consented to participate in this cross-sectional survey. Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) Scale version 5 was used to measure compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Cluster analysis was used to classify nurses according to professional quality of life. RESULTS: The mean scores (SD) for compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress were 32.12 (5.45), 28.27 (4.28), and 28.20 (5.07), respectively. The result of cluster analysis according to standardized score of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress yielded three clusters. Over 50% of participants showed low professional quality of life. Nurses who were included in a cluster representing low professional quality of life were younger, had shorter periods of nursing experience, and perceivedlower social support than other cluster. CONCLUSION: Education or support programs for emergency nurses are needed to enhance their professional quality of life.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Emergencies ; Emergency Nursing ; Empathy ; Quality of Life

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to develop and test a model for the effects of grit, gratitude disposition, and stress on the psychological well-being of nursing students during the Coronavirus-2019 pandemic. Methods: The data were collected from June 9 to June 27, 2021. A total of 286 nursing students responded to an online questionnaire. In the hypothesis’s model, the exogenous variables were grit and gratitude disposition, and the endogenous variables were nursing students’ stress and psychological well-being. Data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN and AMOS programs. Results: The final model showed the following indices of goodness of fit: χ2 =78.30, χ2 /df=3.01, GFI=.95, CFI=.96, TLI=.94, SRMR=.05, and RMSEA=.08. Nursing students’ psychological well-being was explained by their grit, gratitude disposition, and stress directly and indirectly, with these three variables explaining 56% of psychological well-being. Conclusion This study identified factors affecting the psychological well-being of nursing students in a state of increased stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study can be a basis for developing and applying a program to enhance nursing students' psychological well-being.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of nursing record education on the knowledge and performance of nursing record of nurses at small- and medium-sized hospitals. Methods: The participants were 62 nurses working in two small- and medium-sized hospitals. Thirty-two nurses comprised the experimental group, and 30 nurses comprised the control group. Nursing record education was provided for the experimental group. Data were analyzed by x2-test and t-test analysis using the IBM SPSS statistics 25.0 Program. Results: After education, the knowledge (t=2.43, p=.019), performance (t=2.19, p=.033) and behavior scores (t=2.42, p=.018) on nursing record were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. Based on this result, nursing record education is an effective intervention to improve nurses’ knowledge and performance in writing nursing records in small- and medium-sized hospitals. Conclusion We suggest the development of a systematic and standardized education program on nursing record including its legal aspects, for nurses in small- and medium-sized hospitals. The results of this study can be used as basic data for developing a nursing record education program for small- and medium-sized hospitals.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore factors affecting uncertainty and general well-being based on Uncertainty in Illness Theory. METHODS: Data were collected from 125 outpatients who had received hemodialysis. The path model among four concepts, such as period of hemodialysis, social support, uncertainty, and general well-being, was tested. Tangible support, positive social interaction, affectionate, and emotional/informational support were measured as social support. Adaptation in the model was operationalized as general well-being which consisted of anxiety, depression, positive well-being, self-control, and general health. RESULTS: All paths were statistically significant at the level of alpha=.05. The significant paths were the path from period of hemodialysis to uncertainty (t=-2.86), social support to uncertainty (t=-2.01), uncertainty to general wellbeing (t=-2.85), and social support to general well-being (t=3.55). CONCLUSION: Patients who perceived low uncertainty and high social support were likely to feel well-being. Therefore, nurses should give patients appropriate information according to their needs and have meaningful interaction with patients to reduce their uncertainty and render social support.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations ; Outpatients ; Renal Dialysis ; Uncertainty

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of nursing record education on the knowledge and performance of nursing record of nurses at small- and medium-sized hospitals. Methods: The participants were 62 nurses working in two small- and medium-sized hospitals. Thirty-two nurses comprised the experimental group, and 30 nurses comprised the control group. Nursing record education was provided for the experimental group. Data were analyzed by x2-test and t-test analysis using the IBM SPSS statistics 25.0 Program. Results: After education, the knowledge (t=2.43, p=.019), performance (t=2.19, p=.033) and behavior scores (t=2.42, p=.018) on nursing record were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. Based on this result, nursing record education is an effective intervention to improve nurses’ knowledge and performance in writing nursing records in small- and medium-sized hospitals. Conclusion We suggest the development of a systematic and standardized education program on nursing record including its legal aspects, for nurses in small- and medium-sized hospitals. The results of this study can be used as basic data for developing a nursing record education program for small- and medium-sized hospitals.

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the effect of verbal violence, clinical practice stress, and coping with stress on the major satisfaction in nursing students during clinical practice. Methods: A cross-sectional study was used. A survey was conducted from May 3 to May 10, 2022, on 200 nursing students who were in their junior and seneior years at two universities in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé’s test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and hierarchical regression analysis were employed to analyze the data. Results: Major satisfaction was found to be significantly negatively correlated with verbal violence (r=-.30, p<.001) and clinical practice stress (r=-.15, p=.032) and to be positively correlated with coping with stress (r=.24, p<.001). Their satisfaction with clinical practice (β=.29, p=.037), verbal violence (β=-.23, p<.001), coping with stress (β=.16, p=.015), religion (β=.14, p=.041), and clinical practice stress (β=-.13, p=.048) explained 19.3% of the variance in nursing students’ major satisfaction during clinical practice. Conclusion A verbal violence and coping with stress program for nursing students should be developed to increase nursing students’ major satisfaction during clinical practice.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and test a model for posttraumatic growth among cured patients with COVID-19. This model was based on Calhoun and Tedeschi’s Posttraumatic Growth model and a literature review. Methods: The participants comprised 223 patients cured from COVID-19 who were ≥ 19 years of age. The data were collected through an online questionnaire from March 21 to 24, 2022.The assessment tools included the Impact of Event Scale: Revised Korean version, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Distress Dis-closure Index, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Korean version of the Event-related Rumination Inventory, and the Korean version of the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory. Data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS version 24.0 and IBM AMOS 26.0. Results: The modified model showed appropriate goodness of fit (χ 2 = 369.90, χ 2 /degree of freedom = 2.09, SRMR = .09, RMESA = .07, CFI = .94, TLI = .93). The post-traumatic growth of cured patients with COVID-19 was explained through distress perception, self-disclosure, and deliberate rumination, with the explanatory power being 70.0%. Conclusion This study suggests preparing a disaster psychology program involving experts who can activate deliberate rumination is necessary. Further, this study may serve as basic data for developing a program to enhance the post-traumatic growth of patients cured from COVID-19.