To examine the cognitive function of elderly, the study examined the performance of Korean normal elderly population whose age over 65 using neuropsychological instruments. It was predicted that the performance of the Korean population would be different from the U, S. mainly due to their difference in language, culture, and education. Korean elderly people from the Chungchung and Daejeon Metropolitan city(n=97) participated. Two age scores were developed: below 74 years and over 75 years. The effect of age, gender and education was examined, which yield significant age, gender and education effect. The score of DSF, DSB, TMTA, and TMTB are expected to be utilized for research purposes, such as basic, clinical, epidemiological studies, as well as practice purposes such as diagnosis and assessment of the progression of cognitive decline and dementia with MMSE-K.
Aged* ; Dementia ; Diagnosis ; Education ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans

PURPOSE: This study examined the health status of elderly. METHOD: This is a survey using cross-sectional design. The subject were 122 elders who were 65 and over in Daejeon. Instrumental activity of daily living, nutrition and Body mass index for physical health status, social engagement for social health status, and depression and loneliness for emotional health status were measured. RESULTS: Independent level was medium, and nutrition and BMI were normal level. Social engagement score was 2.38 which means low. Mean depression level was 7.71 and mean loneliness level was 56.77, which means high. The risk factors for vulnerable health status were no spouse, lower pocket money, living at institution, poor subjective health status. CONCLUSION: This finding indicates that the elderly subjects were in normal physical health status, but social and emotional health status were poor.
Aged* ; Body Mass Index ; Depression ; Humans ; Loneliness ; Risk Factors ; Spouses

PURPOSE: As population of elderly people continues to grow, successful aging has risen to the top of the nursing science agenda. The successful aging includes maintenance of the cognitive and physical functions, as well as emotional well-beings. This study was carried out to evaluate effects of the environmental enrichments on cognition of institutionalized elderly. METHOD: The population was selected among the elderly aging over 65 residing at two of institutions. A quasi experimental design was used with non-equivalent control group. Study subjects were thirteen for each group. For the experimental group, physical, social and symbolic environmental enrichment program was provided for six weeks. The data were analyzed by repeated measure ANOVA and repeated measure ANCOVA using SPSS Win 11.0. RESULT: Compared to control group, the experimental group showed a significant difference on DSF(F=3.29, p=.046), and TMTA(F=4.76, p=.013) of cognitive function, and depression (F=5.56, p=.007) of emotional distress after 1 and 12 weeks of environmental enrichment program. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that physical, social, and symbolic environmental enrichment was effective to partially prevent from cognitive decline, and to decrease emotional distress of elderly. As a nursing intervention, environmental enrichment program for elderly should be expanded for nursing practice to promote healthy aging and to offer support to the growing population of elderly. Further research should be conducted to evaluate the effect on the community elderly.
Aged* ; Aging ; Cognition ; Depression ; Humans ; Nursing ; Research Design

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify clusters of nursing competency, and investigate the influence of reflective thinking, team learning climate, and learning organization building according to nursing competency clusters. METHODS: Participants were 244 clinical nurses who worked in 4 general hospitals in Gwangju Metropolitan City. Data were collected by self-report questionnaires during June and July, 2011. Nursing competency, levels of reflection hierarchy, team learning climate, and learning organization building were measured. Data were analyzed using frequencies, means, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and K-means cluster analysis with SPSS/WIN 20.0 version. RESULTS: Nursing competency correlated positively with intensive reflection, reflection, team learning climate, and learning organization building (p<.001). There were three clusters of nursing competency in a clinical ladder, which were derived from cluster analysis, grouped as high, middle, and low competency. Intensive reflection, reflection, team learning climate, and learning organization building showed significant differences according to grouping of nursing competency. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that developing intensive reflection, reflection, team learning climate, and learning organization building would be useful strategies for enhancement of nursing competency.
Career Mobility ; Climate ; Hospitals, General ; Learning ; Professional Competence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Thinking

PURPOSE: This study was a methodological research conducted to develop a clinical ladder system for operating nurses. METHODS: Participants were 20 OR nurses, working in C Hospital, who had a mean tenure of 6 years and 10 months. Data collection consisted of 4 focus group interviews during May and June 2009. The content analysis method of Kim and Lee (1986) was used to analyze the data. Two clinical expert groups consisting of 16 nurses verified the content validity of the preliminary system from September 16 to 26, 2009 using Kim's tool (1999). RESULTS: The final clinical ladder system consisted of goals, core values, and 4 domains of practice related to core values, which were defined as professional value, perioperative nursing practice, education/research, and collaboration/leadership. Eleven nursing competencies and 44 behavior indicators were included in accordance with the 4-step ladder. The 4 operation systems for the clinical ladder system were the promotion system, continuous learning system, reward system, and support system. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that nursing managers need to pay more attention to developing a clinical ladder system for nurses.
Career Mobility ; Data Collection ; Focus Groups ; Learning ; Operating Rooms ; Perioperative Nursing ; Reward

