Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in South Korea, imposing substantial physical, emotional, and financial burdens on patients and society. Despite the high burden of symptom and complex care needs of HF patients, palliative care and hospice services remain underutilized in South Korea due to cultural, institutional, and knowledge-related barriers. This position statement from the Korean Society of Heart Failure emphasizes the need for integrating palliative and hospice care into HF management to improve quality of life and support holistic care for patients and their families. By clarifying the role of palliative care in HF and proposing practical referral criteria, this position statement aims to bridge the gap between HF and palliative care services in South Korea, ultimately improving patient-centered outcomes and aligning treatment with the goals and values of HF patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a short-form measurement scale specifically designed to evaluate the core competencies of nursing care for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, with a particular focus on the administration of anticancer agents. Methods: Data were collected from November 6 to November 29, 2023, with a total of 192 oncology nurses participating. Data were collected using an online survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability and validity with the SPSS/WIN statistic version 25.0 and Amos version 26.0 program. Results: Statistical validation and expert validation were conducted to finalize the three-factor (chemotherapy administration, education and management of chemotherapy-related adverse events, assessment and regimen verification), 23-item instrument. These three factors collectively explained 72.37% of the total variance. On the overall scale,Cronbach's α was .96. Conclusion The short-form Core Competencies Scale of Nursing Care (CCSC) developed through this study is a measurement tool with proven reliability and validity and can be used for education and evaluation to improve the work of nurses involved in chemotherapy. By focusing on the essential competencies required for chemotherapy administration, the tool offers a practical, efficient, and reliable means of evaluating nursing performance in this critical area.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a short-form measurement scale specifically designed to evaluate the core competencies of nursing care for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, with a particular focus on the administration of anticancer agents. Methods: Data were collected from November 6 to November 29, 2023, with a total of 192 oncology nurses participating. Data were collected using an online survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability and validity with the SPSS/WIN statistic version 25.0 and Amos version 26.0 program. Results: Statistical validation and expert validation were conducted to finalize the three-factor (chemotherapy administration, education and management of chemotherapy-related adverse events, assessment and regimen verification), 23-item instrument. These three factors collectively explained 72.37% of the total variance. On the overall scale,Cronbach's α was .96. Conclusion The short-form Core Competencies Scale of Nursing Care (CCSC) developed through this study is a measurement tool with proven reliability and validity and can be used for education and evaluation to improve the work of nurses involved in chemotherapy. By focusing on the essential competencies required for chemotherapy administration, the tool offers a practical, efficient, and reliable means of evaluating nursing performance in this critical area.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a short-form measurement scale specifically designed to evaluate the core competencies of nursing care for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, with a particular focus on the administration of anticancer agents. Methods: Data were collected from November 6 to November 29, 2023, with a total of 192 oncology nurses participating. Data were collected using an online survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, reliability and validity with the SPSS/WIN statistic version 25.0 and Amos version 26.0 program. Results: Statistical validation and expert validation were conducted to finalize the three-factor (chemotherapy administration, education and management of chemotherapy-related adverse events, assessment and regimen verification), 23-item instrument. These three factors collectively explained 72.37% of the total variance. On the overall scale,Cronbach's α was .96. Conclusion The short-form Core Competencies Scale of Nursing Care (CCSC) developed through this study is a measurement tool with proven reliability and validity and can be used for education and evaluation to improve the work of nurses involved in chemotherapy. By focusing on the essential competencies required for chemotherapy administration, the tool offers a practical, efficient, and reliable means of evaluating nursing performance in this critical area.

This manuscript represents the official position of the Korean Society of Echocardiography on valvular heart diseases.This position paper focuses on the diagnosis and management of valvular heart diseases with referring to the guide‑ lines recently published by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology. The committee sought to reflect national data on the topic of valvular heart diseases published to date through a systematic literature search based on validity and relevance. In the part II of this article, we intend to pre‑ sent recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of mitral valve disease and tricuspid valve disease.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the etiology and risk factors of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) requiring hospitalization in Korean children during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: Clinical information of children admitted with CAP to Seoul National University Children’s Hospital (SNUCH) between January 1, 2021, and February 28, 2022, was retrospectively collected and analyzed. In addition, the etiologic diagnosis and demographic data of children with CAP who were discharged at the other seven hospitals between January and February 2022 were collected. Pneumonia was diagnosed using strict criteria comprising clinical symptoms, physical examination findings, and chest radiographic findings. Results: Among 91 children hospitalized with CAP at SNUCH during the 14-month period, 68.4% were aged <5 years and 79.1% had underlying diseases. Among the 95 CAP cases, respiratory assistance was required in 70.5%, and the use of a ventilator was required in 20.0%.A total of five patients expired, all of whom were either immunocompromised or had underlying neurological diseases. Neurological diseases and immunosuppression were significantly correlated with respiratory assistance (P=0.003) and death (P=0.014). A total of 55% of the detected respiratory pathogens were viruses, the most common of which was rhinovirus at 35.9%. Among the 169 children hospitalized for CAP at the eight institutions, ≥1 respiratory virus was detected in 92.3%, among which respiratory syncytial virus (79.8%) was the most prevalent. Conclusions Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Korean children were hospitalized with CAP caused by seasonal respiratory viral pathogens. Although atypical and pyogenic bacteria were not detected, continuous clinical monitoring and further prospective studies should be conducted.

