PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of practical communication strategies (PCS) on the reduction of AEs (Adverse Events) in pediatric cardiac ICU (PCICU). METHODS: Intra-operative findings and care plans were documented and shared between staff members on a daily basis from the day of operation to the day of general ward transfer. Incidence of AEs was investigated in all patients who were admitted to the PCICU and was compared with incidence of AEs one year after establishment of PCS. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 216 patients in pre-PCS group and 156 patients in post-PCS group. Incidence of readmission decreased from 6.0% (13/216) in pre-PCS group to 0.6% (1/156) in post-PCS group (chi2=7.23, p=.010). Incidence of other major complications decreased from 4.2% (9/216) to 0.6% (chi2=6.66, p=.012). Minor AEs such as intervention omission, order error, and protocol misunderstanding were reduced from 23.3 cases per 100 patient-days to 7.5 cases per 100 patient-days (chi2=20.31, p<.001). CONCLUSION: Handover protocol is an effective strategy to reduce AEs for critically ill patients after pediatric cardiac surgery. Efforts to develop effective communication strategies should be continued and outcome research about communication strategies for patient safety should be further studied.
Critical Illness ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intensive Care Units* ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Patient Handoff ; Patient Safety ; Patients' Rooms ; Thoracic Surgery

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the perception of role transition from a student nurse to a registered nurse among senior year nursing students and to examine factors affecting their role transition. METHODS: A descriptive survey with convenience sampling was conducted in four nursing colleges in Seoul, South Korea. Data were collected using a self-administrated questionnaire. Four instruments including role transition, self-esteem, interpersonal relationships and anxiety during clinical practicum were used and the students'demographics were also collected. A multiple logistic regression was used to identify predictors for the role transition. RESULTS: A total of 233 nursing students were surveyed and final analysis was conducted utilizing 226 participants. Mean point of perceived role transition (5 point scale) was 3.34+/-0.44. In a multiple regression model, high self-esteem, good interpersonal relationships, low anxiety during clinical practicum, and high satisfaction in college life were significant predictors of a smooth transition (Adj. R2=.32, F=22.28, p<.001). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that role transition from a student nurse to a registered nurse is facilitated through the establishment of programs to improve self-esteem and interpersonal relationships and to reduce anxiety during clinical practicum.
Anxiety ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Nursing ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seoul ; Students, Nursing*

PURPOSE: It is crucial to provide adequate enteral nutrition for postoperative recovery, wound healing and normal growth in infants in pediatric cardiac ICUs. This study was done to develop a feeding protocol using the vaso-active inotropic (VAI) score and to evaluate the impact of nutritional outcomes following the new feeding protocol for infants who underwent cardiac surgery. METHODS: This study consisted of three phases. First, a feeding protocol was developed based on a literature review. Second, ten experts rated the content validity. Third, a comparison study was conducted to evaluate the impact of the new feeding protocol. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 20. RESULTS: Twenty-nine infants were enrolled in the pre-protocol group, and 22 infants in the post-protocol group. Patients in the 2 groups were similar. Time to reach feeding goal was significantly decreased from 56.0 (27-210) hours to 28.5 (10-496) hours in the post-protocol group (Z=-4.22, p<.001). Level of enteral feeding knowledge among nurses increased significantly after implementation of the protocol. CONCLUSION: The feeding protocol using VAI score facilitates the achievement feeding goal to decrease feeding interruptions and help nurses in their practice. Larger studies are necessary to examine clinical outcomes following the implementation of this feeding protocol.
Critical Care* ; Enteral Nutrition ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Infant* ; Intensive Care Units* ; Thoracic Surgery ; Wound Healing