PURPOSE: The purpose of this methodological study was to examine the reliability and validity of a translated Korean version of the Critical Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) developed for assessment of pain in critically ill nonverbal patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 202 critically ill patients admitted to a university hospital. Upon establishment of content and translation equivalence between the English and Korean version of CPOT, psychometric properties were evaluated. RESULTS: The interrater reliability was found to be acceptable with the weighted kappa coefficients of .81-.88. Significant high correlations between the CPOT and the Checklist of Nonverbal Pain Indicators were found indicating good concurrent validity (r=.72-.83, p<.001). Data showed the area under the ROC curve of 0.86 with a cut-off point of 1, which resulted in 76.9% sensitivity and 88.6% specificity. The mean score of CPOT during suctioning was significantly different from that of before (t=-14.16, p<.001) or 20 minutes after suctioning (t=16.31, p<.001). CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that the CPOT can be used as a reliable and valid measure to assess pain in critically ill nonverbal patients.
Adult ; *Critical Care ; Critical Illness ; Female ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Intubation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain Measurement/*statistics & numerical data ; Psychometrics ; ROC Curve ; Republic of Korea ; Respiration, Artificial ; Suction ; *Translating

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between powerlessness, sense of belonging and nutritional status of the elderly. METHOD: The study sample was 100 living at home and institutions. Data were collected by interview from Oct. to Dec. in 2003. The instruments were helplessness scale developed by Jung (1998), sense of belonging scale SOBI-A and nutritional initial screening. RESULT: The mean score of powerlessness was 2.71+/-.30, sense of belonging was 2.87+/-.19, and nutritional status was 4.42+/-.34. There was a statistically significant differences in powerlessness according to age (F=3.185, p=0.027), health status (F=6.945, P=0.002), religion (F=5.941, P=0.001), current spouse (t=-0.384, p=0.026), in sense of belonging according to age (F=4.40, P=0.006), length of education (F=10.64, P=<.0001) and in nutritional status according to age (F=3.34, P= 0.022), health status (F=2.86, P=0.027). There was a statistically significant correlation between powerlessness and nutritional status (r=0.219, p=0.029). CONCLUSION: Nurses are able to decrease powerlessness or increase sense of belonging and nutritional status of the elderly by developing the health promotion program, improving perceived health status and empowering social interaction of the elderly specifically living at institutions.
Aged ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Interpersonal Relations ; Mass Screening ; Nutritional Status ; Spouses

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of an oral stimulation program on premature infant's transition from tube feeding to bottle feeding, decrease in desaturation during feeding, and early discharge. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was performed in one neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of an university hospital. The control group data (n=69) were obtained from June 2008 to May 2009, and the experimental group data (n=67), from June 2009 to May 2010. The oral stimulation program (OSP) was provided daily before feeding for the experimental group until transition to bottle feeding was completed. RESULTS: The OSP group began bottle feeding earlier and were on complete bottle feeding earlier than control group. Discharge delay due to feeding desaturation was lower than for the control group. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that OSP for premature infants was helpful in transition from tube feeding to bottle feeding and early discharge and thus can contribute health and development in premature infants.
Bottle Feeding ; Enteral Nutrition ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Physical Stimulation

PURPOSE: This study was performed to assess the degree of cognitive function of elderly by MMSE-K performances and of that effect. METHOD: The subjects were 185 aged over 65 in Daejeon Metropolitan city. Data were collected through personal interview using the questionnaire from 10 to 31, Jan.. 2003. The measures were Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE-K). RESULTS: The mean score of MMSE-K was 22.60+/-5.39. The prevalence of cognitive impairment was estimated as 48.6% by MMSE-K < or =23 and significantly age, gender, and education effect. The subtype score of MMSE-K were significantly lower in female group in each items : orientation in time and place, attention/calculation, language except registration and recall. And the scores were significantly lower in the older group and non-educated group in the all items of MMSE-K. CONCLUSION: Gender, age, and education showed significant effects on total and subtype MMSE-K score. Cognitive function decline were higher in female, older age group, and non-educated group. Therefore, those three factors are thought to be one of important risk factors for development of dementia, also it is assumed to be affected by other variables than age, gender, education effect.
Aged* ; Dementia ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to translate the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS) into Korean and test its validity and reliability. METHODS: Participants were 340 nursing students who were recruited from 5 nursing colleges in Korea. Data were collected from November 21 to December 20, 2016 and analyzed using the IBM Statistics SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 23.0 programs. Exploratory factor analysis, Confirmatory factor analysis, and concurrent validity analysis were performed. RESULTS: For the Korean-SRIS (K-SRIS) 4 items were deleted from the original SRIS. The final scale consisted of 16 items which were sorted into- the 2 factors: self-reflection (11 items), insight (5 items). The cumulative percent of variance was 50.91%. The statistically significant correlation between K-SRIS scores and the Reflection in Learning Scale (RLS) support the concurrent validity of the K-SRIS. The reliability of the scale, Cronbach's α was .83. CONCLUSION: The finding indicate that the K-SRIS has validity and reliability. Therefore it can be used for measuring and developing reflection ability in nursing students.
Humans ; Korea ; Learning ; Nursing ; Reproducibility of Results ; Students, Nursing