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

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between LLFDI and quality of sleep in older men with prostatic hypertrophic symptoms. METHODS: The secondary analysis of data collected for the 2nd stage BK(Brain Korea)21 project was performed. The original data were collected using a cross-sectional, face-to-face, and private interview method. The questionnaires consisted of prostatic hypertrophic symptoms, late-life function and disability, quality of sleep, and demographic profiles. RESULTS: A total of 112 older men included in this study. The major findings of this study were as follow; 1) 29.5% of participants had more than moderate symptoms of prostatic hypertrophy. 2) There were a significant positive correlation of prostatic hypertrophic symptoms with subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping medication, and daytime dysfunction found, whereas there was a negative relationship with frequency dimension. 3) The LLFDI is significantly associated with urgency, weak stream, and intermittency. The quality of sleep is significantly associated with weak stream which explained 11.2% of variance. CONCLUSION: These results may contribute to a better understanding late-life function and disability, quality of sleep in older men with prostatic hypertrophic symptoms. Therefore, health programs for prompting older men's health should be planned based on results of the study.
Humans ; Male ; Men's Health ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Rivers

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the quality of sleep and its influencing factors on the institutionalized elderly. METHODS: The respondents were 145 institutionalized elderly in Daegu and a structured questionnaire was used for data collection, which was conducted from February 10 to 28, 2007. The questionnaire was the Yi(2004) quality of sleep scale. All the information was collected through face-to-face interviews, using the questionnaire. The data were analyzed by SPSS/WIN 12.0. RESULTS: The results of this research were as follows: First, the mean for the quality of sleep in the institutionalized elderly was 83.92. Second, in the subscales of the quality of sleep scale, the mean for daytime dysfunction was 40.35; for restoration after sleep it was 10.43; for difficulty in falling asleep it was 11.00; for difficulty in getting up it was 8.88; for satisfaction with sleep it was 8.62; for difficulty in maintaining sleep it was 4.75. Third, the factors influencing the quality of sleep were economic status, perceived health status, and pain. CONCLUSION: Based upon the findings above, this study provides useful information that could assist in improving the quality of sleep among institutionalized elderly, and indicates that nursing intervention is needed.
Aged ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires