The purpose of this study was to investigate the nursing needs among family members of cancer patients. A total of 101 family members participated in this study by rating the importance of 30 need statements using a four-point Likert-type scale. And the subjects recorded their needs in open question. The ages of the subjects were 17-73 years, at five university hospitals in Seoul, ChunChon, and Kyung Ge Province. The data were collected from October, 1996 to July, 1997. The instrument used for this study was the Family Needs Scale (FNS), which were composed of six factors, developed by this researcher. Content validity of the instrument was established through a review of the statements by a professor majoring in nursing and reliability by calculation of Cronbach's alpha with data of the respondents. The values of Cronbach's alpha was 0.91. Analysis of data was done by means of the SAS program using t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe test, and Stepwise multiple regression. The results were as follows : 1. The scores on FNS ranged from 75 to 120 with a mean of 99.04. Needs to be informed on the patient's condition, treatment and nursing intervention among six factors showed the highest score, but Needs to be supported emotionally were the lowest score in the families of cancer patients. It was shown from open questions in the questionnaire that Need for the use of understandable terms and Need for the explanation about the patients condition, treatment and prognosis were also viewed as important to family members. The most frequent needs of the cancer patients' families was 'proper implimentation of treatment and nursing intervention for patients'. Besides, a number of family members responded that "kindness" was one of the essential attitudes to nurses. 2. In the subjects' relationship to their patient, 47.5% were the sons and daughters, while 37.5% were the wives and the 40-49 year category than in any other category. There was a significant relationship between the needs of the family and educational level (F=3.26, P=0.025). Educational level accounted for 9% of the needs of the family, and the patient's diagnosis accounted for an additional 8% of the needs of the family. The findings in this investigation suggested that the greatest number of needs of cancer patients' families were needs to be informed about the patient's condition, treatment and prognosis. This study provides information which supports the concept of the family as the client. Because nurses must meet the challenge of family-oriented practice in cancer nursing.
Diagnosis ; Gangwon-do ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Nuclear Family ; Nursing ; Oncology Nursing ; Prognosis ; Seoul ; Spouses ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Nursing Diagnosis has evolved in the guest to define nursing and its functions. But for the application to clinical practice an unified system of terminology that help nurses to assess selected data and identify potential or actual client problems is required. Consistent terminology that captures the real meanings of the nursing diagnosis makes oral and written communication more accurate and efficient. Already we had performed to deliver a Korean -translated version of the 98 nursing diagnoses through the process of content validity tests and translations, and additionally performed to deliver a Korean-translated version of another 17 nursing diagnoses. The list of 17 nursing diagnoses were reviewed by our research team and two linguists, one specialized in Korean and the other in English. 17 diagnoses were mailed to 719 subjects to test content validity from December 10, 1997 to January 24, 1998, Among 719 questionnaires, 185 were used for analysis. Total mean score of the diagnoses was 3.72 on the 5 point likert scale. The diagnoses that acquired less than 3.50 were 'Risk for altered parent/infant/child attachment'(3.28), 'Potential for enhanced organized infant behavior'(3.40), 'Potential for enhanced community coping' & 'Risk for disorganized infant behavior'(3.49). We suggest to conduct tests for validation of related factors and characteristics of these 17 Nursing Diagnosis.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Infant ; Nursing Diagnosis* ; Nursing* ; Postal Service ; Translations ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the perceptions of nursing student on the clinical practice environment and related variables. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 180 nursing students from a college participated in clinical practice at four regional hospitals. Data was collected with the questionnaire tool for the perceptions of clinical practice environment. RESULTS: The students highly satisfied in the major had significantly high perception in innovation, personalization, student involvement, and clinical practice satisfaction. The students with a low level of stress and a clearly named guidance nurse were significantly high in the perceptions of task orientation, innovation, personalization, student involvement, and practice satisfaction. Clinical practice environment variables such as task orientation, innovation, individualization, personalization, student involvement, and practice satisfaction were significantly correlated with each other. In student characteristics, the main variables directly influencing the perceptions of clinical practice environment were religion, the level of stress, and the method of guidance. CONCLUSION: Understanding the students' perspective would be valuable for promoting a positive clinical practice environment. Developing a cooperative system between the college and educational hospitals is necessary for effective clinical practice education
Humans ; Learning ; Orientation ; Students, Nursing ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were as follows; 1) To review the definitions of critical thinking from various perspectives, 2) To examine the critical thinking measurements throughout nursing research, and 3) To review the nursing studies with regard to critical thinking. METHODS: This study was a literature review with regard to the critical thinking in nursing in aspects of conceptual meaning, measurements, and research. RESULTS: The definition of critical thinking in nursing included decision making in clinical setting, inference with logical construct to increase nursing quality, interpretation in the context, and evaluation. The critical thinking was a core concept, which meant not only simple nursing process, but included decision making ability. The critical thinking has been conceptualized by both critical thinking disposition and skill. However, there was no nursing specified critical thinking measurement. Critical thinking research has been conducted to describe critical thinking disposition and critical thinking, to determine relationships between critical thinking and clinical competency, and to evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs. CONCLUSION: The instruments for measuring critical thinking disposition and skill that contain cultural difference and clinical specificity need to be developed to measure critical thinking and increase it.
