PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare nursing professionalism between diploma students and bachelor students and to identify differences in factors affecting nursing professionalism according to nursing educational system. METHODS: The participants were 462 nursing students who had completed all clinical practicum courses. Of these students, 255 were from one of 2 diploma degree colleges and 207 were from one of 3 bachelor degree universities. Collected data included general characteristics, professionalism, nursing image, self-efficacy, satisfaction with nursing as a major, and satisfaction with clinical practice. RESULTS: Age, religion, grade point average, motivation for admission, nursing professionalism and satisfaction with clinical practice were significantly different between diploma and bachelor students. Image of nurse, satisfaction with nursing as a major and satisfaction with clinical practice were common factors influencing nursing professionalism in both groups. Self-efficacy was a significant factor only for diploma degree students and religion was a significant factor only for bachelor degree students. CONCLUSION: For more positive nursing professionalism by students, more attention should be paid to enhancing positive nurse images, satisfaction with nursing as a major and satisfaction with clinical practice during the students' period of study.
Humans ; Motivation ; Personal Satisfaction ; Students, Nursing

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and test a structural equation model on social re-adjustment of individuals with stroke based on a literature review and Roy’s adaptation model. Methods: This study involved 321 participants who had a stroke and visited the outpatient department after discharge. The hypothetical model was developed based on Roy’s adaptation model and a comprehensive review of previous literature on the topic. The model comprised four exogenous variables (neurological damage, gender [man], age, and social support) and five endogenous variables (activities of daily living, acceptance of disability, depression, rehabilitation motivation, and social re-adjustment). The data were analyzed using SPSS Windows software version 22.0 and AMOS 23.0. Results: Out of 28 research hypotheses, 18 were supported, and they indicated approximately 64% probability of social re-adjustment. Social re-adjustment is directly and significantly affected by age, social support, activities of daily living, and depression. Social re-adjustment is indirectly affected by neurological impairment, gender (men), age, social support, and rehabilitation motivation. Conclusion Continuous assistance and care should be provided for individuals with disabilities caused by sudden neurological damage to facilitate gradual improvement in their social re-adjustment. To enhance social re-adjustment, especially among older adults, newly developed interventions should focus on improving their activities of daily living, preventing depression, and enhancing support from family and healthcare personnel.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the administration pattern of sedatives, analgesics, and muscle relaxants for mechanically ventilated patients. The subjects of this descriptive study were 21 adult patients who received mechanical ventilation therapy more than 3 days in SICU. The results of this study are as follows: 1. The mean age of the subjects was 52 years old. Ten out of 21 subjects were female and 11 patients were male. 2. The 13 different drugs were prescribed for the patients. There were 325 total doses administered for 3 days to these patients. Most frequently used medication was midazolam. On average, the patients were received 2.5 different drugs. 3. The number of administered drug and the frequency of administration differed depending on the type of surgery which the patients had undergone. 4. Examination on the administration pattern of midazolam revealed that patients received midazolam by continuous intravenous infusion (19%), by intermittent intravenous injection (33%), and by both continuous and intermittent method (19%). 5. About 42% of patients received neuromuscular blocking agents with sedatives or analgesics. None of them was given paralytic agents without sedatives or analgesics. Future study should be focused on the evaluation of the adequacy of current practice for sedation and paralysis in terms of the patient's response.
Adult ; Analgesics* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives* ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Injections, Intravenous ; Male ; Midazolam ; Middle Aged ; Neuromuscular Blocking Agents ; Paralysis ; Respiration, Artificial

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify quality of life of family caregivers and to investigate factors positively and negatively affecting family caregivers’ quality of life. Methods: Participants were 153 family caregivers taking care of dementia elderly. Collected data were general characteristics, quality of life, care burden, depression, social support, family relationship, and problematic behaviors. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression. Results: Mean age of participants was 58.70±13.88. The average scores of main variables for family relationship, social support, quality of life, care burden, problematic behaviors and depression were 3.99±1.08, 3.34±0.84, 3.00±0.63, 1.96±0.51, 1.48±1.06, 1.17±0.71 and 1.13±0.61, respectively. In regression analysis, depression (β=-.20), subjective health (β=.26), social support (β=.23), education level (β=-.20), and care burden (β=-.22) accounted for 59.1% of the variance in quality of life. Conclusion To increase quality of life for family caregivers, interventions should be focused on reducing depression and care burden, enhancing caregiver’s health and social support. especially for family caregivers who received lower education.

