PURPOSE: This study was done to examine the effects of an incontinence prevention program on postpartum women. METHODS: The study design was a nonequivalent control pretest-posttest design. The subjects were 49 postpartum women with a normal vaginal delivery, 25 in the experimental group and 24 in the control group. Data was collected from June 1. 2007 to April 30. 2008 at a postpartum women's care center located in Jeonju, Korea. For the experimental treatment, an incontinence prevention program was carried out for 24 weeks. Measures included maximum pressure of pelvic floor muscle contraction and duration of pelvic floor muscle contraction at pre-treatment, 5 weeks postpartum and 24 weeks postpartum. Data was analyzed by Repeated ANOVA using the SPSS/WIN 14.0 program. RESULTS: The mean maximum pressure of pelvic floor muscle contraction (F = 8.95, p<.001) andmeandurationof pelvicfloormusclecontraction(F = 22.01, p<.001) were significantly different between the groups, and significantly increased as time passed. CONCLUSION: Practiceof anincontinencepreventionprogramisconsideredan effective intervention for the results of fewer urinary incontinence symptoms in postpartum women.
Korea ; Muscle Contraction ; Pelvic Floor ; Postpartum Period ; Urinary Incontinence

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore ways to define the concept of health inequality. METHODS: The concept analysis process by Walker and Avant was used to clarify the meaning of health inequality. RESULTS: Defining attributes of health inequality included differences in health status between individuals or groups, infringement of fundamental rights to health, unfair use of medical services, and social discrimination. The antecedents of health inequality included differences in demographic characteristics (age, gender, education, occupation, residential location), limitations in accessibility to health care, and social exclusion. Consequences of health inequality were increased costs for medical care, decreased health-related quality of life, and lack of ability to cope with health problems resulting in crisis situations, increases in morbidity and mortality, and shortening of life span. The concept was clarified through presentation of model, borderline, related, and contrary cases. CONCLUSION: Results of this study can be used to guide the direction of future studies through concept analysis in which conceptual attributes in the context of health inequality are examined. Also, based on the result of this study, development of standardized tools to measure health inequality is recommended as well as development of educational programs to reduce health inequalities.
Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Human Rights ; Mortality ; Occupations ; Quality of Life ; Social Discrimination ; Socioeconomic Factors*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a six week self-help empowerment strategy program on the empowerment status, pain intensity, physical function, joint flexibility and depression status in rheumatoid arthritis patients. METHOD: The subjects of the study consisted of a convenience sample thirteen rheumatoid arthritis patients. Data was collected from July to November, 2001. All patient received a self-help empowerment strategy program, once a week for six weeks. RESULT: After receiving the self-help empowerment strategy program, the empowerment status increased significantly, the pain intensity and the depression score decreased significantly and the level of physical function significantly improved but the flexibilities of shoulders, knees and ankles were not significantly changed. CONCLUSION: Further studies need to be done to determine the feasibility of implementing empowerment strategy and its possibility as an effective intervention program for decreasing pain intensity and depression score and improving the physical function.
Ankle ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Depression ; Humans ; Knee ; Power (Psychology)* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Self-Help Groups ; Shoulder

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the degree of career plateau in general hospital nurses, to examine the affects of career plateau on nurses' job satisfaction and nursing competency. METHODS: The sample consisted of 234 general hospital nurses. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's Correlation and Hierarchical Multiple Regression. RESULTS: Nurses' career plateau was associated with their job satisfaction, nursing competency. A statistically significant difference in job satisfaction was career plateau, charge nurse or higher in position and resilience predicted 41% of variance in job satisfaction of general hospital nurses. A statistically significant difference in nursing competency was total clinical experience, career plateau, preceptorship experience, charge nurse or higher in position and resilience predicted 43% of variance in nursing competency of general hospital nurses. CONCLUSION: These results of this study as presented above show that general hospital nurses' career plateau is associated with their job satisfaction and nursing competency. Career plateau is the most important variable in nursing competency. Based on the findings, general hospital nurses' career plateau management is empirically verified as a useful and effective method to increase their job satisfaction and nursing competency.
Hospitals, General ; Job Satisfaction ; Methods ; Nursing ; Nursing, Supervisory ; Preceptorship

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the degree of career plateau in general hospital nurses, to examine the affects of career plateau on nurses' job satisfaction and nursing competency. METHODS: The sample consisted of 234 general hospital nurses. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's Correlation and Hierarchical Multiple Regression. RESULTS: Nurses' career plateau was associated with their job satisfaction, nursing competency. A statistically significant difference in job satisfaction was career plateau, charge nurse or higher in position and resilience predicted 41% of variance in job satisfaction of general hospital nurses. A statistically significant difference in nursing competency was total clinical experience, career plateau, preceptorship experience, charge nurse or higher in position and resilience predicted 43% of variance in nursing competency of general hospital nurses. CONCLUSION These results of this study as presented above show that general hospital nurses' career plateau is associated with their job satisfaction and nursing competency. Career plateau is the most important variable in nursing competency. Based on the findings, general hospital nurses' career plateau management is empirically verified as a useful and effective method to increase their job satisfaction and nursing competency.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to provide a basis for non-humidified low flow oxygen by nasal cannula and to provide a guide for consistent care in nursing practice. METHODS: A methodological study on the development of guidelines with experts' opinions on collected items, framing PICO questions, evaluating and synthesizing texts which were searched with the key words (low flow oxygen, nasal cannula, humidification of oxygen, guideline) from web search engines. RESULTS: Of the 45 researched texts on the web, 9 texts relevant to the theme were synthesized and evaluated. All patients with humidified or non-humidified oxygen therapy reported that they had no discomfort. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that there are no tangible grounds for patients' perceived differences between the humidified and non-humidified oxygen under 4L/min supplied by nasal cannula. with oxygen. Therefore, non-humidification oxygen therapy is strongly advised when suppling under 4L/min oxygen by nasal cannula (recommended grade A).
Catheters ; Humans ; Oxygen