Decision Making ; Logic ; Nursing Process ; Nursing Research ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thinking

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to describe nonverbal behaviors of nurses in communication with patients with dementia in an elderly care institution in Korea. METHODS: Conversation analysis was utilized to analyze the data which were collected using video camera to capture non-verbal as well as verbal behaviors. A total of 66 episodes of everyday conversations were analyzed using seven nonverbal categories: affirmative head nodding; illustrative gestures; patient-directed eye gaze; smiling and/or laughing; forward leaning; affective touch; and instrumental touch. RESULTS: Among seven categories, patient-directed eye gaze(94%) was the most frequently utilized among nurses followed by affirmative head nodding(67%) and forward leaning(67%), while smiling was the least used(32%). Affective touch was identified in 39 episodes(59%). Among them, the most frequently touched area was hand or handshaking(59%) followed by shoulder or back, arm, and face. There were wide differences among nurses in terms of using affective touch, ranging from 0% to 98%. Nonverbal behaviors were more frequently identified in effective episodes than in ineffective episodes. CONCLUSION: Actively utilizing effective nonverbal behaviors may help geriatric nurses in promoting communication and in establishing rapport with patients with dementia.
Aged ; Arm ; Dementia ; Eye ; Geriatric Nursing ; Hand ; Head ; Humans ; Korea ; Nonverbal Communication ; Nurse-Patient Relations ; Qualitative Research ; Shoulder ; Smiling ; Verbal Behavior

PURPOSE: To examine pressure ulcer care from the standpoints of perceived importance, educational needs, knowledge and performance among clinical nurses. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted with a convenient sample of 289 nurses from four hospitals. Questionnaire data collected from June to August 2008 was analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The mean scores of importance and educational needs concerning pressure ulcer care were high, performance was moderate, and knowledge was low. Knowledge level differed significantly according to career, performance differed significantly according to pressure ulcer care education and the main healer(the person primarily responsible for treatment). Perceived importance differed significantly according to the main healer, and educational needs differed significantly according to working area and the main healer. Significant correlations were evident between performance and importance, performance and educational needs, importance and knowledge, and importance and educational needs. CONCLUSION: Focus on perceived importance and educational needs to clinical nurses about pressure ulcer care may be beneficial to improve knowledge and practice of pressure ulcer care, and should be reflected in the development of effective programs to enhance relevant nursing skills.
Humans ; Pressure Ulcer ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine correlates of depression and perceived health status in patients with atrial fibrillation. METHODS: The study utilized a descriptive correlational survey design. A convenience sample of 115 subjects were recruited from 3 tertiary medical centers. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: 1) Study subjects perceived the low frequency of symptoms, relatively high social support, low depression, moderately low physical health, and mental health. 2) The 38% of variance in depression was significantly explained by symptom(beta= .49), social support(beta= -.21), and education(beta= -.17). 3) The 40% of variance in physical health was significantly explained by symptom(beta= -.55), social support(beta= .16), and education(beta= .20). 4) the 12% of variance in mental health was significantly explained by symptom(beta= -.26), and social support(beta= .24). CONCLUSION: Most health care providers assume atrial fibrillation patients have very few symptoms. However, symptom related to atrial fibrillation was found to be the most important factors in explaining depression and perceived health status. Additionally, higher social support had great influences on the lower depression and higher perceived health status. Based on the findings of this study, directions for nursing practice and further nursing research for patients with atrial fibrillation are suggested.