Purpose: This study aimed to verify the reliability and validity of the Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia Scale-Korean version (PAINAD-K) for assessing pain in patients unable to communicate in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). Methods: The study included 205 patients, aged >65 years, admitted to the PACU following general surgery. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s ⍺, test-retest, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and kappa coefficients. Criterion validity was evaluated with concurrent validity, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis assessed sensitivity and specificity. Convergent and discriminant validity were analyzed to verify the construct of the scale. Results: The Cronbach’s ⍺, ICC, and test-retest correlation values were .78, .95~.98, and .56~.74, respectively, indicating good reliability. At baseline, the correlation coefficient was .93 with the Algoplus scale in the non-communicative group and .82 with the numeric rating scale in the communicative group. Further establishing criterion validity in the nonverbal group, the area under the ROC curve was 0.995 (sensitivity=98.4%, specificity=97.5%) at baseline and .95 (sensitivity=96.4%, specificity=93.2%) at the 30-minute follow-up. The correlation coefficient with the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool was .69~.96, showing convergent validity, and there was a significant interaction effect between time and group, indicating discriminant validity. Conclusion The study findings suggest that the PAINAD-K is a psychometrically valid scale for assessing pain in PACU patients aged >65 years who are unable to communicate.

Purpose: To define school nurseeparent partnerships in school health care for children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and determine its attributes using a hybrid model. Methods: This method involves a three-phase process: theoretical, fieldwork, and analytical. A literature review was conducted during the theoretical phase. A literature search of articles from January 1991 to February 2020 was conducted using relevant electronic databases. Eighty-three articles that met the inclusion criteria were completely read. Fieldwork data were collected through individual interviews from February to July 2019 in South Korea. In the fieldwork phase, interviews were conducted individually with 22 mothers of students with T1D and 20 school nurses recruited by purposeful sampling.Inductive content analysis was conducted. The findings from the theoretical phase were integrated with those from the fieldwork phase, and the final concept was derived. Results: School nurseeparent partnership in school health care for children with T1D has been defined as an interactive process of maintaining a balanced responsibility and providing tailored care to meet needs by establishing trusting relationships and communicating transparently and openly. This analysis yielded four attributes: trusting relationships, transparent and open communication, balanced responsibility, and providing tailored care to meet needsdthis entails providing nursing actions by advocating for students and performing a negotiated role together or individually for student and family. Conclusion The findings of this study add to the importance of an attribute of balancing responsibility for partnership in school health care. The results show that this partnership could contribute to the development of a scale, theory, and nursing intervention in school health care for children with T1D.

Purpose: The purpose of this integrative review was to synthesize previous research on perceptions of school health care among school-aged children and adolescents with chronic diseases. Methods: This study was performed in accordance with Whittemore and Knafl's stages of an integrative review (problem identification, literature search, data evaluation, data analysis, and presentation of the results). Four databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science) were used to retrieve relevant articles. Results: Eighteen articles were included in this review. We identified five thematic categories: peer-related issues, a safe school environment, self-perception of an existing disease, self-management, and a supportive school environment. Conclusion It is necessary to establish a school health care system with a supportive environment for children and adolescents with chronic diseases.

PURPOSE: Common conditions, such as dehydration or respiratory infection can aggravate hypoxia and are associated with interstage mortality in infants who have undergone palliative surgery for congenital heart diseases. This study was done to evaluate the efficacy of a home monitoring program (HMP) in decreasing infant mortality. METHODS: Since its inception in May 2010, all infants who have undergone palliative surgery have been enrolled in HMP. This study was a prospective observational study and infant outcomes during HMP were compared with those of previous comparison groups. Parents were trained to measure oxygen saturation, body weight and feeding volume and to contact the hospital through the hotline for emergency situations. Telephone counseling was conducted by clinical nurse specialists every week post discharge. RESULTS: Forty-one infants were enrolled in HMP. Nine hundred telephone counseling sessions were conducted. Seventy-three infants required telephone triage with the most common conditions being gastrointestinal (50.7%) and respiratory symptoms (32.9%). With HMP intervention, interstage mortality decreased from 18.6% (8/43) to 9.8% (4/41) (chi2=1.15, p=.283). CONCLUSION: Results indicate that active measures and treatments using the HMP decrease mortality rates, however further investigation is required to identify various factors that contribute to hemodynamic complications during the interstage period.
Body Temperature ; Body Weight ; Caregivers/education/psychology ; Counseling ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital/mortality/prevention & control/*surgery ; Heart Rate ; Hospitalization ; Hotlines ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Monitoring, Physiologic/*methods ; Oxygen Consumption ; Palliative Care ; *Program Evaluation ; Prospective Studies ; Time Factors

