PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the spiritual well-being and quality of life between hospital and home hospice patients. METHODS: A total of 116 patients from 4 hospice hospitals in D city and P city participated in this study from January to April 2012. To measure spiritual well-being, an instrument developed by Paloutzian and Ellison (1982) and revised by Park (2005) was used. To measure quality of life, an instrument developed by Cho (1993) and revised by Sun (2003) was used. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, t-test, chi2-test, and ANCOVA. RESULTS: Spiritual well-being and quality of life were higher in home hospice patients than in hospital hospice patients, but they were not statistically significant. Higher education and having religion were significantly related to higher spiritual well-being in both groups. Having religion and pain history for the past one week were significantly related to higher quality of life in both groups. CONCLUSION: For hospice patients, participation in religious activities needs to be encouraged to improve their spiritual well-being and quality of life. Assessing the hospice patients' pain history with close observation and managing the pain are suggested.
Hospice Care ; Hospices* ; Humans ; Quality of Life* ; Solar System ; Spirituality

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine and evaluate the effects of auricular acupressure on musculoskeletal pain, depression and sleep of the elderly who are institutionalized in long-term care facilities. METHODS: The research was conducted in a non-equivalent control group and non-synchronized design with data collected from October to December, 2016. The subjects were from long-term care facilities for the elderly in D city and divided into an experimental group (24 subjects) and a control group (25 subjects). RESULTS: After the intervention, the experimental group showed significant improvement in degree of musculoskeletal pain on time (χ2=23.89, p < .001) and degree of depression on time and group (χ2=37.42, p < .001, U=122.0, p < 001) and degree of sleep on time (χ2=33.62, p < .001). Thus, the suggested hypothesis is partially supported. CONCLUSION: Auricular acupressure therapy is expected to be a practical and efficient nursing intervention for the elderly institutionalized in long-term care facilities.
Acupressure ; Aged ; Depression ; Humans ; Long-Term Care ; Musculoskeletal Pain ; Nursing

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of ego-resilience, nursing professionalism and empathy on clinical competency and to suggest strategies for improving the clinical competency of general hospital nurses. Methods: Data collection was performed from Jan. 18th, 2019 to Feb. 14th. A total of 194 nurses from four general hospitals participated in this study. The collected data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, Scheffe test, Pearson's correlation and stepwise multiple regression analysis using SPSS 23.0. Results: The factors affecting the clinical competency of general hospital nurses included ego-resilience (β=.28, p<.001), nursing professionalism (β=.20, p=.011), empathic concern (β=.19, p=.003), working department (β=-.17, p=.008), total clinical career (β=.15, p=.011), and number of beds (β=.13, p=.033). These factors accounted for 33.0% of the clinical competency (p<.001). Conclusion It is important to find ways to improve the level of empathy of general hospital nurses and there is a need to include education programs or practical interventions to strengthen empathy at the clinical level.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a self-esteem improvement program on self-esteem and peer attachment in elementary school children with observed problematic behaviors. METHODS: This study is a quasi-experimental study with a nonequivalent control group pretest-post-test design. A total of 47 fourth grade elementary school students participated in this study. The program was provided for 45 minutes once a week; a total of 12 sessions were completed with a group in the classroom for the experimental group. Child Problem-Behavior Screening Questionnaire was used to measure problematic behavior. Self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg's Self-esteem Questionnaire, and peer attachment was measured using the Inventory of Parent and Attachment. Measuring was performed right after the program was done (post 1) and 1 month after the program was finished (post 2). To compare the differences in self-esteem and peer attachment between groups, repeated measures analysis of variance was used. RESULTS: Most participants in the experimental group were 10 years old (62.5%, range 10-11), male (52.0%) and with middle grade point average (64.0%). The self-esteem scores in the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (F = 26.64, p < .001). The peer attachment scores in the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (F = 6.48, p = .014). CONCLUSIONS: The self-esteem improvement program in this study improved the self-esteem and peer attachment in elementary school children. The self-esteem program helped acknowledge the peer's name and increased their connections. The program needs to be considered as a formal and consistent program.
Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; *Peer Group ; Problem Behavior/*psychology ; Republic of Korea ; *Self Concept ; Students/*psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate agitation in home-dwelling persons with dementia and coping behaviors of primary family care-givers to agitation. METHODS: The research was designed as a descriptive study. A total of two hundred and five subjects had participated in this study. To measure agitation in persons with dementia, Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory was used. To measure coping behaviors of primary family care-givers to the agitation, a questionnaire was used. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe test were used to answer the research objectives. RESULTS: 'Repetitive mannerisms' and 'repeating sentences' were the most commonly occurred agitation in home-dwelling persons with dementia. 'Leaving the situation', 'allowing certain time', and 'soothing by talking' were the most common coping behaviors occurred in primary care-givers. CONCLUSION: The findings of the current study would provide meaningful data to develop nursing programs to control agitation for home-dwelling persons with dementia and education programs for primary care-givers to cope with persons' agitation.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Caregivers ; Dementia ; Dihydroergotamine ; Humans ; Phosphatidylethanolamines ; Psychomotor Agitation ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of death anxiety and social support on the preferences for care near the end of life in older adults staying at long-term care hospitals. By understanding these relationships among the factors, we provide crucial insights for enhancing end-of-life care with respect to patients’ end-of-life care preferences. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 155 older adults staying at long-term care hospitals participated in the study. Data collection was performed from January 9, 2023 to March 9, 2023. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results: The results of this study show that death anxiety (β=.23, p=.002), social support (β=.22, p=.003), intensive care transfer (β=.18, p=.022), and severity of illness (β=.16, p=.033) were significantly affecting factors to the care preferences near the end of life in older adults staying at long-term care hospitals. Conclusion: Understanding the end-of-life care preferences of older adults with death anxiety in long-term care hospitals is important. Expressing these preferences in a timely manner requires extensive support from patients, family, and health professionals. Developing an effective program for end-of-life care preferences is continuously needed for future studies.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of death anxiety and social support on the preferences for care near the end of life in older adults staying at long-term care hospitals. By understanding these relationships among the factors, we provide crucial insights for enhancing end-of-life care with respect to patients’ end-of-life care preferences. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 155 older adults staying at long-term care hospitals participated in the study. Data collection was performed from January 9, 2023 to March 9, 2023. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results: The results of this study show that death anxiety (β=.23, p=.002), social support (β=.22, p=.003), intensive care transfer (β=.18, p=.022), and severity of illness (β=.16, p=.033) were significantly affecting factors to the care preferences near the end of life in older adults staying at long-term care hospitals. Conclusion: Understanding the end-of-life care preferences of older adults with death anxiety in long-term care hospitals is important. Expressing these preferences in a timely manner requires extensive support from patients, family, and health professionals. Developing an effective program for end-of-life care preferences is continuously needed for future studies.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of death anxiety and social support on the preferences for care near the end of life in older adults staying at long-term care hospitals. By understanding these relationships among the factors, we provide crucial insights for enhancing end-of-life care with respect to patients’ end-of-life care preferences. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 155 older adults staying at long-term care hospitals participated in the study. Data collection was performed from January 9, 2023 to March 9, 2023. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results: The results of this study show that death anxiety (β=.23, p=.002), social support (β=.22, p=.003), intensive care transfer (β=.18, p=.022), and severity of illness (β=.16, p=.033) were significantly affecting factors to the care preferences near the end of life in older adults staying at long-term care hospitals. Conclusion: Understanding the end-of-life care preferences of older adults with death anxiety in long-term care hospitals is important. Expressing these preferences in a timely manner requires extensive support from patients, family, and health professionals. Developing an effective program for end-of-life care preferences is continuously needed for future studies.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of death anxiety and social support on the preferences for care near the end of life in older adults staying at long-term care hospitals. By understanding these relationships among the factors, we provide crucial insights for enhancing end-of-life care with respect to patients’ end-of-life care preferences. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 155 older adults staying at long-term care hospitals participated in the study. Data collection was performed from January 9, 2023 to March 9, 2023. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results: The results of this study show that death anxiety (β=.23, p=.002), social support (β=.22, p=.003), intensive care transfer (β=.18, p=.022), and severity of illness (β=.16, p=.033) were significantly affecting factors to the care preferences near the end of life in older adults staying at long-term care hospitals. Conclusion: Understanding the end-of-life care preferences of older adults with death anxiety in long-term care hospitals is important. Expressing these preferences in a timely manner requires extensive support from patients, family, and health professionals. Developing an effective program for end-of-life care preferences is continuously needed for future studies.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors related to burnout of nurses working at intensive care units. Methods: The subjects of this study included 149 nurses in intensive care units at six general hospitals. The data was analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 23.0 program with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and Stepwise multiple regression analysis were used. Results: The factors significantly affecting burnout included work stress ‘high to very high’ (β=.39, p<.001), communication skill (β=-.24, p=.001), subjective health status ‘normal’ (β=.22, p=.001) and ‘bad to very bad’ (β=.20, p=.002) and problem-driven coping (β=-.19, p=.010) in order, and the explanatory power of these factors to the burnout was 46.3%. Conclusion: Based on the results, effective interventions need to be provided to improve intensive care unit nurses’ health conditions and to relieve their work stress. It is necessary to develop practical strategies to improve nurses’ communication and stress coping skills to reduce their burnout.