PURPOSE: This study is to explore the relationships among spirituality, death anxiety and burnout level of nurses caring for cancer patients. METHODS: Participants were 210 nurses from a cancer hospital in Seoul. Data were collected from April until June 2012 and analyzed using t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffe's test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The mean score for spirituality was 3.51 out of six. Among sub-categories, the one that scored the highest was the purpose and meaning of life, followed by unifying interconnectedness, inner resources and transcendence. The mean score for death anxiety was 3.22, and the sub-categories in the order of high score were denial of death, awareness of the shortness of time, pure death anxiety and fear of matters related to death. For the burnout, the mean was 4.10. Among sub-categories, highest mark was found with emotional exhaustion, followed by depersonalization and personal accomplishment. The spirituality level was negatively correlated with those of death anxiety and burnout. Death anxiety was positively correlated with burnout levels. Nurses with the higher spirituality level also had a higher level of education and experience of spiritual education, believed in the existence of God. In contrast, death anxiety and burnout levels were higher among those with a lower level of education, atheists, and for those who answered that religion has little influence on life. CONCLUSION: Thus, it is necessary to provide spiritual interventions for nurses who care for cancer patients to develop their spirituality, reduce death anxiety and prevent them from burning out easily.
Anxiety* ; Burnout, Professional ; Burns ; Cancer Care Facilities* ; Denial (Psychology) ; Depersonalization ; Education ; Humans ; Spirituality*

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to develop an educational program to reduce the use of physical restraints for caregivers in geriatric hospitals and to evaluate the effects of the program on cargivers' knowledge, attitude and nursing practice related to the use of physical restraints. METHODS: A quasi experimental study with a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Participants were recruited from two geriatric hospitals. Eighteen caregivers were assigned to the experimental group and 20 to the control group. The data were collected prior to the intervention and at 6 weeks after the intervention through the use of self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, Fisher's exact probability test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: After the intervention, knowledge about physical restraints increased significantly in experimental group compared to the control group. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups for attitude and nursing practice involving physical restraints. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that it is necessary to apply knowledge acquired through educational programs to nursing practice to reduce the use of physical restraints. User friendly guidelines for physical restraints, administrative support of institutions, and multidisciplinary approaches are required to achieve this goal.
Adult ; Caregivers/*education/psychology ; Female ; Geriatrics ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Male ; Program Evaluation ; Questionnaires ; Restraint, Physical/*utilization

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of schoolbags and the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among elementary school children and to identify factors associated with relative schoolbag weight and musculoskeletal symptoms. METHODS: A descriptive correlation study was conducted with 228 elementary school children in grades 4-6. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, chi2-test or Fisher's exact test, logistic regression analysis were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Mean relative schoolbag weight (RSW) was 6.40%. Among participants, 13.2% carried more than 10% of their RSW. Only 49.6% of participants organized the contents in their school backpack correctly. Musculoskeletal symptoms were reported by 42.5% of participants. Results from logistic regression analysis identified grade was a significant factor predicting RSW, and gender, RSW, and using a locker were significant factors predicting musculoskeletal symptoms among schoolchildren. CONCLUSION: Although RSW of school children in this study was within the currently recommended load limit, a considerable proportion of school children were not following guidelines for safe schoolbag use. An effective schoolbag safety campaign for parents, students, and teachers needs to be developed and evaluated to prevent possible musculoskeletal symptoms related to schoolbag use.
Child* ; Data Collection ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Musculoskeletal Pain ; Parents ; Prevalence ; Statistics as Topic