PURPOSE: The purpose of this predictive study was to identify factors affecting health related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: The participants in this study were 131 patients with RA who were recruited from the outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Seoul. Disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis was evaluated by calculating the Disease Activity Score 28. Disability in activities of daily living (ADL) was assessed with the Korean Health Assessment Questionnaire, and depression with The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. HRQoL was evaluated using The Short Form 36 Health Survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: Pain, disability in ADL, disease activity, and depression correlated negatively with physical and mental dimensions of HRQoL. But hierachical multiple regression analysis revealed that disability in ADL and depression were the only variables negatively influencing physical and mental QoL after adjustment for influences of sociodemographic variables. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that disability in ADL and depression, rather than disease activity and pain have profound effects on HRQoL in patients with RA. Further studies are needed to assess the predictive ability of disease activity and pain on HRQoL in this population.
*Activities of Daily Living ; Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/pathology/*psychology ; *Depression ; Female ; Health Status ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain ; *Quality of Life ; Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea

PURPOSE: To determine which optic disc topographic parameters, obtained by the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT), are most useful to distinguish normal eyes from those with early to moderate glaucomatous visual field defects. METHODS: From each of 92 normal subjects and 154 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma one randomly selected eye was studied. The Humphrey perimeter, program C 30-2 visual fields, and 13 HRT parameters (software 2.01, includes rim to disc area ratio) were utilized. Because some of the optic disc parameters depend on the optic disc area, these parameters were corrected for the effect of disc area. The total glaucoma group was divided into three subgroups according to the visual field defects: early (mean deviation [MD] >-6 dB, 65 eyes), moderate (MD -6 to -12 dB, 49 eyes), and severe (MD <-12 dB, 40 eyes) glaucoma groups. RESULTS: In eyes with early glaucoma (MD = -3.43 +/- 1.60 dB), the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were, respectively: rim area (69%, 71%, 70%, 0.802), rim to disc area ratio (69%, 72%, 71%, 0.799), cup area (72%, 70%, 71%, 0.789) and cup to disc area ratio (69%, 70%, 69%, 0.790). In eyes with moderate glaucoma (MD = -8.75 +/- 1.88 dB), they were, respectively: rim area (78%, 86%, 83%, 0.872), rim to disc area ratio (76%, 86%, 82%, 0.869), cup area (76%, 87%, 83%, 0.864) and cup to disc area ratio (78%, 84%, 82%, 0.862). There was considerable overlap in HRT parameters between the normal and early glaucoma groups. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic value of single optic disc parameter had its limitations in the diagnosis of early stage glaucoma.
Diagnosis* ; Glaucoma* ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle ; Humans ; Retina* ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Visual Fields

Purpose: Scoliosis is a common musculoskeletal problem in adolescents. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and its associated factors among Korean adolescents. The prevalence of thin individuals among students with AIS was compared based on body mass index (BMI) classifications. Methods: This study was a secondary data analysis and used the 2016 Korean National Health Examination for School Students data. Data from 16,412 students were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and logistic regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of AIS was higher in women (3.8%) than in men (1.6%), and a higher school year was a risk factor for AIS in both sexes. In woman adolescents, scoliosis was associated with thinness; however, the risk of AIS was inversely associated with overweight/obesity in both sexes. The prevalence of thin woman students with scoliosis differed based on the criteria used: 3.3% by the World Health Organization criteria and 14.3% by the International Obesity Task Force criteria. Conclusion The prevalence of thin students with scoliosis could increase by up to four times depending on the BMI criteria. For early screening of thin people at risk of AIS among female students, the criterion of International Obesity Task Force should be used as it is more permissive of thinness. This is also because of the underestimation of AIS prevalence when using the BMI Z score of the World Health Organization cutoff.