Purpose: : This retrospective study clarified the peripheral limb ischemiaincidence and examined the differences in demographic, clinical, and nursing care-related characteristics according to the presence of peripheral limb ischemia in intensive care unit (ICU) patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy. Methods: : Participants were 170 patients who received ECMO therapy at a university hospital over a 10-year period (January 2013 to December 2022). Data, including general, clinical, and nursing care characteristics, were collected from electronic medical records. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, χ2-tests, and Fisher’s exact tests. Results: : Participants’ mean age was 57.49 years, 125 (73.5%) were male, and the average duration of ECMO therapy was 7.22 days. Among them, 75 (44.1%) patients developed peripheral limb ischemia. Significant differences were found between the groups with and without peripheral limb ischemia in mean arterial pressure (t=6.19, p ‹.001), vasopressor use (χ2=8.54, p =.003), anticoagulant use (χ2=15.01, p ‹.001), use of clotting factors (χ2=5.84, p=.016), presence of abdominal distension (χ2=8.97, p=.003), insertion site bleeding (χ2=8.14, p =.004), and laboratory values including white blood cell count (t=2.65, p =.009), hemoglobin (t=2.71, p =.008), platelet count (t=2.88, p =.004), creatine kinase (t=-4.47, p ‹.001), prothrombin time (t=-4.22, p ‹.001), international normalized ratio (t=-4.29, p ‹.001), and frequency of lower limb monitoring (t=5.57, p ‹.001). Conclusion : This study explored the clinical and nursing care-related characteristics associated with peripheral limb ischemia in ICU patients undergoing ECMO therapy. The findings provide evidence to support future research focusing on the early detection and proactive nursing interventions to prevent peripheral limb ischemia in this high-risk population.

Purpose: : This study aimed to develop and implement a checklist for intrahospital transport (IHT) of critically ill patients and to evaluate its effectiveness on patient safety nursing performance and the incidence of patient safety incidents related to IHT among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. Methods: : A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was used with 64 nurses working in two ICUs of a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea. Data were collected between July and November, 2024. Patient safety nursing performance related to IHT was assessed using a validated instrument, and 60 IHT cases were reviewed to determine the incidence of patient safety incidents. Statistical analyses included paired t-tests and chi-squared tests. Results: : After implementation of the IHT checklist, nurses’ patient safety nursing performance related to IHT significantly improved (pre: 4.48±0.31; post: 4.56±0.27; t=-2.30, p =.025). Significant improvements were also observed in pre-transport preparation (p =.035), patient monitoring during transport (p =.002), and post-transport patient management (p =.044). The incidence of patient safety incidents related to events per transport decreased from 66.7% (20/30 cases) before the checklist to 30.0% (9/30 cases) after its use (χ2=8.08, p =.004). Conclusion : The checklist effectively enhanced patient safety nursing performance and reduced adverse events during IHT of critically ill patients. These results highlight the value of structured checklists as simple yet powerful tools for standardizing care, strengthening communication, and improving overall patient safety in complex clinical environments.

Purpose: : This study aimed to compare the effects of Kinesio taping and non-elastic taping on wrist pain, range of motion (ROM), grip strength, and wrist function among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. Methods: : This quasi-experimental study used a non-equivalent control group pretest–posttest design to compare a Kinesio taping group with a non-elastic taping group. Data were collected between April 10 and May 16, 2025. Fifty participants were included in the final analysis, with 26 in the experimental group and 24 in the control group. Results: : There were significant group-by-time interaction effects for wrist pain (F = 6.65, p = .001) and wrist flexion ROM (F = 3.15, p = .035), indicating greater improvements over time in the Kinesio taping group than in the control group. No significant group-by-time interaction effects were observed for grip strength (F = 0.32, p = .730) and wrist function (F = 1.17, p = .318). Conclusion : This study demonstrates that Kinesio taping is an effective intervention for reducing wrist pain and improving ROM among ICU nurses with wrist pain. The application of Kinesio taping may help reduce the musculoskeletal burden and support stable work performance in ICU clinical settings.

