OBJECTIVES: The close relationship between impaired self-referential processing and intrinsic motivation in schizophrenia has been suggested, but is not investigated yet. The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of self-referential processing and its relationship with intrinsic motivation in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Nineteen patients with schizophrenia and 24 healthy controls performed a self-referential processing task, in which a face (self, familiar other, or unfamiliar other) and three words (positive, neutral, and negative nouns) were presented. Participants were asked to indicate which word is relevant to the face. Intrinsic motivation and basic psychological needs affecting intrinsic motivation were assessed using self-reports. RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls, the relevance rating between self-face and neutral word was significantly lower in patients with schizophrenia (p=0.02). In patients with schizophrenia, it was negatively correlated with intrinsic motivation (r=-0.47, p=0.04) and competence (r=-0.47, p=0.05) which is known to influence intrinsic motivation. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that there is an impairment in self-referential processing in schizophrenia and it is associated with an impairment in intrinsic motivation. In particular, amotivation in patients with schizophrenia may represent a facet of selfdisorder.
Humans ; Mental Competency ; Motivation* ; Schizophrenia*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Mental Competency* ; Research Subjects*

PURPOSE: This study was carried out to investigate the effects of improvement in self-rated health, self-efficacy, perceived benefit and health promotion behavior by running a health promotion program through the coalition of industries, universities and districts. METHODS: This study was designed as non-equivalent control group research. Data were collected from 62 participants in a health promotion program who were enrolled in a community center (experimental group: 29, control group: 33). The program was applied from October to November, 2008. The health promotion program was composed of value, competence, action, and policy based on a multi-level health promotion model. Collected data were analyzed through chi2 test, t-test, and Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: After participating in the health promotion program, the experiment group showed statistically significant increases in self-efficacy, perceived benefit and health promotion behavior but not in self-rated health. CONCLUSION: It was proven that the health promotion program enhanced the health promotion level in the community.
Health Promotion* ; Mental Competency ; Running

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify and define the concept of job-esteem of the hospital nurses. METHODS: Data were analyzed using the hybrid model, introduced by Schwartz-Barcott and Kim. Data were obtained from a relevant literature review and also from the in-depth interviews of twelve nurses with clinical experience of more than 3 years. RESULTS: The concept of job-esteem of the hospital nurses was finally analyzed with 5 attributes and 13 indicators of 3 dimensions. The attributes of the personal dimension were professional self-awareness, professional competence, the attribute of organizational dimension was respect and recognition of the organization, the attributes of social dimension were social trust and respect, driving forces of job retention. CONCLUSION: The job-esteem of hospital nurses is defined as beliefs and values used to evaluate or as expectations of self in the job through which hospital nurses van find professional self-awareness and competence, identify respect and recognition of the organization, recognize the driving forces of social trust, respect and job maintenance. This study is meaningful in that the concept of job respect of hospital nurses was analyzed and basic data for the development of a job-esteem scale for hospital nurses was provided.
Humans ; Mental Competency ; Professional Competence

Sepsis is defined as the presence of pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins in tissues or in the blood. It can be accompanied by multi-organ failure and can potentially lead to death if not treated properly. The pathogenesis of sepsis is related not only to the activation of inflammatory pathways but also to an immunodepressed state. The modulation of the host response to infection has been studied as an adjunctive therapeutic approach in many preclinical investigations and clinical trials. However, there are several limitations of immunomodulators currently in use for those studies. A review of the major clinical trials of immunomodulatory therapies in sepsis provides a perspective on the reasons why such approaches have failed to show benefits. Above all, the criteria for patient inclusion have not considered the timing of administration of immunomodulators, the infected organisms, the site of infections, and the monitoring of immune competence. These might have contributed to the negative results of clinical trials conducted thus far. Therefore, future studies addressing these factors may demonstrate a beneficial role of immunomodulatory therapies in well-defined groups of patients with severe infection.
Humans ; Immunologic Factors* ; Immunomodulation ; Mental Competency ; Sepsis*

