PURPOSE: Exposure to blood and body fluids represents a significant occupational risk for nurses. This study was done to identify the level of knowledge of and compliance with blood-borne pathogen prevention of hospital nurses according to clinical experience, and to identify factors affecting compliance with blood-borne pathogen prevention. METHODS: A descriptive correlational study was conducted in which self-reported knowledge of and compliance with blood-borne pathogen prevention was assessed. The relationships between variables were examined. Registered nurses who were employed (n=345) were surveyed. Data were analyzed using, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Nurses with more than 5 years experience had greater knowledge of blood-borne pathogen prevention than nurses with less than 5 years experience. However, there was no significant difference in compliance with blood-borne pathogen prevention between the two groups. No significant correlation was found between knowledge and compliance with blood-borne pathogen prevention according to experience standards. In nurses with less than 5 years experience, gender, age, reported exposure to a blood-borne pathogen, and compliance with principles of prevention had a significant impact on compliance with blood-borne pathogen prevention. For nurses with more than 5 years experience, reporting after exposure to blood-borne pathogen was a contributing factor to compliance with blood-borne pathogen prevention. CONCLUSION: The study results show that to improve the implementation of preventive measures against blood-borne pathogens different strategies are needed, depending on clinical experience of the nurses.
Blood-Borne Pathogens ; Body Fluids ; Career Mobility ; Compliance ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Nurses

PURPOSE: This study was done to explore the relationship between expectations of the clinical ladder system (CLS), career commitment and turnover intention in nurses employed in small-medium sized hospitals. METHODS: Participants were 154 nurses from 3 small-medium sized hospitals in Gyeonggi Province and Gwangju City. From February, 8 to April, 14, 2017, self-report questionnaires were collected and analyzed using frequency, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé test, and Person correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Of the participant nurses, 61% perceived the CLS as needed. The mean score for expectation of CLS, career commitment, and turnover intention on 5-point scale were 3.38, 3.17, 3.21, respectively. There were no significant differences in expectation of CLS according to general characteristics, but career commitment and turnover intention did show significant differences depending on age, position, type of work shift. Expectation of CLS correlated positively with career commitment (r=.23, p=.005), and career commitment correlated negatively with turnover intention (r=−.49, p < .001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that there is a need to adopt the clinical ladder system to improve career commitment.
Career Mobility ; Gwangju ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Intention

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to propose a revised Clinical Ladder System(CLS) Model for nurses based on the evaluation of clinical competence and professional activities of nurses working in general hospitals. METHODS: Data were collected between September 10 and October 30, 2017. Participants were 50 head nurses from 10 general hospitals with over 400 beds located in Seoul City and Gyeonggi Province. Each head nurse evaluated clinical competence, qualifications, and professional activities of 5 staff nurses at each of the 5 levels of CLS in her unit. The total number of the nurses evaluated was 245. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Scheffé. RESULTS: Over 80% of the nurses were university graduates. As the CLS levels increased, clinical competence, qualifications, and professional activities also increased significantly. Education material development and quality improvement activities were carried out by nurses from level 2, research and evidence based practice activities were carried out from level 3, and nurses at level 4 or 5 participated in most of the professional activities as leaders. CONCLUSION: In order to retain excellent nurses in general hospitals, recognizing and rewarding nurses according to the revised model of the CLS are recommended.
Career Mobility ; Clinical Competence ; Education ; Evidence-Based Practice ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hospitals, General ; Nursing, Supervisory ; Quality Improvement ; Reward ; Seoul

PURPOSE: This study was done to establish a clinical ladder system for nurses in a small and medium-sized hospital in Korea. METHODS: The study was carried from July, 2016 to May, 2018. Data collection was done in a general hospital with 250 beds located in Gyeonggi Province. The clinical ladder system was developed and operated according to the value system of small and medium-sized hospital. Focus group interviews and a satisfaction survey were conducted for evaluation. Collected quantitative data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 22.0 program and qualitative data underwent content analysis. RESULTS: The clinical ladder system is a 5-step ladder that includes 3 domains, 5 nursing competencies and 25 nursing behavioral indicators related to core values of the hospital. The operating system were promotion review system, education system and support/reward system. After conducting a pilot clinical ladder system, satisfaction of nurses was 2.86, out of a possible 4. Nurses who participated in the clinical ladder system experienced improvement in motivation, job performance, self-esteem, professionalism, recognition and were able to develop a goal in their minds. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the clinical ladder system can be used as a strategy for professional development for nurses in small and medium-sized hospitals.
Career Mobility ; Data Collection ; Education ; Focus Groups ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hospitals, General ; Korea ; Motivation ; Nursing ; Professionalism ; Work Performance

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to verify the validity and applicability of the Clinical Ladder System(CLS) Model for nurses and to suggest a model for nurses in general hospitals as well as tertiary hospitals. METHODS: After refining questionnaires through focus group participation, a survey was carried out with 50 nurse managers and 500 staff nurses from 6 tertiary hospitals and 4 general hospitals. S-CVI and i-CVI for validity and applicability were calculated. Differences in validity and applicability by the type of hospitals and characteristics of respondents were analyzed using t-test and ANOVA. RESULTS: S-CVI for validity and applicability of the CLS model were over 0.8 in two types of hospitals and the validity and applicability of the CLS model were confirmed. No differences were found in the total score for validity between the 2 types of hospitals, but in applicability, general hospitals had significantly lower applicability than tertiary hospitals. Some items showed difference according to characteristics of the respondents. CLS models were postulated based on the study results. CONCLUSION: The CLS model refined through this study can be used for nurses. In application, modifications are needed according to the conditions of each hospital.
Career Mobility ; Focus Groups ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Nurse Administrators ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tertiary Care Centers

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the impacts of job stress and job embeddedness on presenteeism among container terminal workers. METHODS: The participants were 299 workers at the S Harbor in P City. Data were collected from April 22 to June 5, 2015. The data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé's test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and logistic regression. RESULTS: These workers on presenteeism were affected by the department of work, annual pay, and exercise of more than 30 minutes per day, revealing a statistically significant difference according to these variables. In other words, when job stress was high, job embeddedness was less, the extent of work impairment was higher, and in turn perceived productivity was lower. Work impairment was 3.11 times higher in workers with above-average job stress than those with lower job stress. Perceived productivity was 2.31 times higher in workers with above-average job embeddedness than those with lower job embeddedness. CONCLUSION: To reduce work impairment and increase productivity among container terminal workers, it is necessary to decrease their job stress, to increase their job embeddedness, and especially to do exercise for more than 30 minutes a day.
Career Mobility ; Efficiency ; Logistic Models ; Stress, Psychological

PURPOSE: This was a correlational study to identify effects of perception of clinical ladder system on job satisfaction and intention to leave in perioperative nurses. METHODS: Participants were 154 of perioperative nurses from larger general hospitals in Seoul. Data were collected from April, 16 to 22, 2013 using self-report questionnaires which included items on perception of clinical ladder system, job satisfaction, and intention to leave. Data were analyzed using frequency, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe? test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple stepwise regression. RESULTS: The average mean score for perception of clinical ladder system was midline at 2.69 point out of 4 point. Perception of clinical ladder system correlated positively with job satisfaction (r=.38, p<.01) and negatively with intention to leave (r=-.88, p<.01). Perception of clinical ladder system was the factor which most influenced job satisfaction explaining 17.1% of the variance, also perception of clinical ladder system was the factor which most influenced intention to leave, explaining 12.7% of the variance. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that there is a need to enhance the perception of the clinical ladder system and to find ways to fulfill the expected effects for improving perioperative nurses' job satisfaction and reducing the intention to leave.
Career Mobility* ; Hospitals, General ; Intention* ; Job Satisfaction* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seoul

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between organizational socialization and intention to leave, and to identify factors affecting on intention to leave in operating room nurses. METHODS: This study used a descriptive design. Seventy operating room nurses recruited from three hospitals under the same management style, in-service educational system, and working conditions agreed to participate in this study, and completed self-administered questionnaires of the organizational socialization and the intention to leave questionnaire. Respondents were classified by career as advanced beginner, competent practitioner, proficient practitioner and expert practitioner by Benner's stages of nursing proficiency. Data were analyzed with t-test, ANOVA with multiple comparisons, Spearman correlation, and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Nurses unsatisfied with the current in-service continuous education had lower organizational socialization and higher intention to leave. In advanced beginners, job performance was lowest and organizational commitment was highest. In expert practitioners, intention to leave was highest. Organizational commitment, interpersonal relationship, identity and burnout were associated with intention to leave. Mutual trust, burnout, and interpersonal relationship were predictors of intention to leave explained 20.8% of variance. CONCLUSION: The career ladder program to enhance nurses' organizational socialization and intention to stay should be established and expanded for well-experienced operating room nurses.
Career Mobility ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Education ; Hospitals, University* ; Intention* ; Nursing ; Operating Rooms* ; Socialization*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to analyze how the experiences of nurses influence their role model function when they are mothers of children who in turn have become nurses or nursing students. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 12 nurses, 8 of their children who became nurses and another 4 children then in training to become one. Data were collected through in-depth personal interviews and subsequently analyzed through a phenomenological approach. RESULTS: Four main themes were identified as follows; 'Persuasion and dissuasion,' 'Proud but still pathetic,' 'As mom and senior nurse' and 'Great to pass it down.' CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that the nurse as mother could be a positive professional role model for her children. However, they tended to stress the arduous clinical routines and poor work conditions nurses currently experience. Should such routines and conditions improve, mothers who are nurses would be more willing to recommend the nursing profession to their children. Improving the professional environment is thus important because inter-generation nursing mobility provides a reliable resource to recruit qualified and dedicated nursing personnel.
Career Mobility ; Child ; Humans ; Intergenerational Relations ; Mothers ; Nursing ; Professional Role ; Qualitative Research ; Students, Nursing

PURPOSE: This methodological study was done to develop a Nursing Competency Measurement Scale based on the clinical ladders of nurses working in wards. METHODS: Thirty clinical experts and 501 ward nurses evaluated the content validity of the scale. A survey using the Nursing Competency Measurement Scale was conducted with 114 nurses to evaluate reliability and applicability of the instrument. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 21.0. RESULTS: A review of the literature identified 13 components of nursing competencies and 30 core nursing competencies based on each of the 4 grade clinical ladders. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total was .92. Cronbach's alpha reliabilities of each clinical ladder grade were .83 for Grade I, .84 for Grade II, .81 for Grade III, and .84 for Grade IV. The Content Validity Index (CVI) of the scale with 120 individual items was 0.976~1.000 for Grade I scale, 0.986~1.000 for Grade II scale, 0.984~1.000 for Grade III scale, and 0.992~1.000 for Grade IV scale. The expert group nurses' average degree of nursing competence measured using the scale was 3.38~3.75 out of 4.0. CONCLUSION: Through this process, 120 final questions were confirmed to represent items of the Nursing Competency Measurement Scale based on clinical grade.
Career Mobility* ; Mental Competency* ; Methods ; Nursing* ; Patients' Rooms*