PURPOSE: This study was to explore the level of core nursing activities performed by long-term care hospital nurses and to investigate the frequency and educational needs of major nursing activities. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive research design was used. The subjects were 155 nurses working at seven long-term care hospitals in Korea. Data were collected in 2018 from September 15 to October 16 using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the SPSS program. RESULTS: The mean age of nurses was 45.19±10.99 years and the mean career of long-term care hospital was 49.84±40.52 months. Monitoring activity was shown as the highest score in the performance level and frequency, whereas infection control received the highest score in educational needs. A scatter plot revealed that physical examination, respiratory care, wound care, communication and education showed overall high scores in the performance level, frequency, and educational needs. Emergency care and infection control were the activities that were performed less frequently but had high performance level and educational needs. CONCLUSION: It is important to establish rules for requisite and delegable activities considering the performance level and frequency of nursing activities in long-term care hospitals in order to improve the quality of patient care.
Education ; Emergency Medical Services ; Infection Control ; Korea ; Long-Term Care* ; Nursing* ; Patient Care ; Physical Examination ; Research Design ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: Competency in physical assessment is an important component of nursing practice. However, some physical assessment skills are not being utilized within the current teacher-centered, content-heavy curriculum. This study was conducted to identify the effects of student-centered, self-directed learning in the physical assessment class. METHODS: An experimental study with a post-test only control group design was used to compare an intervention group that was provided self-directed learning classes and a control group that was provided traditional lecture and practice classes. Competency in physical assessment, academic self-confidence, and learning satisfaction were evaluated. Collected data were analyzed using χ²-test (Fisher's exact test) and independent t-test. RESULTS: Competency in physical assessment was significantly higher in the experimental group. However, academic self-confidence and learning satisfaction were not significantly different between the groups. CONCLUSION: The findings in this study indicate that self-directed learning can improve nursing students competency in physical assessment and that self-directed learning is a good education method to improve nursing students' competency in physical assessment during clinical practice and perform quality patient care by making active use of physical assessment skills.
Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Nursing ; Humans ; Learning* ; Methods ; Nursing* ; Patient Care ; Physical Examination ; Students, Nursing*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to understand the situation of diabetes patients receiving examinations for diabetes complications and to explore the factors influencing their intention to receive examinations for diabetes complications. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed that included 251 diabetes patients who visited outpatient clinics in Southern Taiwan. A survey using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted from October 2015 to January 2016. The questionnaire included items on demographic characteristics, perceived susceptibility to diabetes complications, perceived seriousness of diabetes complications, perceived benefits of taking action to receive diabetes complication examinations, perceived barriers to taking action to receive diabetes complication examinations, and the intention to receive diabetes complication examinations. The data were analyzed using regression analysis. RESULTS: The percentage of participants who received fundus, foot, and kidney examinations was 67.7%, 61.4%, and 73.3%, respectively. Every point increase on the perceived barriers to taking action to receive diabetes complication examinations scale increased the intention to receive a foot examination in the following year by 0.91 times (p = .002), and every point increase on the perceived susceptibility to diabetes complications scale increased the intention to receive a kidney examination in the following year by 1.19 times (p = .045). CONCLUSIONS: Nurses should shoulder the responsibility to increase patients' intention to receive examination of diabetes complications. The results of this study can be used to promote nurses' care efficacy in preventing diabetes complications. They can also provide medical institutions with information to establish prevention and control policies for diabetes complications.
Ambulatory Care/utilization ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetic Angiopathies/nursing/*prevention & control/psychology ; Diabetic Nephropathies/nursing/*prevention & control/psychology ; Disease Susceptibility/psychology ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Intention ; Kidney Function Tests ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nurse-Patient Relations ; Ophthalmoscopy ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/*psychology ; Perception ; Physical Examination/nursing/*psychology/utilization ; Taiwan

