Retention Effect of Basic Life Support Education Program on Attitude, Knowledge, Skillfulness for Nursing Students / 한국간호교육학회지

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the retention effects of a basic life support training program for nursing students on their attitude, knowledge, and skillfulness. METHODS: A one-group repeated posttest design was employed for this study. The subjects included 44 junior nursing students from Gachon University in Incheon. Data were collected by a structured questionnaire test immediately after, 3 months after, 6 months after, and 9 months after the training respectively from May 2014 through March 2015. RESULTS: The respective attitude, knowledge and skillfulness score on BLS of the nursing students had reduced significantly at 3 months after (p<.001), 6 months after (p<.001), and 9 months after (p<.001, p=.011 for Attitudes) the training compared to immediately after the training. CONCLUSION: Re-training on basic life support for nursing students should be implemented within 3 months for retention of educational effects. Thus, it is recommended that basic life support training programs, including a curriculum for nursing students, is developed to support re-training. And it is expected that the improved skills of nursing students on basic life support would contribute to the successive first aid nursing for patients at risk of cardiac arrest.

Current Status of Infection Prevention and Control Programs for Emergency Medical Personnel in the Republic of Korea / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: Emergency medical personnel (EMPs) are pre-hospital emergency responders who are at risk of exposure to infections and may also serve as a source for the transmission of infections. However, few studies of infection control have specifically addressed EMPs in the Republic of Korea (hereafter Korea). The goal of this study was to assess the current status of infection prevention and control programs (IPCPs) for EMPs in Korea. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to quantitatively assess the resources and activities of IPCPs. A total of 907 EMPs in five metropolitan cities completed a structured questionnaire from September 2014 to January 2015. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multi-response analysis, and the chi-square test. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 34.8+/-15.1 years. IPCPs were found to have weaknesses with regard to the following resources: the assignment of infection control personnel (ICP) (79.5%), hand hygiene resources such as waterless antiseptics (79.3%), the use of paper towels (38.9%), personal protective equipment such as face shields (46.9%), and safety containers for sharps and a separated space for the disposal of infectious waste (10.1%). Likewise, the following activities were found to be inadequately incorporated into the workflow of EMPs: education about infection control (77.5%), post-exposure management (35.9%), and the decontamination of items and spaces after use (88.4%). ICP were found to have a significant effect on the resources and activities of IPCPs (p<0.001). The resources and activities of IPCPs were found to be significantly different among the five cities (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: IPCPs for EMPs showed some limitations in their resources and activities. IPCPs should be actively supported, and specific IPCP activities for EMPs should be developed.

Medication Status and the Effects of a Medication Management Education Program for the Elderly in a Community

PURPOSE: This study investigated medication status by examining the effects of a medication management education program on the knowledge of medications and medication misuse behaviors in the elderly in a local community. METHODS: This study used a non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental design. For the study, 116 subjects were assigned to the control group and another 116 subjects were assigned to the experimental group. The medication management education program consisted of 1:1 education, practice in medication management, consultation, and discussion. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 program. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and control groups in terms of their knowledge of medications and medication misuse behaviors. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the medical management education program is effective in improving the knowledge of medications and decreasing medication misuse behaviors. Therefore, this education program can be used as an intervention to improve the medication behaviors of the elderly in local communities.

Health-related Quality of Life in Korean Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Association with Pain, Disease Activity, Disability in Activities of Daily Living and Depression

PURPOSE: The purpose of this predictive study was to identify factors affecting health related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: The participants in this study were 131 patients with RA who were recruited from the outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Seoul. Disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis was evaluated by calculating the Disease Activity Score 28. Disability in activities of daily living (ADL) was assessed with the Korean Health Assessment Questionnaire, and depression with The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. HRQoL was evaluated using The Short Form 36 Health Survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: Pain, disability in ADL, disease activity, and depression correlated negatively with physical and mental dimensions of HRQoL. But hierachical multiple regression analysis revealed that disability in ADL and depression were the only variables negatively influencing physical and mental QoL after adjustment for influences of sociodemographic variables. CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that disability in ADL and depression, rather than disease activity and pain have profound effects on HRQoL in patients with RA. Further studies are needed to assess the predictive ability of disease activity and pain on HRQoL in this population.