Purpose: : This study examined the effects of a video visitation intervention on pain, anxiety, comfort, and family caregiver anxiety in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after pulmonary resection. Methods: : A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group pretest–posttest design study was conducted between July 10 and November 6, 2023. Patients scheduled for pulmonary resection and their primary family caregivers were recruited one day before the surgery after receiving the study information. The intervention consisted of a structured postoperative telephone explanation, followed by a video visitation between the patient and caregiver using a hospital-provided smartphone. Pain, anxiety, and comfort in patients, and anxiety in caregivers were measured using validated instruments. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANCOVA for patient outcomes, and paired t-tests and ANCOVA for caregiver anxiety. Results: : Video visitations significantly reduced patients’ anxiety (F=5.89, p =.008) and improved comfort (F=12.56, p ‹.001). No significant effects were observed for pain (F=1.39, p =.254) or caregivers’ anxiety (t=1.03, p =.312). Conclusion : Video visitations had beneficial effects on anxiety and comfort in ICU patients after pulmonary resection. Further research is needed to determine the optimal use and evaluate broader clinical outcomes.

Purpose: : This methodological study aimed to develop a practical, evidence-based protocol for External Ventricular Drainage (EVD) management, toward preventing complications, reducing morbidity and mortality, and shortening hospital stays. Methods: : The study was conducted between June and October, 2023. A multidisciplinary panel—comprising eight ICU nurses with ≥5 years’ experience, three neurosurgery residents, and two methodology experts—developed a preliminary protocol. Ninety-three draft recommendations were assessed for content validity by three neurosurgeons using the Content Validity Index (CVI); items with CVI = 1.0 were retained, and others were revised or removed. Seventeen additional recommendations derived from the international guidelines were incorporated, yielding 110 items. Ten ICU nurses then evaluated the appropriateness and applicability of the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method (RAM). Descriptive statistics were calculated using SPSS version 27.0. Results: : Of the 110 recommendations, 9 were retained without change, 16 were revised, 3 were merged, and 3 were deleted. After consolidation, the final protocol comprised 104 recommendations categorized into four phases: preoperative, intraoperative, postoperative, and removal. Recommendation strength was graded using the modified GRADE system: Class I (n = 65), IIa (n = 24), IIb (n = 13), and III (n = 2). Validity was appraised using the AGREE II instrument, with a mean overall rating of 6.3 on a 7-point scale. Conclusion : The resulting protocol provides a practical, evidence-based guideline for EVD care and may serve as a methodological reference for the development of future clinical guidelines.

Purpose: : Teamwork and perceptions of patient safety culture are positive factors in operating room (OR) nurses’ patient safety management activities. Distractions in the OR may negatively impact OR nurses’ patient safety management activities; however, the relationship between these variables has not yet been explored. This study aimed to determine the relationships among teamwork, perception of patient safety culture, distractions in the OR, and patient safety management activities among OR nurses. Methods: : A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 149 OR nurses from U Metropolitan City. Structured questionnaires were used to assess teamwork, perceptions of patient safety culture, distractions in the OR, and patient safety management activities. T-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and hierarchical linear regression were used for data analysis. Results: : Positive correlations were found among teamwork, perception of the patient safety culture, and patient safety management activities (all p ＜.001). Auditory distractions in the OR were negatively correlated with patient safety management activities (r = -0.21, p = .011). Hierarchical linear regression revealed that teamwork (β = 0.28, p = .007), perception of patient safety culture (β = 0.24, p = .016), and visual (β = -0.22, p = .023) and communication distractions (β = -0.26, p = .002) were associated with patient safety management activities. Conclusion : Strategic interventions are thus needed to strengthen teamwork, foster a positive patient safety culture, and minimize distractions in the OR to enhance patient safety management activities among OR nurses.

