This Qualitative nursing research used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to discover meaning in an aging experience. The ultimate aim of the inquiry was to discover the essence of aging experience and to promote understanding. The study used Van Manen's methodology of phenomenological research. Multiple strategies for data collecting were utilized : in depth face-to-face interview & analysis of elder's literature. The following themes of experience emerged : changing of physical shape, being expelled out in the field of life, reformationing of family relationship, rhythmical patterning of life & death, developing of reflective self-consciousness, awareness of self-expansion creatively. From this study essential themes for understanding aging experience, need for continuing inquiry were identified.
Aging* ; Family Relations ; Nursing Research

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to analyse the activities and status of infection control nurses (ICNs) and the trends of them since the first full-time ICN had been appointed in 1991. METHODS: Questionaries were mailed to 164 general hospitals with more than 300 beds. 85 hospitals were responded (51.8%) from 17June to 11 November 2003. RESULT: Full-time ICN was employed in 37.5%, 88.8% hospitals employed only one ICN regardless full-time or part-time ICN. ICNs spent time on surveillance (40.7%), teaching (29.4%), and meeting et al (30.3%). Surveillance was practice (67.5%), but surgical site surveillance was done in 12.1%. Personal characteristics and IC activities were significantly different between full-time and part-time ICNs. No of ICNs were increased by the national regulation and policy making. ICNs have improved the efficacy of infection control (IC) and abolished many wasteful ICs, The intensity of surveillance and the number of hospitals keep on hospital environmental control guidelines were increased. CONCLUSION: The number of ICNs was lower than 1980s' recommendation. The regulation on the ratio of ICN to beds should be added. The general features and activities of ICNs have been improved since 1991. However, to step up IC, the reward and support systems for ICN should be established.
Cross Infection ; Hospitals, General* ; Humans ; Infection Control* ; Policy Making ; Postal Service ; Reward

This study was designed and undertaken to find out the degree of powerlessness, self-esteem and family support of elderly home residents and to determine the relationship between powerlessness, self-esteem and family support. The data were collected from October 1st to 20th, 1998. The subjects in this study were 271 elderly home residents over the age 60 living in Taejon city. The study tool for measuring powerlessness was developed by S.E.Chung(1998), the other for measuring self-esteem, was a self-esteem scale developed by Rosenberg, and the tool for measuring family support was developed by Choi(1983), Cobb(1976) and Kang(1984). Data were analysed for percentage, mean, t-test, ANOVA and Peason-correlation coefficients using the SPSS program. The results of this study were as follows ; 1. The degree of powerlessness, self-esteem and family support was scored avove the median. 2. The relationship between powerlessness and self-esteem revealed a no significant inverse correlation, but powerlessness and family support, showed a significant inverse correlation, and self-esteem and family support, registered a very statistically significant correlation. 3. The general characteristics showing the differences of the elderly' powerlessness were sex, one' s health of state compared to other elderly' and living expense load. These yielded statistically very significant results. 4. The general characteristics showing the differences of the elderly' self-esteem were sex, state of ownership of a house, age, religion, one's health of state compared to other elderly'. Among these, sex and state of ownership of a house revealed statistically very significant differences, also age, religion and one's health of state produced statistically significant differences. 5. The general characteristics showing the differences of the elderly' family support were sex, state of ownership of a house, having some diagnosed diseases or not and one's health of state compared to other elderly' health. These also showed statistically significant differences. In conclusion, the factors influencing the elderly' powerlessness, self-esteem and family support generally were age, sex, their economic independence and health of state(which included especially having a diagnosed disease). Also, the family support was needed to reduce their powerlessness and to have their self-esteem highly.
Aged* ; Daejeon ; Humans ; Ownership

The prognosis of malignant ovarian tumor is poorer than that of borderline malignant ovarian tumor, Therefore an accurate diagnosis and estimation of the biologic behavior of the tumor are necessary for proper management of the patient. The histologic investigation of the tumor may provide information on the estimation of the malignant potential of tumor cells, but it may be a questionable method because of the subjective determination of tumor grade. Quantification of proliferative activity of tumor cells may play a role as an objective method to provide an estimation of the malignant potential of tumor cells. An evaluation of histologic findings was done on 84 cases of ovarian mucinous and serous tumors that were surgically resected and diagnosed during the period from January 1981 through July 1992. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCN A) labelling index estimated from the immunohistochemical stain for PCN A and the Sphase fraction and porliferative index obtained from flow cytometric DN A analysis were assessed each other with histologic findings. The results are as follows: The presence of aneuploidy in malignant tumors was statistically significant as compared with benign tumors. The borderline malignant tumors showed no significant difference between the number of diploidy and aneuploidy. The PCNA labelling index, S-phase fraction and proliferative index tended to increase as the histologic grade of tumors went up. They were higher in malignant tumors than in others. The PCN A labelling index, S-phase fraction and proliferative index were higher in tumors with aneuploidy than in those with diploidy. In contrast to borderline malignant tumors, the PCNA labelling index in malignant tumors revealed a significant relation with the mitotic index. The S-phase fraction and proliferative index showed, in malignant tumors, a close correlation with the architectural grade and nucleolar grade, but not in borderline malignant tumors. Considering these results, the presence of aneuploidy, PCNA label.

Rapid progress in modern medical technology has made it possible to sustain life and/or delay death using 'heroic' treatments. The availability of life-sustaining treatment brings several issues in end-of-life care such as 'dying with dignity' and an radical increase in health care costs. The use of Advance Directives(AD) have been widely heralded by health care providers, gerontologists, and advocacy groups as means of protecting patients' right to accept or refuse life-sustaining treatment in end-of-life care. The use of AD can not only improve patients' autonomy and quality of life but also bring efficiency in distributing health care resources. The proportion of older persons in Korean population has been increasing. Those 65 years of age or over were about 7 percent of the population. Death and dying is not limited to older persons, but it is more prevalent among them. In conjunction with an aging population and the increasing prevalence of death, the issues of death and dying will become crucial in near future in terms of 'dying with dignity', 'autonomy', and 'self-control'. This paper attempts to explode and establish the concept of advance directives (AD) based on literature review. Data sources are computer searches with the MEDLINE database. Due to the lack of prior study on AD for a Korean cases, studies abroad are reviewed. This paper suggests the need for future study on the possibility of the use of AD in Korea.
Advance Directives* ; Aging ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Delivery of Health Care ; Health Care Costs ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Korea ; Patient Rights ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life

This Qualitative nursing research used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to discover meaning in an self-transcendence experience. The ultimate aim of the inquiry was to discover the essence of self-transcendence experience and to promote understanding. The study used van Manen's Methodology of phenmonological research. Multiple strategies for data collecting were utilized: in depth face-to-face interview and analysis of elders' literature. The following themes of experience emerged: Accepting becoming older as a natural phenomenon, transferring to one's own sons' and daughters' oriented life. Maintaining harmonious relationship with neighbors and peer, observing real situations with silence, forming internal integrity with perseverance, compromising own's real situation, actualizing one's death, giving up roots of life, depending on God and conforming to human limitation. From this study essential themes for understanding self-transcendence experience and needs for continuing inquiry were identified.
Humans ; Nursing Research

This study looks at the various alternative therapy methods used in day to day life by elderly, over 60 years of age. The elderly have come to know and practice these methods for the following reasons : it is good for the health ; it is the method used in the olden days when there wesn't modern medicine ; it has been passed down from generations ; it can be done at home without having the need to go to the hospital ; acupuncture or poulticing can be used ; it can be done at home, which was an important factor in rural areas where hospitals are few and far between ; and [herbal] medicine could be prepared at home at no cast ; it derives from experience ; it is impossible to ignore tradition passed down through the generations. Diet control and plants(herbs) are methods most often used, as they are easy to find and can be readily used in critical situations. Other methods include oriental medicine practices of moxibustion with moxa cone, negative therapy, hand and finger acupunture, finger press method, ordinary acupunture, finger press method, ordinary acupunture, manual healing methods of massage, diaphoretic therapy and meditation to reach a state of calm, and qigong dirigation. The reasons for its use are as follows : it has been used before ; it is effective ; there is some improvement after the treatment ; it is not harmful to the body ; medicine cannot be obtained and it is the only thing available ; it is not good for an old person to go to the hospital everyday, the symptoms are not serious enough to go to a hospital ; and acupuncture is for these things. The means that the elderly have come to practice these methods are ; it has been used since the past ; it has been told by the elders ; they have been told by friends ; it was part of their knowledge ; and they have come to know by watching their mother. Further, to regain vitality lost through old age, the elderly have relied on hot soup, a hearty meal, brewed honey water, pumpkin, or ginseng. Humans, by instinct, would rub or massage the areas that caused pain. These actions, combined with a breathing technique have been recognized in Tong-Eui-Bo-Gam(the essential of eastern medicine), the complete work of early modern medicine, are a useful means to revive chi. This knowledge is thought to have greatly affected our healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, though the demand for medical services would increase with age, the elderly have not always been able to tend to their needs at the hospital for reasons economic or other. Hence, these alternative therapy methods seem to have been practiced as a temporary means of relief. The excellence of our traditional therapeutic custom has not received full recognition due to the argument relating to its scientific merits. As a result, it has become vital to prove their effectiveness through scientific and other experimental means. The potency of moxibustion with moxa cone and hand and finger acupunture have been proven scientifically, but diet and herbal methods appear to be practiced as a result of customs passed down from generations. In addition, it is submitted that the effectiveness of the traditional methods of disease control and our heathy lifestyle that are easily found in the nursing field must be verified.
Acupuncture ; Aged ; Cucurbita ; Diet ; Family Characteristics ; Fingers ; Friends ; Hand ; History, Early Modern 1451-1600 ; History, Modern 1601- ; Honey ; Humans ; Instinct ; Life Style ; Massage ; Meals ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Meditation ; Mothers ; Moxibustion ; Nursing ; Panax ; Qigong ; Respiration ; Water

