PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the psychosocial work environment of hospital nurses to identify influences of psychosocial work environment on stress, depression, sleep disorder, and burnout. METHODS: A total of 219 nurses working in one hospital were surveyed by using the Korean version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ-K) mental health and psychosocial work environment. The impact of the psychosocial work environment on mental health was analyzed using multiple regression. RESULTS: Mental health variables are correlated with each other. The psychosocial work environment variables and mental health variables are mostly correlated. To assess the psychosocial work environment that affects mental health the most, multiple regression was used. Work-family conflict was the most powerful explanation of all the mental health variables. Work pace, social community at work, mutual trust among employees, predictability, and influence were found to be affecting some mental health variables. CONCLUSION: To improve the mental health of nurses, it is necessary to consider work pace, social community at work, mutual trust among employees, predictability, influence focus on work-family conflict.
Depression* ; Hospitals, General* ; Mental Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study aims to determine the association between psychosocial work environment and self-rated health among general hospital nurses. METHODS: A total of 195 nurses working in one general hospital were eligible for data analysis by multivariate logistic regression. The psychosocial work environment was measured with the Korean version of the Copenhagen Psycosocial Questionnaire version II (COPSOQ-K). Self-rated health was recoded as good (excellent/good) and not good (fair/poor/bad) to the question, "In general, how would you rate your health status?" RESULTS: 40% of nurses rated their health positively. Commitment to the workplace (OR=1.27), predictability (OR=1.32), recognition and reward (OR=1.41), role clarity (OR=1.32), and social support from colleagues (OR=1.25) were positively associated with self-rated health of nurse participants. Work-family conflict (OR=0.82) was negatively associated with self-rated health. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that psychological work environment predicts self-rated health of hospital nurses. Good psychological work environment may be helpful in improvement of nurses' health.
Hospitals, General* ; Logistic Models ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reward ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: This study aims to determine the association between psychosocial work environment and self-rated health among general hospital nurses. METHODS: A total of 195 nurses working in one general hospital were eligible for data analysis by multivariate logistic regression. The psychosocial work environment was measured with the Korean version of the Copenhagen Psycosocial Questionnaire version II (COPSOQ-K). Self-rated health was recoded as good (excellent/good) and not good (fair/poor/bad) to the question, "In general, how would you rate your health status?" RESULTS: 40% of nurses rated their health positively. Commitment to the workplace (OR=1.27), predictability (OR=1.32), recognition and reward (OR=1.41), role clarity (OR=1.32), and social support from colleagues (OR=1.25) were positively associated with self-rated health of nurse participants. Work-family conflict (OR=0.82) was negatively associated with self-rated health. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that psychological work environment predicts self-rated health of hospital nurses. Good psychological work environment may be helpful in improvement of nurses' health.
Hospitals, General ; Logistic Models ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reward ; Statistics as Topic

BACKGROUND: Careful consideration should be given administering a blood transfusion according to the transfusion criteria because blood components may cause various adverse reactions. In the future, a shortage of blood is inevitable due to strengthening the criteria of donor deferral and the increasing population of aged people, and this will cause a significant dearth of the blood supply. Therefore, we have developed a computerized blood auditing program for reducing the amount of blood transfused by changing the transfusion practices of clinicians. METHODS: The blood audit program was developed to automatically check the clinical information, the pretransfusion laboratory test results, the operation etc of patients who are undergoing transfusion based on the laboratory information system (LIS). The criteria for appropriateness were based on the national transfusion guideline and the transfusion criteria of Severance Hospital. We evaluated the transfusion appropriateness of transfusing red blood cells (RBCs) and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) from April, 2009 to June, 2009 using this audit program. RESULTS: RBCs were transfused to 2,353 patients over 5,652 episodes, and a total of 11,055 units were transfused. FFP was transfused to 574 patients over 1,228 episodes and a total of 4,258 units were transfused. We found that 1,120 (19.9%) RBC transfusion episodes and 377 (30.7%) FFP transfusion episodes were inappropriate. The proportion of inappropriate transfusion was higher in surgical departments than that in medical departments. CONCLUSION: Our computerized audit program evaluated a high number of transfusions in a short time, and we obtained results reflecting the entire past history of transfusions, and we can continuously audit transfusion using this program. We think that feedback to physicians who order transfusions would improve the appropriate use of transfusion.
Aged ; Blood Transfusion ; Clinical Laboratory Information Systems ; Erythrocytes ; Humans ; Plasma ; Tissue Donors