Atrial Fibrillation ; Depression ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Nursing Research

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the difference of sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of college students who fulfilled military service and those who did not, for providing basic data for developing nursing interventions for the college students. METHODS: This study used a descriptive research design. The subjects of this study were 3,741 male college students. Data were collected through personal interviews using questionnaires from November to December 2007. The sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behavior measurement tool was used. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test and chi-square test. RESULTS: The major findings of this study were as follows: 1) There was a statistically significant difference in sexual knowledge of contraception / abortion(p = .002, t = 3.16), venereal disease(p = .006, t = .2.73), sexual attitude of sexual behavior(p = .002; t = 3.13) and sexual double think(p = .047, t = 1.98) according to military service 2) There was a statistically significant difference in sexual behavior experience frequency of 9 items(friendship with opposite sex, kiss / embracing, petting, porno magazine / porno video contact, masturbation, sexual intercourse via anus, sexual intercourse via mouth, cause pregnancy, cause abortion: p < .000, chi-sqare = 39.47; p < .000, chi-sqare = 55.88; p < .000, chi-sqare = 46.76; p = .034, chi-sqare = 6.77; p = .017, chi-sqare = 12.05; p = .003, chi-sqare = 14.24; p < .000, chi-sqare = 47.70; p < .000, chi-sqare = 23.86; p < .000, chi-sqare = 21.84) respectively according to military service. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that sexual knowledge, attitudes and behavior differ before and after the experience of military service, so further study for detecting military sex culture character effecting difference in sex knowledge, attitudes and behavior is needed.
Anal Canal ; Coitus ; Contraception ; Humans ; Male ; Masturbation ; Military Personnel ; Mouth ; Periodicals as Topic ; Pregnancy ; Research Design ; Sexual Behavior ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to provide understanding of the meaning of 'Yangsaeng' through lived experience of the elderly who practiced Kouk-Sun-Do. METHODS: A hermeneutic phenomenological methodology developed by Max van Manen was adopted. The data were collected from the interviews and observations on the actual experience of 9 people who were over 65 years old and practiced Kouk-Sun-Do from August to December 2006. RESULTS: The essential themes were discovered as 'body in comfort', 'spouting vigor', 'improving selfconfidence', 'developing one's mind', 'setting oneself in order', 'being aware of the value of Kouk-Sun-Do', 'recognizing importance of value of getting along' CONCLUSION: Therefore, practicing "Kouk-Sun-Do" is a suitable exercise for the elderly, as an effective nursing interventions for improving the quality of life of older people.
Aged ; Humans ; Qualitative Research ; Quality of Life

PURPOSE: This study was to provide baseline data to arrange systematic management for the infectious waste. METHODS: This data was collected by self-reported questionnaires from a total of 419 subjects, ie nurses, nurse's aides and laboratory technicians working at a university hospital located in G city. The collected data were analyzed by t-test or ANOVA, Tukey test, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression analysis using SPSS/WIN 12.0. RESULTS: The knowledge of the infectious waste was statistically significant in type of staff and level of education. Attitude was statistically significant in type of staff, age group, level of education, working period, and marital status. And also the practice of the subject was statistically significant in type of staff, age group, education level, the working periods, and marital status. There was positive association between attitude and practice(r=.63, p< 001). By means of multiple stepwise regression analysis, total variance explained by the attitude towards infectious wastes, single employee, and the working periods less than ten years was 44% of the practice of infectious wastes. CONCLUSION: An educational program focusing on strategy to change employee's attitude can be effective for building a well-organized management system.
Humans ; Laboratory Personnel ; Marital Status ; Nurses' Aides ; Surveys and Questionnaires