This study was carried out to find out the basic data required to plan and develop Rehabilitation Day Care Program for the stroke survivor's family in Korea. The subjects comprised of 92 stroke survivor's family who discharged from 4 hospitals in Seoul during the past 2 years. The data were collected from August 3. 1998 to September 18, 1998, through interviews with questionnaires about general characteristics, activities of daily living, depression and service need of rehabilitation day care program at the outpatient clinics by trained nursing graduates. Data were analyzed with descriptive analysis, Pearson's correlation analysis, and Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis using SPSS/WIN 10.0 program. The results obtained are as follows: 1. The mean score of the general need of rehabilitation day care program of stroke survivor's family was 3.10(range 1-4). The highest need among the service categories of the rehabilitation day care program was self-care and restorative activities category(3.30). and health services referral category, recreation category, psychosocial activities category in order. The needs of each category are as follows. In the health services referral category, the need for dental examination and medical examination were highest, followed by the need for physical therapy and occupational therapy. In the psychosocial activities category, the need for family counselling was highest. In the self-care and restorative activities category, the need for ROM exercise training was highest, followed by bowel training, and ambulation training. 2. The need of family for rehabilitation day care program service displayed a correlation with the level of education. ADL. and the level of depression. and a reverse correlation with age, illness intrusiveness, depression, knowledge. subject and object burden and relationship with stroke survivors. 3. The stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed following results. For the need for rehabilitation day care program service. 22.6% of the variance was initially explained by level of family's knowledge about caring method for stroke survivors, 8.8% was the level of subjective burden and 5.4% was relationship with stroke survivors. In conclusion, above characteristics should be considered to develop stroke survivors' rehabilitation day care program.
Activities of Daily Living ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Day Care, Medical* ; Depression ; Education ; Health Services ; Humans ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Nursing ; Occupational Therapy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Recreation ; Referral and Consultation ; Rehabilitation* ; Self Care ; Seoul ; Stroke* ; Survivors ; Walking

PURPOSE: Today's clinical nurses deal with complex problems that need accurate evidence for practice and decision making. In this study the effectiveness of an EBP education program was examined. METHODS: A pre-posttest design was used for this study and participants were 46 nurses working at a tertiary hospital located in Suwon, Korea. Date collection was done before and after the education program, from July 27 to October 2, 2015. Data were analyzed using paired t-test and ANCOVA with SPSS 21.0. RESULTS: There were significant differences in scores before and after the EBP education program for EBP readiness: belief (t=-5.65, p<.001), implementation(t=-2.89, p=.006), competence (t=-4.21, p<.001), and for evidence-based decision making (t=-16.25, p<.001) by the nurses. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that the EBP education program has positive effects on EBP belief, implementation, competence and evidence-based decision making. In the future, it is necessary to reinforce the content of the program in the clinical workplace and to provide continuous education for clinical nurses.
Decision Making* ; Education* ; Evidence-Based Practice* ; Gyeonggi-do ; Korea ; Mental Competency ; Tertiary Care Centers

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of perceptions regarding the importance of patient safety management in the relationship between incident reporting attitudes and patient safety care activities for nurses in small-and medium-sized general hospitals. The objective was to provide a basis for planning tailored training programs aimed at improving patient safety care activities.METHODS: This study was conducted with 187 participants in small- and medium-sized general hospitals in K city in South Korea from March 15 to March 31, 2019. The data collected from participants were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and a multiple regression using IBM SPSS/WIN 21.0 software.RESULTS: Patient safety care activities were found to be correlated with incident reporting attitudes (r=.27, p < .001) and perceptions of the importance of patient safety management (r=.59, p < .001). Further, perceptions of the importance of patient safety management had a complete mediating effect (β=.409, p < .001) on the relationship between incident reporting attitudes and patient safety care activities.CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study, tailored training programs regarding patient safety care activities focused on boosting perceptions of the importance of patient safety management are highly recommended to improve nurses' patient safety care activities in small- and medium-sized general hospitals.
Education ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Korea ; Negotiating ; Patient Safety ; Risk Management ; Safety Management

A fifty year old Korean female was admitted with a few months history of general malaise. On admission, positive HBs Ag, negative HBs Ab and HBe Ag was negative. The liver function tests showed AST 274 U/L, ALT 126 U/L, CEA 1.87 ng/ml. With the clinical impression of chronic hepatitis B, abdominal CT and ERCP were performed and demonstrated a narrowing of the distal common bile duct suggesting a malignant etiology. The Whipple's procedure was done. The intraoperative finding revealed neoplastic involvement of the distal 1 cm of the common bile duct with severe narrowing and proximal dilatation. Microscopic findings demonstrated cystically dilated ductular structures and intervening irregular hypertrophic smooth muscle bundles.
Adenomyoma* ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Common Bile Duct* ; Dilatation ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; Humans ; Liver Function Tests ; Muscle, Smooth ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed