PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify relationships between depression, family support, and rehabilitation-motivation in patients with cerebrovascular accident. METHOD: The data were collected from 'S' hospital in Seoul from Feb. 1, 2004 to Apr. 30, 2004. The data were analyzed using a SPSS 10.0 program for descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression. RESULT: The results were as follows: The mean rehabilitation-motivation was 119.89, which was slightly high. The rehabilitation-motivation was influenced by religion, education level, occupation, economic status, treatment fee, duration of hospitalization, level of language ability and ADL. Rehabilitation-motivation has showed correlation with family support (r=.538, p=.000) and depression (r=-.417, p=.000). The variables related to rehabilitation-motivation were identified as family support, level of ADL, occupation, depression, and education level, using stepwise multiple regression. They were accounted for 57% of predictability of the rehabilitation-motivation, with the family support the highest at 29.3%. CONCLUSION: With increasing post stroke patients in Korea, we need to pay more attention to the rehabilitation of them. This study indicates that health professionals need to focus on the intervention especially in increasing family support and in decreasing depression of the patients with cerebrovascular accident.
Activities of Daily Living ; Depression* ; Education ; Fees and Charges ; Health Occupations ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Korea ; Language ; Occupations ; Rehabilitation ; Seoul ; Stroke*

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to understand essential meanings of suffering experienced by suicide attempters. METHODS: Data were collected in 2009 through individual narrative interviews from 7 suicide attempters. Texts from literary works and movies containing suicide were also included as data. Data were analyzed using the hermeneutic phenomenology of van Manen. RESULTS: Thirteen themes were identified in four dimensions. In the dimension of 'lived body', 'unbearably sweet temptation to death', 'body surrendered by emotional damage', 'chaos in life and death', 'squashed body by the heavy weight of life', and 'loss of meaning in life' were identified. 'The black hole, one is not able to get out' represents the experience in the dimension of 'lived space', 'The moment on the edge of a profound abyss' and 'the worst present and hopeless future' represent 'lived time'. In the dimension of 'lived human relation', 'I who am alone in the world', 'fear of being abandoned', 'unbreakable relationship trap', 'I who am not recognized' and 'guilty feeling' were included. CONCLUSION: Results of the study should be helpful in developing personalized suicide prevention programs by showing the various types of suffering deeply ingrained into the personal history of suicide attempters.
Humans ; Life Change Events ; Qualitative Research ; Stress, Psychological ; Suicide* ; Suicide, Attempted

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to understand the adjustment process of middle-aged people in Korea with hemiplegia after a stroke. METHOD: For this study, the grounded theory method was utilized. RESULTS: After constant comparative analysis, the core category emerged as 'rebuilding the body which was ruined'. In addition, the causal conditions were 'restriction of physical function', and 'loss of roles'. The adjustment process consisted of the 'facing reality phase', 'overcoming depression phase', 'overcoming physical limits phase' and 'reestablishing roles phase'. The main strategies in the facing reality phase were 'holding on to a glimmer of hope', 'getting away from the harsh reality' and 'facing up to the reality'. The main strategies in the overcoming depression phase were 'soothing oneself', 'Self-introspection' and 'restoring self-esteem'. In addition, the main strategies in the self-initiative overcoming physical limits phase was 'discovering personal strategies and striving to recover'. The main strategies in the reestablishing roles phase were 'reestablishing a parents' role', 'reestablishing a spouse's role' and 'reestablishing social roles'. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, even though many middle aged stroke patients remained in the depression phase, most of them who overcame depression strived to conquer physical limits on their own initiative.
*Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; *Attitude to Health ; Female ; Hemiplegia/etiology/*psychology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Self Efficacy ; Stroke/complications/*psychology

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of people with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in Korea. The specific aim was to identify major problems that people with CHB face and strategies that they are dealing with. METHODS: A grounded theory method was utilized. The data were collected by individual in-depth interviews from 12 CHB patients from one of the major hospitals in Korea. RESULTS: After constant comparative analysis, a core category emerged as "illness management with self-reliance and will." Seven major strategies that were identified in dealing with the illness were maintaining receptive and positive attitudes; restraining excessive work and greed; searching for information; controlling illness information; adhering to practices for not spreading the viral disease; abstaining from alcohol and smoking and maintaining healthy eating habits; nd using alternative therapies. The outcomes that result from employing these strategies were identified as burden, depression and helplessness, stress for maintaining compliance, and dispirited interpersonal relationships. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that most people with CHB in Korea have problems in psychosocial area. Thus health professionals need to provide not only informational support but also emotional one to improve quality of life of the people with CHB.
Adult ; Attitude to Health ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/etiology/*psychology ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Korea ; Life Change Events ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; *Sickness Impact Profile

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to understand and describe the overcoming experiences of family members caring for elderly patients with dementia at home. METHODS: Data came from autobiographies on the overcoming experiences of caregiving from 31 participants, who had submitted the autobiographies to a public contest held by the Seoul Metropolitan Center for Dementia in 2012. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Four overcoming stages emerged from the analysis: confronting stage; challenging stage; integrating stage; and transcendental stage, representing transformation of experiences from frustration and suffering to happiness and new hope in life. The confronting stage illustrates severe negative feelings and exhaustion occurring after the diagnosis of dementia. The challenging stage signifies major driving forces in taking good care of their patients. It includes tender loving memories about the patients as well as family and social supports. The integrating stage shows genuine empathy for the patients' situation and the happiness of 'here and now', while the transcendental stage represents new hope in the future. CONCLUSION: Health professionals need to support caregivers to find true meaning of caring and happiness in everyday life, while providing specific information on dementia care and relieving various negative feelings.
*Adaptation, Psychological ; Caregivers/*psychology ; Dementia/*nursing ; Family Relations ; Female ; Home Nursing ; Humans ; Male ; Stress, Psychological ; Writing

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to understand and describe the hospital workers' experience related to the hospital evaluation program implemented in Korea between 2004 and 2009. METHODS: During 2010, data were collected using focus group interviews. Four focus group interviews were held with a total of 28 hospital workers participating. All interviews were recorded and transcribed as they were spoken, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Nine themes emerged from the analysis: 1) Positive change in the necessity of the evaluation; 2) Improvement in the hospital system, facilities, and human resources; 3) Unity through cooperation among departments; 4) Nursing work overload; 5) Lack of physicians' awareness and responsibilities; 6) Unfair and unrealistic evaluation items; 7) Lack of credibility of the outcome; 8) Shifting responsibility for negative outcomes to the workers; 9) Lack of pragmatic utility. CONCLUSION: The results of the study demonstrate that the hospital evaluation program played a key role in improving some work environments and communication among departments. At the same time, they show various negative themes resulting from the context of very authoritarian hospital systems and a connection-oriented society in Korea.
Adult ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Female ; Focus Groups ; Hospitals/*standards/*statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*statistics & numerical data ; Qualitative Research ; Tape Recording

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to explore how hospital nurses decide to quit working as professional nurses using the grounded theory method. METHOD: The data was collected by individual in-depth interviews with 12 hospital nurses who recently resigned from work and it was analyzed using 'constant comparative analysis.' RESULT: The core category that emerged was "in search of new balance with self, work, and family". Three stages were identified: 1) "unconditionally accepting the working situation of itself," 2) "weighing advantages and disadvantages of working as a hospital nurse", and 3) "redesigning a future". Each stage contains three major strategies. The major strategies of the first stage are "maintaining a learning attitude", "enduring physical burnout," and "enduring unfair interpersonal relationships". The second stage contains "identifying advantages of working", "identifying disadvantages of working", and "comparing the advantages with the disadvantages". Lastly, the third stage includes "reassessing the aim of life", "beginning to construct an alternative life", and "deciding to quit working at a certain point". CONCLUSION: The results of the study will help nursing administrators in designing and implementing an effective turnover prevention program for nurses by understanding more deeply the process of turnover phenomenon among hospital nurses.
Administrative Personnel ; Humans ; Korea* ; Learning ; Nursing

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of interpersonal relationships of head nurses in interacting with others in general hospital settings. METHODS: The data were collected by individual in-depth interviews from seven head nurses and were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Five major categories emerged and they represent a major strategy according to five different groups of interacting people. 'Establishing trust' was identified as the key strategy in dealing with patients and family members. 'Embracing with sisterly love' and 'helping with self-defense' were major strategies for subordinate nurses and physicians, respectively. 'Respecting and recognizing' was the main approach for other professionals such as dietitians and 'emphasizing rules and educating' were a major one for non-professionals. Head nurses paid more attention and made efforts in dealing with their subordinate nurses than with other groups of people, because they felt the most difficulty in their relationship with subordinate nurses. CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that head nurses employ unique strategies in interacting with different groups of people to increase the efficiency of communication. This study would help nurse administrators establish an effective program for improving interpersonal relationships of head nurse.
Head ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Interdisciplinary Communication ; Interpersonal Relations ; Nurse Administrators ; Nursing, Supervisory ; Qualitative Research

PURPOSE: To evaluate the oncologic outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in high-risk prostate cancer (PCa), we compared the surgical margin status and biochemical recurrence-free survival (BCRFS) rates between retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP) and RARP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comparative analysis was conducted of high-risk PCa patients who underwent RRP or RARP by a single surgeon from 2007 to 2013. High-risk PCa was defined as clinical stage> or =T3a, biopsy Gleason score 8-10, or prostate-specific antigen>20 ng/mL. Propensity score matching was performed to minimize selection bias, and all possible preoperative and postoperative confounders were matched. A Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to assess the 5-year BCRFS, and Cox regression models were used to evaluate the effect of the surgical approach on biochemical recurrence. RESULTS: A total of 356 high-risk PCa patients (106 [29.8%] RRP and 250 [70.2%] RARP) were included in the final cohort analyzed. Before adjustment, the mean percentage of positive cores on biopsy and pathologic stage were poorer for RRP versus RARP (p=0.036 vs. p=0.054, respectively). The unadjusted 5-year BCRFS rates were better for RARP than for RRP (RRP vs. RARP: 48.1% vs. 64.4%, p=0.021). After adjustment for preoperative variables, the 5-year BCRFS rates were similar between RRP and RARP patients (48.5% vs. 59.6%, p=0.131). The surgical approach did not predict biochemical recurrence in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Five-year BCRFS rates of RARP are comparable to RRP in high-risk PCa. RARP is a feasible treatment option for high-risk PCa.
Aged ; Databases, Factual ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Grading ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prostatectomy/*methods ; Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology/*surgery ; Robotic Surgical Procedures/*methods ; Treatment Outcome