PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between nursing students' level of knowledge of and attitude toward the elderly and their behavior towards the elderly. METHODS: For this study, 223 nursing students participated. The data was analyzed with PASW statistics program version 18.0 using descriptive statistics, a t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's Correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: The findings of the study displayed a score of 14.5 out of 25 for the level of knowledge of the elderly, a score of 3.9 out of 7 on the attitude toward the elderly, and 1.3 points on a 4-point scale on behavior towards the elderly. There was a positive correlation (r=.410, p<.001) between attitude and behavior towards the elderly, thus confirming that attitude towards the elderly influences behavior towards them. CONCLUSION: The most influential variable on the behavior towards the elderly emerged to be attitude. Thus, although knowledge and attitude cannot be neglected in manifesting positive behaviors in nursing students when they care for the elderly, knowledge training and elderly nursing practical sessions need to take place in order to strengthen attitude, which displayed a positive correlation with behavior.
Aged* ; Humans ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing

BACKGROUND: HIV serologic testing is essential for blood donor screening, and the test results should be accurate. It is important that clinical laboratories perform quality control, quality management and standardization for obtaining accurate laboratory results. The Korean National Institute of Health, the Division of AIDS and the Center for Immunology and Pathology have all performed annual external quality surveillance assessment (EQS, EQA) with using a 5 sera panel for all the Korean HIV testing laboratories that have collaborated with the Quality Assurance Committee of the Korean Society of Laboratory Medicine since 2005. The results of HIV testing in the clinical laboratories during the year 2007 were analyzed. METHODS: The results for the clinical laboratories that participated in the HIV EQAS during 2007 were collected and analyzed. The HIV test results and questionnaire data were sent to the web site "http://hivqa.nih.go.kr". Three hundred thirty two results from 303 institutions in 2007 were analyzed. RESULTS: The most widely used HIV testing method was an automated chemiluminescent immunoassay, such as the Abbott AxSym and the Architect system or the Roche Elecsys. About 5% of erroneous results were reported among 332 results. The causes of error were mostly clerical errors and specimen errors. CONCLUSION: The current status for HIV testing in Korean clinical laboratories was that fully automated immunoassay analyzers were used along with manual POCT tests.
Blood Donors ; HIV ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Mass Screening ; Quality Control ; Serologic Tests ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: Nursing is a job with high stress. This study investigated the relationship between temperament and character traits, heart rate variability, and the severity of occupational stress in new nursing employees. METHODS: Ninety-seven nurses newly employed in a Seoul Medical Center from April 2014 to September 2015 were included to the study. Before beginning employment, all subjects were asked to complete a sociodemographic questionnaire and Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). After they were employed for a month, we administered a heart rate variability test and Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS). RESULTS: Harm avoidance (r=0.334, p=0.001), self-transcendence (r=0.224, p=0.028) and KOSS scores were positively correlated. Self-directedness (r=-0.278, p=0.006) and cooperativeness (r=-0.263, p=0.009) were negatively correlated with KOSS scores. In multiple regression analyses, harm avoidance and cooperativeness were risk factors for severe occupational stress. Physical parameters of total power (r=0.303, p=0.003), very low frequency (VLF ; r=0.318, p=0.002), and standard deviation of the NN interval (r=0.220, p=0.030) were significantly associated with higher KOSS scores. In multiple regression analysis, VLF was significant correlated with KOSS scores. CONCLUSION: Individual factors, such as personality trait or autonomic function, may affect the occupational stress vulnerability on this study. Harm avoidance, cooperativeness in TCI parameters are associated with severity of the occupational stress.
Employment ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Nursing* ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Temperament*