Purpose: This study investigated the incidence and risk factors of cataract in people with diabetes mellitus (DM) using data from Ansan cohort of the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). Methods: Data from a total of 329 patients with type 2 DM without cataract who participated in Ansan cohort of the KoGES from baseline survey (2001–2002) to fifth follow-up visit (2011–2012) were examined.The characteristics of the subjects were analyzed with frequency and percentage, and mean and standard deviation. Cataract incidence was measured as incidence proportion (%). For risk factors of cataract, hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were obtained using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: The cataract incidence over a 10-year follow-up period was 19.1% (15.1 in males and 25.8 in females), and mean age at the incidence of cataract was 63.48 years (61.58 years in males and 65.31 years in females). Age (HR=1.09, 95% CI=1.05–1.13) and HbA1c (HR=1.21, 95% CI=1.07–1.37) or the duration of DM (HR=1.05, 95% CI=1.00–1.09) were found to be independently associated with cataract development. Conclusion Cataract development in people with DM is common, and its likelihood increases with age, HbA1c, and the duration of DM. Considering negative effect of cataract on their quality of life and economic burden, nurses should identify people with DM at a higher risk of cataract development, and plan individual eye examination programs to detect cataract development as early as possible.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore nursing students’ experience with community-linked nursing education programs. Methods: This study utilized a qualitative content analysis. Participants were 55 sophomore nursing students. The community-linked nursing education program was conducted for eight weeks using the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evolution (ADDIE) model. Data were collected from 55 reflection records and five individual interviews and then analyzed through the three steps of qualitative content analysis, coding, condensing, and categorizing. Results: Twelve categories, 26 subcategories, and six topics emerged. The themes of impression and lesson from the community-linked nursing education programs were “recognizing the importance of professional competence in performing the role of nurse,” “recognizing the need for leadership and cooperation in nursing practice,” and “increased awareness of the role as a nursing professional for community residents.” The themes of the strategies used were “looking at the goal and moving forward,” and “aligning differences and working together with team/community members.” The theme of strategies for the advancement of community-linked nursing education programs was “establishing a sustainable student-participating community-linked education program.” Conclusion The community-linked nursing education programs made students aware of the necessary competencies as professionals. In particular, they gave them hope for their role as professional nurses in the community. It could also be seen that they developed the ability to engage in team activities for community activities. Community-linked nursing education programs will need to be developed into continuous programs with community residents.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the factors influencing infection-related characteristics and patient safety culture on awareness of blood-borne infection prevention between operating room nurses and general ward nurses. Methods: Participants were 198 nurses(operating room nurses 98 and general ward nurses: 100) working at three general hospitals and three university hospitals in three cities. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from September 11 to October 14, 2020. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression with IBM SPSS/WIN 26.0 program. Results: Typically, 39.8% of nurses in the operating room and 24.0% of ward nurses experienced injuries such as needles and sharp instruments used by the patient. The awareness of patient safety culture was identified to be higher for the ward nurses. Factors influencing the awareness of blood-borne infection prevention in operating room nurses were patient safety culture and wearing protective equipment for infection prevention while nursing infected patients. Moreover, the explanatory power of these variables was 19.4%. In general ward nurses, the patient safety culture was identified as a significant predictor, which accounted for 16.5% of awareness of blood-borne infection prevention. Conclusion To prevent hospital infection, a strategy is needed to improve the level of awareness of blood-borne infection prevention and patient safety culture of operating room nurses. To this end, the difference in infection-related characteristics and influencing factors between the operating room nurses and the general ward nurses should be considered and planned.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an uncommon autosomal dominant disorder resulting in vascular malformation, such as pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM). Here, we report a rare case of pulmonary arteriovenous malformation caused by HHT in a hemodialysis (HD) patient. A 34-year-old man receiving maintenance HD via radiocephalic arteriovenous fistula developed progressive dyspnea without definite pulmonary edema. His mother had been diagnosed with HHT. He had experienced multiple episodes of epistaxis and had been intermittently treated with blood transfusions because of severe anemia. Blood gas analysis showed hypoxia. Chest computed tomography revealed multiple dilated vessels of variable sizes, continuous with the pulmonary artery throughout both lung fields, consistent with PAVM. After treating pulmonary artery embolization at the largest PAVM, he recovered from his dyspnea symptoms and hypoxia.