PURPOSE: This study was to investigate factors that influence health examination for unmarried women. METHODS: A correlation study was carried out with 144 unmarried women with an age range of 35~49 years through self-administered questionnaires. This questionnaire included Health Belief Model modifying factors (demographic . sociological, structural, and cues to action variables). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi2-test, multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 37.2+/-2.67 years. Rates for breast cancer, cervical cancer and comprehensive health examination were each 34.7%, 38.2% and 94%. In multiple logistic regression analysis, influencing factors on physical examination were age(OR=0.06, 95% CI: 0.02~0.26), personal medical insurance (OR=6.30, 95% CI: 1.60~24.82), housemate (OR=7.63, 95% CI: 2.58~22.52), exercise (OR=3.72, 95% CI: 1.37~10.12) in breast cancer examination, and age (OR=0.08, 95% CI: 0.02~0.34; OR=0.07, 95% CI: 0.01~0.85), personal medical insurance (OR=14.17, 95% CI: 2.94~68.23), sexual experiences (OR=3.38, 95% CI: 1.28~8.91), drinking (OR=2.92, 95% CI: 1.14~7.49) in cervical cancer examination. CONCLUSION: The results emphasize the necessity of preparing nursing education and intervention in consideration of associated factors which influence on the health examination in unmarried women.
Breast Neoplasms ; Cues ; Drinking ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Education, Nursing ; Female ; Humans ; Insurance ; Logistic Models ; Physical Examination ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Single Person* ; Statistics as Topic ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

PURPOSE: The study was done to investigate physical assessment skills used by, and educational needs of, advanced practice nurses (APNs) and nurse specialists in Korea. METHODS: A total of 123 APNs and nurse specialists working in five major hospitals in Seoul were surveyed from July 15 to August 20, 2007. RESULTS: Fourteen skills out of 126 items were reported as being performed on a regular basis by participants. The majority of these skills involved general observation. Forty-six skills were rarely used. Some participants showed a lack of confidence in certain assessment skills, such as in doing a rectal or pelvic exam, and the use of some assessment equipment. Over 90% of participants required in-depth education on health assessment provided by specialists or nursing professional organizations. CONCLUSION: More educational opportunities in physical assessment should be provided including education programs based on the nurses' skill levels and needs. This effort will help to increase confidence of APNs and nurse specialists in physical assessment skills, ultimately resulting in better nursing outcomes.
Adult ; *Clinical Competence ; Education, Nursing, Continuing ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nurse's Role ; Nurses/*standards ; Nursing Assessment ; Physical Examination/methods/*nursing ; Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test the validity of a modified clinical performance examination (CPX) for preclinical students in nursing. METHOD: 70 nursing students in their second semester of the junior year at C University participated in CPX. Scenarios and checklists were developed by our research team from September to October 2005. Six stations were organized. Evaluation included physical examination of a patient with lung cancer, education on usage of a metered dosage inhaler, and lobectomy postoperative care. Students were randomly assigned to a station. RESULT: There was a difference in the CPX scores according to stations. The agreement of scoring between trained faculty members and SPs was more than moderate (r=.647). The correlation between the CPX score and the average grade in the previous semester and between the CPX score and the average grade of a paper and pen test of the pulmonary system of adults was low (r=.276; r=.048). CONCLUSION: Traditional CPX is generally recommended, however, modified CPX is appropriate for preclinical students in the current Korean Nursing school setting if there are additional scoring systems to balance the testing level at each station.
Administration, Inhalation ; Adult ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate/*standards ; Educational Measurement ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/nursing ; Male ; Medical History Taking ; Physical Examination ; Postoperative Care ; Reproducibility of Results ; Task Performance and Analysis