PURPOSE: To explore nurses' compliance with standards for critical care nursing practice in intensive care units (ICUs) and to provide basic data for high quality of critical care nursing. METHOD: A total of 616 participants from 61 ICUs which are graded from 1 to 7 throughout the nation were surveyed. Data were collected from February 9 to February 27, 2009 using a uestionnaire consisting of 58 questions including 50 nursing activities as indicators. RESULTS: The rate of ICU nurses' compliance with standards for critical care nursing practice was high. As for individual standards, compliance with the standard of assessment was the highest, followed by implementation, diagnosis, and planning in that order. There were differences in compliance according to nurses' ICU experience, work place (unit), and ICU grade. A shortage of manpower was considered as a main cause for noncompliance. CONCLUSION: The present compliance rate with standards for critical care nursing practice by ICU nurses was identified. Therefore, compliance rate can be used to promote quality of critical care nursing and development of educational programs for ICU nurses.
Compliance ; Critical Care ; Hypogonadism ; Intensive Care Units ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Workplace

BACKGROUND: Impairment of relaxing response and augmentation of contractile response to vasoactive substances have been reported in atherosclerotic arteries. These alterations in vascular reactivity are considered as an underlying mechanism for the development of acute vasospasm in atherosclerotic coronary artery. Recently, it has been reported that lysophophatidylcholine (LPC), an oxidative metabolite of low density lipoprotein causes this functional abnormality. However, the precise mechanism of LPC induced change of vascular reactivity is still uncertain. METHOD: In this study, to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of abnormal vascular reactivity in atherosclerotic coronary artery, we examined the effect of LPC on whole cell K+current using patch clamping technique in rabbit coronary smooth muscle cells. RESULTS: Application of LPC(1microM) showed dual effect on whole cell outward current which depends on the magnitude of test potentials. At relatively high depolarizing test potentials (> 10 mV), LPC increased amplitude of outward current which was blocked by Gd3+ not by iberiotoxin (100 nM) and TEA (1 mM). Reversal potential of this Gd3+sensitive, LPC-induced current was -9.7 +/- 0.6 mV. At less depolarizing test potentials (< 10 mV), LPC decreased whole cell K+currents in a dose dependent manner (from 0.01 to 10 microM) in the range of -30 mV to +0 mV. Half maximal inhibition of K+current was 1.509 microM at 0 mV test potential (n =5). Depolarizing holding potential (0 mV) prevented this LPC-induced inhibition of K+current. Steady state activation and inactivation parameters of K+current were significantly shifted to the positive direction by application of LPC (p < 0.01, n =8). Pretreatment of staurosporine (100 nM), a blocker of protein kinase C partially blocked LPC-induced decrease of K+currents. CONCLUSION: LPC-induced inhibition of voltage dependent K+current may explain abnormal vascular reactivity in atherosclerotic coronary artery.
Arteries ; Constriction ; Coronary Vessels ; Lipoproteins ; Lysophosphatidylcholines* ; Muscle, Smooth* ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle* ; Protein Kinase C ; Staurosporine ; Tea

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aroma hand massage on Sleep, depression and quality of life in the institutionalized elderly women. METHODS: This study was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The data was collected from June 23 to August 10 of 2009. Fifty - Six elderly women were divided into two groups, 27 institutionalized elderly women for the experimental group and 29 institutionalized elderly women for the control group. As for experimental treatment, the experimental group went through aroma hand massage with blended oil-a mixture of Lavender, Bergamot, Chamomile Roman in the ratio of 1 : 1 : 1, which was diluted 2.0% with jojoba carrier oil 20 mL-on each hand for 5 minutes, three times a week during two weeks. Control group went non-treatment. RESULTS: The aroma hand massage experimental group showed more significant differences in the charge of sleep score (t=3.83, p=.00) and depression (t=-3.54, p=.00). CONCLUSION: Aroma hand massage had a positive effect on sleep and depression in Institutionalized elderly women.
Aged ; Chamomile ; Depression ; Fees and Charges ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Lavandula ; Massage ; Quality of Life