PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether job satisfaction in clinical nurses was dependent on work intensity and whether physical discomfort mediated the relationships between these variables. METHODS: Structural equation modeling was used with a sample of 253 clinical nurses from four general hospitals. In the model, absolute work intensity, relative work intensity, and flexibility were considered as exogenous variables and physical discomfort as a mediating variable. Data were collected using self-report measures such as the Labor Intensity Questionnaire, the Rating of Perceived Exertion, and the Index of Job Satisfaction. RESULTS: The results of the structural equation modeling found that the higher scores on absolute and relative work intensity were positively associated with physical discomfort but only relative work intensity was significantly related to job satisfaction. Physical discomfort mediated the relationships between absolute work intensity and job satisfaction and between relative work intensity and job satisfaction. Among three kinds of work intensity, only relative work intensity had direct and indirect effects on job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that increase in relative work intensity might play an important role in decreasing job satisfaction in clinical nurses and a reasonable reward system considering relative work intensity could be necessary.
Hospitals, General ; Job Satisfaction* ; Negotiating ; Pliability ; Reward

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between handwashing knowledge and handwashing compliance in nursing students and to identify the moderation and mediation effects of self-efficacy and perceived behavioral control on the relationship. METHODS: The participants were 172 nursing college students who completed the self-report measures. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient, Multiple regression analysis was used to test moderation and mediation effects. RESULTS: The score for knowledge of handwashing was higher in participants who had completed fundamentals of nursing practicum (t=−6.54, p<.001) and the score for compliance with handwashing was higher in participants who had completed clinical practicum (t=−3.81, p<.001) or fundamentals of nursing practicum (t=−5.97, p<.001). Self-efficacy showed a significant moderation effect (z=2.21, p=.027) but not a mediation effect while perceived behavioral control had a significant mediation effect but not a moderation effect on the relationship between knowledge of handwashing and compliance. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that clinical practicum and fundamentals of nursing practicum were helpful to nursing students in acquiring knowledge and in practicing proper handwashing technique. These findings suggest that continuing and repetitive education programs on handwashing need to be enhanced and strategies to strengthen self-efficacy and perceived behavioral control need to be included in education programs.
Compliance* ; Education ; Hand Disinfection* ; Humans ; Negotiating* ; Nursing* ; Preceptorship ; Self Efficacy ; Students, Nursing*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a discipline-based career course on perceptions of career barriers, career search self-efficacy, and career preparation behavior of nursing students. Differences in career search self-efficacy and career preparation behavior by the students' levels of career barriers were also examined. METHODS: The study used a modified one-group, pretesteposttest design. The convenience sample consisted of 154 undergraduate nursing students in a university. The discipline-based career course consisted of eight sessions, and was implemented for 2 hours per session over 8 weeks. The data were collected from May to June in 2012 and 2013 using the following instruments: the Korean Career Indecision Inventory, the Career Search Efficacy Scale, and the Career Preparation Behavior Scale. Descriptive statistics, paired t test, and analysis of covariance were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Upon the completion of the discipline-based career course, students' perceptions of career barriers decreased and career search self-efficacy and career preparation behavior increased. Career search self-efficacy and career preparation behavior increased in students with both low and high levels of career barriers. The difference between the low and high groups was significant for career search selfefficacy but not for career preparation behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The discipline-based career course was effective in decreasing perceptions of career barriers and increasing career search self-efficacy and career preparation behavior among nursing students.
Adult ; *Career Choice ; Education, Nursing/*methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Republic of Korea ; *Self Efficacy ; Students, Nursing/*psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

We investigated the relationship between job stress, burnout, and nursing performance in clinical nurses. The effects of three types of burnout (personal, work-related, and client-related) in this relationship were also examined by career stage. Methods : Using convenience sampling, 280 clinical nurses were employed from four general hospitals in Korea. Data were collected using the Job Stress Scale, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, and the Nursing Performance Scale. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses were employed. Results : Results revealed that burnout mediated the relationship between job stress and nursing performance. When participants were classified by career length—beginner, advanced beginner, competent, and expert— the type of burnout affecting nursing performance differed per their career stage: personal burnout for the beginner group, personal and work-related burnout for the advanced beginner group, and work-related and client-related burnout for the expert group. Conclusion : It is necessary to monitor and relieve clinical nurses’ job stress by providing various kinds of support such as improving workload management and enhancing team communication to prevent burnout and induce better nursing performance. Further, the differences in roles and duties by career stage should be considered when developing and applying clinical nursing interventions.

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine whether risk of suicidal ideation in nursing students as related to social support and ego-resilience, and whether subjective wellbeing mediated the relationships. METHODS: Structural equation modeling was applied to test the model in which ego-resilience and social support from family, friends, and others were considered as exogenous variables and subjective wellbeing as a mediating variable. The participants were 285 nursing students who completed self-report measures including the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Ego-Resiliency Scale, and the Index of Wellbeing. RESULTS: Results show that higher scores on family support and ego-resilience were positively associated with subjective wellbeing and negatively with suicidal ideation. Subjective wellbeing mediated the relationships between family support and suicidal ideation, and also ego-resilience and suicidal ideation. Among the three social supports, only family social support had both direct and indirect effects on suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that family support is a useful resource in the prevention of suicidal ideation in nursing students and building supportive relationship with family should be considered as the first step in suicide prevention strategies. Also enhancing ego-resilience could play an important role to reduce suicide risk through promoting well-being.
Friends ; Humans ; Negotiating ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing* ; Suicidal Ideation* ; Suicide