PURPOSE: This study was designed to identify a path model that anticipates the interpersonal competence of nurses by anticipating factors that explain interpersonal competence within an organization, and analyzing the effects of these factors. A hypothetical model was formulated based on a literature review of interpersonal competence. For the study, influential factors were divided into two variables: exogenous variables including communication style, coaching leadership, and social support, and endogenous variables of self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. METHODS: The sample included 202 hospital nurses. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS and AMOS. RESULTS: The overall fitness was good (chi2=74.707, p<.001), d.f=19, chi2/df= 3.932, GFI=.940, AGFI=.826, RMR=.009). Social support, self-efficacy, horizontal communication and organizational commitment directly affected the interpersonal competence of the nurses, and informal type of communication, horizontal, upward communication and coaching leadership indirectly effected the interpersonal competence of the nurses. Horizontal communication, social support, self-efficacy, and organizational commitment explained 46.5% of the variance in interpersonal competence of nurses. CONCLUSION: Based on the study results, nurses in hospitals need informal types of communication, horizontal, upward communication and coaching leadership to increase their interpersonal competence.
Job Satisfaction ; Leadership ; Mental Competency* ; Models, Structural*

The author developed a simplified self-evaluation rating scale with 10 check points to assist the individual faculty members in medical colleges in assessment of their educational competence with ease and to strengthen their teaching ability for better pedagogical practice. Number of the developed items were minimized to 10 points to meet the simplicity and comparative weighing of individual components, with which they can be easily implemented.
Diagnostic Self Evaluation* ; Mental Competency ; Teaching

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the concept of nurses' safety within the context of the hospital environment. METHODS: We used Rodgers' method of evolutionary concept analysis and reviewed the relevant literature and noted and categorized characteristics that appeared frequently. RESULTS: Nurses' safety was defined as safe status and safe activity among nurses. Three key defining attributes were identified as: (a) the minimization of actual or perceived risk, (b) personal duties and rights, and (c) ensuring within a safe working environment. Antecedents of nurses' safety were categorized into three dimensions: (a) individual, including vigilance and knowledge gained through education and training; (b) institutional, including safety provision in the organizations; and (c) national, including legislation. The outcomes of nurses' safety included the following: (a) continued competence in nurses' work; (b) enhancement of the quality of patient care; and (c) reductions in nurses' turnover rates. CONCLUSION: Nurses' safety ensures that qualified nurses are able to continue to perform their duties and provide good patient care. The findings of this study could contribute to future research examining nurses' safety. In addition, appropriate tools must be developed to measure the concept.
Education ; Humans ; Mental Competency ; Methods ; Patient Care

According to the need for objectivity and convenience the whole planning process is devided into a secries of 8 systematic stages. But it is an unending upward spiral of incremented efforts toward improvement. So many activities should be carried out concurrently, providing a mutual supportive flow back and forth between various stages of the process depending on local conditions and requirements. The eight stages are : (1) Planning the Planning and Developing Planning competence, (2) Statements of Policy and Broad Goals, (3) Data Gathering, (4) Priority Statement, (5) Statement of Major Alternative Proposals, (6) Development of Detailed Plan, (7) Implementation as a Part of the Planning Process, (8) Evaluation. The frame and function of the planning machinery must be adjusted to local conditions, and also flexibility is desirable, especially at the start, when adaptations are more necessary and more frequent.
Mental Competency ; Pliability ; Regional Health Planning*

PURPOSE: This study was to verify the effects of spiritual care module education programs by applying it to nurses. METHOD: The study employed a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design in a quasi-experimental basis. Subjects were 93 nurses (46 in an experimental group and 47 in a control group) with more than two years clinic experience, attending a bachelor program of K University, in I city, Korea. The program consists of courses with 2.5 hours per week for seven weeks. RESULT: Scores of spiritual needs and spiritual nursing competence increased significantly in the experimental group. The score of spirituality and spiritual well-being also increased in the experimental group, but not significantly. CONCLUSION: The spiritual care module education program was considered to be an effective nursing intervention education course. Nurses educated with this program seemed to perform better nursing interventions for subjects facing difficulties or confusion by helping them restore and cope with those problems by themselves. Therefore, it is recommended that spiritual care module education should be settled as a regular course of nursing college with consideration to the corrections and supplements mentioned in this study.
Education* ; Korea ; Mental Competency ; Nursing ; Spirituality