PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze nursing research trends on the complementary and alternative therapies (CAT) for the cancer patients in Korea. METHOD: Thirty eight articles published in 17 nursing-related journal from 1987 to 2008 were analyzed. RESULTS: Nursing Researches on CAT for the cancer patients have increased since 2000. Among the 38 studies, 34 studies used Quasi-experimental design and 13 studies (33%) were conducted for the breast cancer patients. Mind-body therapy (53%), manual healing therapy (42%), and pharmacologic and biological therapy (5%) were the often used CAT types. Nausea, vomiting, vital signs, immune cell, pain, and fatigue were measured as physiologic outcome variables; anxiety, depression, and hope as psychological outcome variables; and quality of life as social outcome variables. CONCLUSION: More CAM studies are needed targeting the patients with various cancer types and home-based cancer patients.
Animals ; Anxiety ; Biological Therapy ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cats ; Complementary Therapies ; Depression ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Korea ; Mind-Body Therapies ; Nausea ; Nursing Research ; Quality of Life ; Vital Signs ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyse the level of sexual function among breast cancer survivors as compared with that among healthy women. METHOD: A total of 208 women participated in this study: 103 breast cancer survivors attending self-help group and 105 community-residing healthy women in G city. A self-reported questionnaire with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was used to obtain data. Data were analyzed using the SPSS Win 14.0 K+ for descriptive statistics, t-test, and two-way ANOVA. RESULTS: The sexual function score of breast cancer survivors was significantly lower than that of healthy women, respectively 14.9+/-9.9 and 20.6+/-11.1 (p<0.001). The sexual function of recurrent breast cancer survivors was significantly lower than that of women without recurrence. However, there were no significant differences in the sexual function score according to the cancer stage, period since diagnosis, and types of cancer treatment modality. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate the importance of sex-related counseling and educational programs to improve the quality of life of breast cancer survivors.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Counseling ; Female ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Recurrence ; Self-Help Groups ; Survivors

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate perceived family support and quality of life in patients with cancer. METHOD: Data were collected from 83 cancer patients in the 3 cities of Korea. Family support was measured using the Tae's Family Support Scale and quality of life was measured using Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G). RESULTS: The mean scores of family support and quality of life were 30.48 and 53.04 respectively. Family support was significantly different according to marital status, education level, income, living together, helper, type of treatment, and weight change. Quality of life was significantly different according to the purpose of treatment, weight change, performance status, exercise, and sleep. There was a positive correlation between family support and quality of life (r=0.499, p<0.000). CONCLUSION: The study results underscore the importance of family support in improving the quality of life of patients with cancer.
Humans ; Korea ; Marital Status ; Quality of Life

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to develop an educational program reflecting the educational needs of Hospice Smart Patient service providers. METHOD: The description, goal, curriculum, method, and process evaluation of the educational program were constructed based on Modified Tyler-type Ends-Means Model followed by the analysis of current curriculum and needs of service providers. RESULTS: The curriculum was constructed based on hospice volunteer program currently offered in Korea and the recommendations of hospice service volunteers and experts. A total of 90 hr was required to complete the curriculum that was composed of 'Introduction to cancer', 'Treatment and treatment complications of cancer', 'Post-treatment nutritional care', 'Helpful information', 'Introduction to hospice and palliative care', 'Comprehension of life and death', 'Holistic hospice and palliative care', 'How to communicate as a smart patient', 'Hospice and ethics', 'Pediatric hospice', 'Bereavement management', and 'Clinical practicum'. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to implement the developed educational program and evaluate its effectiveness, as well as making the service available to a greater number of cancer patients.
Curriculum ; Health Personnel ; Hospices ; Humans ; Korea ; Palliative Care

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to understand how patients experience everyday life in an isolation unit for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). METHOD: The data were collected from 25 patients with HSCT at the isolation unit from January to March in 2008 in one general hospital in Korea. The data were collected by participant observations and ethnographic interviews and were analyzed using ethnographic method. RESULTS: Four themes regarding environmental area emerged: 'barrier pulling up the drawbridge', 'very strange world', 'small and restricted space tied by IV and other treatment lines', and 'loud noise in a silent space.' Three themes regarding patients emerged: 'facing fear and anxiety', 'continuation of loneliness and lethargy', and 'compromising with a very long, dull, and boring time'. These themes describe how patients with HSCT suffer from continuous physical and psychosocial problems in a confined space, while endeavoring to control these problems and to search for hope for a new life. CONCLUSION: The results of the study provide an in-depth understanding of the experience and culture of patients in an isolation unit for HSCT. They would be used in developing practical programs to decrease patient's culture shock including fear and anxiety at isolation unit for HSCT.
Anthropology, Cultural ; Anxiety ; Confined Spaces ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Loneliness ; Noise ; Patient Isolation ; Shock

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the relationship between mental adjustment to cancer and anxiety. METHOD: This study used a cross-sectional descriptive design. A total of 124 ambulatory cancer patients completed the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation. RESULTS: There was a significantly negative correlation between anxiety and fighting spirit which was adaptive adjustment to cancer (r=-0.29, p<0.001). However, anxiety had significantly positive correlation with helplessness/hopelessness (r=0.38, p<0.001), anxious preoccupation (r=0.55, p<0.001), and fatalism (r=0.22, p<0.05) to cancer. CONCLUSION: Cancer patients' mental adjustment is correlated with the degree of the psychosocial distress. Anxious preoccupation and helplessness/hopelessness are the most maladaptive adjustments whereas fighting spirit is one of the most adaptive adjustment to cancer.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Humans

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between spiritual well-being and spiritual nursing intervention among nurses. METHOD: Participants (N=171) were recruited from September to November 2007. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation and multiple regression. RESULTS: The score of spiritual well-being of nurses was 2.70 out of a total score of 4 and that of spiritual nursing care was 2.31 out of a total score of 4. There was a significantly positive relationship between spiritual well-being and spiritual nursing care (r=0.281, p<0.001). Spiritual well-being and clinical career explained 12.1% of the variance in spiritual nursing care of nurses. CONCLUSION: Spiritual well-being has the most important influence on spiritual nursing intervention of nurses. The findings suggest that it is needed to develop effective programs to improve spiritual well-being of nurses. More studies are required to identify other predictors of spiritual nursing intervention.
Nursing Care ; Spiritual Therapies ; Spirituality

PURPOSE: This study was to analyze the level of quality of life and sexual function of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) recipients. METHOD: Participants included 38 recipients of HSCT, attending hospital outpatient department. Data were collected using the quality of life scale and the sexual function scale. Data were analyzed using Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Sheffe test, and Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: The high score of quality of life was found in the participants with the 30s age (p=0.030), being employed (p=0.001), not having admission history after HSCT (p=0.012), and not having medication (p=0.017). The sexual function was significantly influenced by employment status (p=0.001) and irradiation therapy (p=0.043). There was a significant correlation between the quality of life and the sexual function (r=0.45, p=0.004). CONCLUSION: The sexual function have influence on the quality of life so that it is required to develop nursing interventions for sexual function to improve the quality of life of HSCT recipients.
Employment ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Quality of Life ; Sexuality

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the needs of hospice care in families of the hospitalized patients with terminal cancer. METHOD: The data were collected from April to July, 2008. The participants were 100 family caregivers of hospitalized terminal patients with cancer recruited from two general hospitals in 2 cities in Korea. Needs of hospice care were measured using the 'Needs Assessment Instrument for Hospice Care in Families of the Patients with Cancer'. RESULTS: The mean of needs score was 76.6, which meant degree of the needs was very high. Among the categories of the needs, the mean of category 'emotional care' was the highest. There were significant differences in the needs of hospice care according to sex and type of present therapy. CONCLUSION: Health care providers in hospital and hospice facilities must assess the needs of families as well as the patients in order to meet their specific needs. Additionally, they need to have deeper understanding of the need of emotional care and to apply emotional care to hopice patients and their families.
Caregivers ; Health Personnel ; Hospice Care ; Hospices ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Korea ; Terminally Ill

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was the development and validation of knowledge scale for patients with breast cancer (KS-Br) in Korea. METHODS: The process included the construction of a conceptual framework, generation of preliminary items, and the test of validity and reliability of the scale. Thirty-seven items were developed through an evaluation process by 10 experts and 24 items were finally confirmed through item analysis. Psychometric testing was performed with a convenient sample of 303 women with breast cancer. The data was analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson's correlation, and calculation of KR-20. RESULTS: Participants averaged 70.8% correct on the test. The KS-Br has 24 items consisting of 5 categories: incidence of breast cancer, diagnosis and treatment, symptom management, sexuality, and maintenance of daily life. Validity was supported by the use of content validity, known-group technique, and criterion-related validity. Women who had undergone education intervention scored significantly higher than women who had not (p<.001). KS-Br scores were significantly correlated with those of Mishel's Illness Uncertainty Scale (r=-.214, p<.001). Internal consistency of the KS-Br was appropriate (KR20=.805). CONCLUSION: This study reveals that the KS-Br is reliable and valid scale to measure the knowledge of breast cancer. Therefore, this scale can be effectively utilized to assess the knowledge of patients with breast cancer regarding their disease.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Psychometrics ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sexuality ; Uncertainty