The involvement of health-care professionals in tobacco-control activities is essential to prevent smoking-related morbidity and mortality. The purposes of this predictive correlational study were to examine tobacco-control activities and to identify the predictors of such activities of community health practitioners (CHPs). Of the 1,813 members of the Korean Association of CHP, 1,247 participated in this study. A mailed survey was conducted to collect data. The majority of CHPs supported tobacco-control policies and recognized tobacco-control activities as an important role for them. Only 44.3% of CHPs were confident in their knowledge and skills regarding tobacco-control activities, and only 30.8% had received professional tobacco-control education. While the majority of the CHPs "asked, advised, and assessed"their clients, only a small number "assisted or arranged". The tobacco-control activities of CHPs were predicted by their attitude toward it, age, experience of tobacco-control education, educational level, and general perception of the risk of smoking; these variables accounted 13.5% of variance in the tobacco-control activities of CHPs. These findings provide the basis for developing a continuing education program for CHPs. CHPs should be encouraged to integrate tobacco-control activities into their routine practice, and CHP education programs should be adjusted to increase the time spent on the tobacco-control intervention techniques.
Adult ; Aged ; Analysis of Variance ; *Attitude of Health Personnel ; Clinical Competence/standards ; Community Health Nursing/education/*organization & administration ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education, Nursing, Continuing/standards ; Educational Status ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Needs Assessment ; *Nurse's Role ; Nursing Methodology Research ; Nursing Staff/education/organization & administration/*psychology ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Questionnaires ; Regression Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Self Efficacy ; Smoking/*prevention & control ; Smoking Cessation

PURPOSES: The purposes of this study were to evaluate parent satisfaction with inpatient hospital services in children's hospitals and to identify variables related to parent satisfaction. METHOD: A descriptive correlation study was conducted. Parents of 165 children who were inpatients in two children's hospitals participated in the study. Data were collected using structured questionnaire at the time of discharge. For statistical analysis, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis were used. RESULTS: The highest parent satisfaction domain was nursing service, and the lowest parent satisfaction domain was hospital service and accommodations. Parents were less likely to be satisfied with hospital facilities, equipment, noise and cleaning and less likely to be satisfied with the lack of information they received and with the lack of communication with health care professionals. Parents with longer length of stay and with older children reported higher satisfaction than their counterparts. Moreover, parent satisfaction was related to their intention to revisit and related to intention to recommend this surveyed hospital over others. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to improve parent satisfaction in children's hospital service and accommodation are needed to improve the quality of health care. Communication by health care professionals with parents and a partnership between parents and health care professionals are necessary to improve quality of care.
Child ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Intention ; Length of Stay ; Noise ; Nursing Services ; Parents* ; Quality of Health Care ; Statistics as Topic ; Child Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSES: The purposes of this study were to examine knowledge related to child abuse, attitudes toward child abuse, and intention to report child abuse and to identify the predictors of nurses' intention to report child abuse. METHOD: A descriptive-correlational study was conducted. Participants were 171 nurses who worked in the pediatric or emergency rooms in G city. Self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, t-test or ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and stepwise multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Nurses had a limited knowledge related to child abuse. Nurses had negative attitudes toward child discipline, were inclined to punish the abuser, and had positive attitudes about professional responsibility for reporting child abuse. Nurses perceived difficulty in the actual behavior of reporting child abuse. Nurses' intention to report child abuse was predicted by nurses' attitudes to professional responsibility for reporting child abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings of this study, educational programs need to be developed, implemented, and evaluated. The conclusion of this study is that supplementary education is needed for multidisciplinary decision making concerning the role of the nurses within the context of child abuse.Implications for nursing practice, education and research are discussed.
Child ; Child Abuse* ; Child* ; Data Collection ; Decision Making ; Education ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Intention* ; Nursing ; Statistics as Topic ; Child Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) among community-dwelling older women in Korea is not well known. This study examined the prevalence of UI and UI-related knowledge among community-dwelling Korean women aged 55 and over. METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive-correlational study was conducted. Data were collected from 276 women aged 55 and over in a metropolitan city using a structured questionnaire. RESULT: Of 276 respondents, 28.3% (n = 78) reported experiencing UI. More than 50% of respondents incorrectly agreed with the statement that UI is the result of normal aging, with only 20.9% realizing that there is an exercise that can control urine leaks when one coughs, sneezes, or laughs. Older women who had sought treatment had higher mean score for UI-related knowledge. CONCLUSION: This study revealed substantial misconception about UI among community dwelling older women, demonstrating that comprehensive educational programs need to be developed to increase knowledge of UI.
Age Distribution ; *Aged/psychology/statistics & numerical data ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aging ; Attitude to Health ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Educational Status ; Exercise Therapy ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Needs Assessment ; Patient Education as Topic/*standards ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Residence Characteristics ; Risk Factors ; Self Care ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Urban Population/statistics & numerical data ; *Urinary Incontinence/epidemiology/etiology/prevention & control ; Women/*education/psychology

PURPOSE: The purposes of this review were to address misconceptions of childhood fever and fever management practice among parents and health care providers, and to identify the scientific evidences against such misconceptions and practices. METHODS: Journal databases and clinical guidelines from 2000 to 2015 were searched. The search terms were fever, fever management, misconception, myth, fiction, fact, fever phobia, child, antipyretics, tepid bath, alternating use/combined use of antipyretics, and physical cooling method. RESULTS: There are significant gaps between current concepts and practices, and the scientific evidence. Misconceptions and unrealistic concerns about childhood fever still exist among parents and even health care providers, worldwide. The evidences suggest that antipyretics should be given carefully with the aim of relieving discomfort or pain rather than decreasing the temperature itself. Alternating use of antipyretics should be discouraged due to the risk of confusion and error. Antipyretics do not prevent febrile convulsions. Moreover, the scientific evidence does not support tepid sponge massage. CONCLUSION: Evidence-based childhood fever management interventions should be targeted toward parents and health care providers. By adopting an evidence-based approach to nursing interventions, pediatric nurses can ensure children receive appropriate and safe fever management.
Antipyretics ; Baths ; Child ; Evidence-Based Practice ; Fever* ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Massage ; Nursing ; Parents ; Phobic Disorders ; Porifera ; Seizures, Febrile

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of foot reflexology on fatigue, sleep and pain. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. Electronic database and manual searches were conducted on all published studies reporting the effects of foot reflexology on fatigue, sleep, and pain. Forty four studies were eligible including 15 studies associated with fatigue, 18 with sleep, and 11 with pain. The effects of foot reflexology were analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Version 2.0. The homogeneity and the fail-safe N were calculated. Moreover, a funnel plot was used to assess publication bias. RESULTS: The effects on fatigue, sleep, and pain were not homogeneous and ranged from 0.63 to 5.29, 0.01 to 3.22, and 0.43 to 2.67, respectively. The weighted averages for fatigue, sleep, and pain were 1.43, 1.19, and 1.35, respectively. No publication bias was detected as evaluated by fail-safe N. Foot reflexology had a larger effect on fatigue and sleep and a smaller effect on pain. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis indicates that foot reflexology is a useful nursing intervention to relieve fatigue and to promote sleep. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effects of foot reflexology on outcome variables other than fatigue, sleep and pain.
Databases, Factual ; Fatigue/*therapy ; Female ; *Foot ; Humans ; Male ; *Massage ; Pain Management/*nursing ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/*therapy

PURPOSE: Despite the high prevalence of back pain and its subsequent effects in post-partum women, intervention programs are scarce. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of a back-pain-reducing program on post-partum women who experienced low-back pain during pregnancy. METHODS: A non-equivalent control-group pretest-posttest design was used. Pregnant women who attended a hospital for prenatal check-ups and experienced back pain participated in an intervention program (n=27), and the results were compared with women in a control group from another hospital (n=25). RESULTS: At 8 weeks post-partum, the pain intensity, functional limitations were lower in the intervention group than in the control group. However, differences in mean change of the pain intensity and functional limitations between 36 and 39 weeks of gestation and at 8 weeks post-partum were not statistically significant between the groups. Moreover, the flexibility, post-partum functional status, and post-partum depression did not differ significantly between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: A back-pain-relief program in this study was not effective to reduce the back-pain intensity in post-partum women and to decrease the associated functional limitations. The implications for nursing practice and directions for future research are discussed.
Activities of Daily Living ; Adult ; Back Pain/psychology/*therapy ; Depression, Postpartum/etiology ; Exercise ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Patient Education as Topic ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications/*therapy ; *Prenatal Care ; Puerperal Disorders/*prevention & control