This article is being retracted as a part of the manuscript was a 'duplicate publication' from an earlier publication.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the nutritional status and to compare nutritional indicators by caloric intake for intensive care unit patients. METHODS: The participants for this descriptive investigation were 62 patients who were admitted to medical and surgical ICUs and started on enteral feeding. Data were collected in a tertiary hospital and the patients were followed for 7 days after enteral feeding was initiated. For analysis, patients who received 80% less calories than their required level were categorized as the underfed group and patients who received more than 80% to their required level, as the adequately fed group. RESULTS: Compared to daily requirements, the prescribed calories and protein for patients overall were 77.39% and 64.75% respectively. The level of calories and protein given was less than their prescription. However, a comparison of the underfed group and the adequately fed group, showed that there was no significantly difference in albumin, prealbumin and transferrin. Only body weight was significantly different between the groups. C-reactive protein had a significant correlation with prealbumin and transferrin. CONCLUSION: Underfeeding is a common phenomenon among ICU patients. Nutritional indicators such as prealbumin, albumin and transferrin may not sensitive indicators to assess nutritional status of ICU patients.
Body Weight ; C-Reactive Protein ; Energy Intake ; Enteral Nutrition ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Nutrition Assessment ; Nutritional Status ; Prealbumin ; Prescriptions ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Transferrin

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to identify the factors, which predict care burden perceived by caregivers of elders with dementia. METHODS: The participants in this descriptive survey were 92 caregivers who used one of six daycare centers located in Incheon. The data were collected by questionnaires composed of items on general characteristics of the elders and caregivers, care burden, caregiver fatigue, and functional status of the elders. RESULTS: General characteristics of the elders associated with care burden were age, gender, religion, and the presence of a spouse. Features of caregivers related to care burden were education, relationship with elderly, amount of rest, intention to care, monthly family income, and perceived family economic status. There were significant correlations among care burden, fatigue of caregiver and functional status of the elders. In stepwised multiple regression analysis, significant influencing factors were identified as caregiver fatigue, functional status of the elders, intention to care, relationship with the elders, amount of rest and elder's gender. Those variables explained 46% of variance of care burden. CONCLUSION: Functional status of elders and amount of rest were significant predictors and are supported by other previous studies. Future interventions for caregivers need to be focused on the slowing down of functional status of elders and increasing of number and length of caregiver's rest periods.
Aged ; Caregivers ; Dementia ; Dependency (Psychology) ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Intention ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Spouses

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of knowledge, attitude and compliance with standard precautions and to identify predicting factors of compliance with standard precautions in ICU and ER nurses. METHODS: The participants were 228 ICU and ER nurses working in one of three university hospitals and one general hospital. Collected data included general characteristics, features related to infection risk, and knowledge, attitude and compliance with standard precautions. For the final analysis, 218 questionnaires were used. RESULTS: Within the previous one year, 103 (47.3%) nurses experienced pricking injury from syringe needles or other sharp materials, 111 (50.9%) nurses reported exposure to patients' blood and body fluid. In general, the scores for knowledge, attitude and compliance were all high. Compliance scores for nurses in intensive care units were significantly higher than those of nurses in emergency. There were significant correlations of knowledge, attitude, and compliance with standard precautions. Attitude and work place were significant factors predicting compliance with standard precautions. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that to increase nurse's compliance with standard precautions, continuous efforts to enhance positive attitudes and at the same time, improve work environments and use individualized approaches based on the work units are needed.
Body Fluids ; Compliance ; Emergencies ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, University ; Hypogonadism ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Needles ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Syringes ; Workplace

PURPOSE: Purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate cognitive function, physical function, and problematic behaviors of elders who attended dementia daycare centers, and to identify reasons why they stopped using the center. METHODS: Participants were 176 elders, 60 years or over, attending one of four dementia daycare centers in Incheon. Data were collected from center documents. RESULTS: Mean age was 80.5 years. When admitted to the centers mean scores for the mini-mental status examination, activity of daily living, and instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) were 12.31, 9.53, and 25.09 respectively. Participants received day care service for an average of 17.98 months. The reasons for leaving the center were worsening dementia and health (40.2%), and problematic behaviors (20.1%). CONCLUSION: Results show that elders began to use day care services when their cognitive function and IADL had declined considerably. As the ultimate goal of dementia daycare service is to delay the worsening of cognitive capability and decreases in activities daily living, the effect of the service can be maximized when the service is provided as early as possible in the course of progressively severe dementia. Active promotion should be exerted in the community to encourage early use of this service.
Day Care, Medical ; Dementia* ; Incheon ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the level of quality of life and gender differences in predictors of quality of life among patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS: Participants for this descriptive survey were 67 men and 65 women who signed informed consents. They were patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, or were on medication therapy after a heart attack. The Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), Personal Resource Questionnaire-part (II), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale were used to measure quality of life, social support, and depression respectively. Gender and age were controlled because they were reported as influencing factors in previous studies. RESULTS: There were significant differences in depression and quality of life between men and women however, social support was not significantly different by gender. In multiple regression analysis, depression was a significant predictor and explained 51.9% of quality of life for men. In women, depression and social support were significant predictors and explained 50.9% of quality of life. CONCLUSION: Factors influencing quality of life for men and women were different, and therefore, nurses need to consider their patients' gender and use specific strategies to improve quality of life for patients with coronary artery disease.
Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Depression ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Heart ; Humans ; Male ; Quality of Life ; Sex Characteristics ; Transplants