Purpose: : This study aimed to explore the essence and meaning of light sedation for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: : Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 patients receiving light sedation therapy in the cardiac ICU of a university hospital in South Korea. The content of the interviews was analyzed using Elo and Kyngäs’s inductive content analysis method. Data collection and analysis were performed iteratively to enable a continuous comparative analysis. Results: : The main category derived from the analysis was the “coexistence of partial consciousness and discomfort.” Three general categories were identified: (1) the state of being neither asleep nor awake, (2) persistent discomfort, and (3) ambivalence toward consciousness. The subcategories included a fragmented memory, disorientation, surreal experiences, brain fog, half-heard noises, physical discomfort, mental distress, preference for sleep, and preference for being awake. Conclusion : Patients in the ICU under light sedation experienced an incomplete state of consciousness while experiencing various types of discomfort. Nurses should understand the patients’ subjective experiences with light sedation to provide patient-centered care. Based on these findings, further research is required to develop and apply nursing interventions for patients under light sedation.

Purpose: : This scoping review examined the assessment of learning outcomes in simulation-based education to recognize and respond to deteriorating patients in nursing education. Methods: : The review followed Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute’s manual. Studies were retrieved from databases such as Cochrane Central, PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Results: : A total of 15 studies, published between 2010 and 2023, were reviewed. Only six studies (40%) assessed both the cognitive learning outcomes related to recognition and the psychomotor outcomes related to responses to DPs. The learning outcomes included knowledge, situational awareness, cognition, the modified early warning score (MEWS), the situation–background–assessment–recommendation score, and teamwork in the cognitive domain; the MEWS action algorithm and psychomotor performance in the psychomotor domain; and self-efficacy, confidence, and self-confidence in the affective domain. Conclusion : Effective SBE for recognizing and responding to DPs should be designed to assess cognitive and psychomotor learning outcomes in nursing education. Future research should focus on enhancing non-technical skills through various approaches to SBE to recognize and respond to DPs.

Purpose: : This study compared the levels of importance, satisfaction, and barriers of communication performance between family members and nurses in intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: : The participants were 64 family members of patients admitted to an ICU and 66 nurses working in ICUs at a university hospital. The data were collected via structured questionnaires from December 27, 2023, to March 15, 2024, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests to compare the responses of family members and nurses. Results: : A higher importance of communication was conveyed by family members than by nurses (t=2.455, p=.015). Both groups recognized the importance of providing information related to the patient’s condition and treatment. Satisfaction with communication was higher among families than nurses (t=5.172, p＜.001). Both groups were satisfied with the items pertaining to the use of easy-to-understand language and the ability to answer their questions, but these were ranked differently. Nurses reported a higher barrier level than family members (t=–5.591, p＜.001). Both groups agreed that nurses appearing busy or lacking the time to communicate were significant barriers. Conclusion : Family members of the patients in the ICU recognized the importance of communication and were satisfied with the communication with nurses. They preferred informative and friendly communication that focused on their needs. Therefore, interventions and educational programs for communication performance and environmental factors must be considered to optimize the quality of nursing services for family members in ICUs.

Purpose: : This study aimed to identify the factors influencing burnout in intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency room (ER) nurses who cared for patients who attempted suicide. Methods: : The sample comprised 154 nurses who had worked for more than 6 months in the ICU and ER of 2 tertiary hospitals located in Busan, South Korea. Data were collected from April 2 to 30, 2024, using structured online questionnaires. The responses were analyzed using a t-test, analysis of variance, Scheffé test, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple linear regression via SPSS program Results: : Burnout was negatively correlated with compassion satisfaction (r=–.61, p＜.001) and positively correlated with secondary traumatic stress (r=.57, p＜.001). The factors affecting burnout were compassion satisfaction (β=–.56, p＜.001) and secondary traumatic stress (β=.52, p＜.001). The total explanatory power of these variables for burnout was 66.4%. Conclusion : These findings offer strong empirical evidence for the importance of compassion satisfaction and secondary traumatic stress in explaining burnout among nurses. Based on these results, we intend to provide the foundation for developing an intervention program to prevent burnout among ICU and ER nurses who care for patients who attempt suicide.