PURPOSE: This study was done to develop a pain management protocol for nursing home patients with dementia and to examine effects of the protocol on pain assessments and interventions by the nurses and on pain relief signs in the patients. METHOD: The six steps in the protocol development and the examination of effect are outlined. Three rounds using the Delphi technique and one group pretest-posttest design experiment were developed. Design issues, such as sample selection and sample size, are addressed in relation to the study protocol. RESULTS: After implementation of the pain management protocol, there were significant changes nursing actions including frequency of number of physical examinations, utilization of pain assessment tools, and request to doctors for discomfort management and there were significant changes in frequency in the number of verbal and physical expressions of pain, and emotional patterns. CONCLUSION: This is the first pain management protocol for patients with dementia in Korea. However, more study will be needed to determine the methodological strength and necessary revisions for the protocol.
Delphi Technique ; Dementia* ; Humans ; Korea ; Nursing Homes* ; Nursing* ; Pain Management* ; Pain Measurement ; Physical Examination ; Sample Size

PURPOSE: This study was designed to examine the effects of a bereavement intervention program on levels of depression and life satisfaction in middle aged widows in Korea. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent control-group pretest-posttest was used. The subjects (control group, n = 10; intervention group, n = 17) were bereaved less than 6 months in G City and J Province, Korea. The bereavement intervention program consisted of Dan-jeon breathing, self-help group activities and a health examination. The experimental group attended 10 sessions of a bereavement intervention program. The control group had a health examination without the intervention program. For both groups, the level of depression and life satisfaction levels were measured before and after the experiment. RESULTS: The decrement of depression level in the experimental group was significantly greater than in the control group (p<.001). The increment in life satisfaction in the experimental group was significantly greater than in the control group (p<.001). CONCLUSION: The results suggested that the bereavement intervention program was effective in decreasing level of depression and in increasing the life satisfaction of widows. Accordingly, a bereavement intervention program can be applied as an intervention to help widows.
Adult ; Attitude to Health ; *Bereavement ; Breathing Exercises ; Depression/diagnosis/etiology/*prevention & control/psychology ; Exercise Therapy ; Female ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Health Status ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Change Events ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Nursing Evaluation Research ; *Personal Satisfaction ; Physical Examination ; Program Evaluation ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Quality of Life/psychology ; Questionnaires ; Self-Help Groups/*organization & administration ; Widowhood/*psychology

PURPOSE: This study was to test the effectiveness of Web-based multimedia contents for Physical Examination and Health Assessment on learning achievement. METHOD: Multimedia contents based on Jung's teaching and learning structure model were used to enhance learning achievement. Learning achievement was measured by the knowledge of Physical Examination and Health Assessment. The participants of this study were students in a BSN and RN-BSN program in a university located in Seoul. 59 students in the experimental group received lectures using web-based multimedia contents and 75 students in the control group received regular lectures. RESULTS: The mean score of the degree of educational achievement in the experimental group(mean=31.09) was significantly higher than in the control group(mean=25.55)(t=-3.883, p=.000). CONCLUSION: These web-based multimedia contents were found to maximizethe effectiveness of the teaching process when used as a teaching aid, and yet kept the strength of a face to face teaching learning method. This program is recommended as part of a main text, vital teaching aid or cyber lecture materials in nursing schools and in health care educational institutions.
Physical Examination/*nursing ; *Nursing Assessment ; *Multimedia ; Korea ; *Internet ; Humans ; Health Status ; *Education, Nursing ; *Computer-Assisted Instruction ; Adult

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a vital signs e-book for undergraduate student nurses and evaluate the content, system and student satisfaction. METHOD: This study was done in three stages, the development of a vital signs e-book, implementation and evaluation. The subjects were 73 undergraduate student nurses in Y university. RESULT: Thirty one learning objectives were used to create the contents. A set of 5 chapters and 18 subsections were defined after validation from nurse educators. The e-book is available at http://123.134.207.23/ebook/vitalsigns. Analysis of the questionnaires showed a mean score for content, system and students satisfaction of 3.17 +/- .73, 3.11 +/-.79, and 2.96 +/-.74 respectively out of a possible 4 points. CONCLUSION: Nurse educators should provide quality and effective web-based courses that meet undergraduate student nurses' learning needs and they should incorporate web-based learning into traditional teaching to meet the demands of nursing education.
Respiration ; Pulse ; *Physical Examination ; *Internet ; *Education, Nursing ; *Computer-Assisted Instruction