Job Stress and Work-Related Musculoskeletal Symptoms of 119 Emergency Medical Technicians / 산업간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was done to investigate the prevalence of job stress and musculoskeletal symptoms, and to identify the factors that affect work-related musculoskeletal symptoms of the 119 Emergency medical technicians (EMT). METHOD: From August 26 to September 10, 2010, the data were obtained from 456 EMT working in Daejeon city or Choongnam province. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were performed using SAS version 9.1. RESULTS: Physical environment, job demand, interpersonal conflict, and occupational climate were stressful to 119 EMT. The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms of female EMT was higher than those of the male EMT's. After gender and age were adjusted, there ware significant relationships between musculoskeletal symptoms and some risk factors including occupational class, hours of intensive musculoskeletal use, previous injury or work-related injury, physical burden, and job stress. Overall, a higher degree of job stress increased musculoskeletal symptoms. CONCLUSION: Job stress is a major cause of musculoskeletal symptoms. To prevent and manage musculoskeletal disease of 119 EMT, there is a need to develop a management program for musculoskeletal symptoms to reduce occupational stress, considering gender differences.

Effects on Couples' Communication, Intimacy, Conflict and Quality of Life by Foot Massage between Immigrants

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects on immigrant couples' communication, intimacy, conflict and quality of life when using foot massage. METHODS: The research design consisted of pre-and-post test consecutive experimental design through a nonequivalent control group. Data were collected July 6, 2009 to February 27, 2010. The 36 couples were divided into two groups, experimental and control with 18 couples in each group. Foot massage was applied twice a week for 6 weeks by the couples in the experimental group. RESULTS: There were statistically significant increases in communication (p=.011), intimacy (p<.001), quality of life (p=.017) between the couples in the experimental group compared to the control group. There was also a statistically significant decrease in conflict (p=.003) between the couples in the experimental group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Foot massage can be applied as a nursing intervention for improvement of marital relationship in immigrant couples.

The Analysis of the Korean Nursing Research Trends on Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Cancer Patients / 종양간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze nursing research trends on the complementary and alternative therapies (CAT) for the cancer patients in Korea. METHOD: Thirty eight articles published in 17 nursing-related journal from 1987 to 2008 were analyzed. RESULTS: Nursing Researches on CAT for the cancer patients have increased since 2000. Among the 38 studies, 34 studies used Quasi-experimental design and 13 studies (33%) were conducted for the breast cancer patients. Mind-body therapy (53%), manual healing therapy (42%), and pharmacologic and biological therapy (5%) were the often used CAT types. Nausea, vomiting, vital signs, immune cell, pain, and fatigue were measured as physiologic outcome variables; anxiety, depression, and hope as psychological outcome variables; and quality of life as social outcome variables. CONCLUSION: More CAM studies are needed targeting the patients with various cancer types and home-based cancer patients.

Effects of Phytoncides Inhalation on Serum Cortisol Level and Life Stress of College Students / 성인간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of the phytoncides on serum cortisol level, vital signs and life stress of college students. METHODS: This study was nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design. The subjects consisted of 60(control group: 28, experimental group: 32). The phytoncides mixed the pine(pinus sylvestris) oil with the cypress(cupressus sempervirens) oil in the same rate. In the experiment, it was put in an aroma-necklace bottle and inhaled 3 times per day(9AM, at noon, before going to bed) for 2 weeks. The data were analyzed by the SPSS version 12.0 program. RESULTS: In the experimental group systolic BP(F=15.603, p=.000), diastolic BP(F=29.489, p=.000) and serum cortisol level(F=4.968, p=.000) were significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: The phytoncides inhalation is a partly help to reduce college students' life stress. The phytoncides is the incense of the familial tree. We recommended to examine what differences between the green shower and the phytoncides inhalation for the stress reduction.

Effects of Foot Reflexo-massage on Physical, Psychological, Physiological Parameters in Patients with Osteoarthritis / 성인간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of foot reflexo-massage on physical, psychological, and physiological parameters in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. METHOD: This study was employed non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest time series experimental design. The subjects of this study were 47 elderly patients with osteoarthritis of the knee from two different nursing homes in Deajeon. The patients were divided into two groups; 26 patients in experimental group, the rest in control group. Each patient in experimental group received the 30-minute foot reflexo-massage, 3 times per week for 4 weeks. The dependent variables of each patient were measured before treatment, after 2 weeks and after 4 weeks during the treatment session. The collected data was analyzed using the Social Package Social Science(version 10.0) software program. RESULT: There were significant differences in the flexion angle of both knees; the flexion and extension muscle strength of both knees; systolic blood pressure; POMS; plantaris skin temperature and blood velocity of dorsalis pedis artery between the two groups over different the three measurement times. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that foot reflexo-massage could be an effective intervention to improve physical, psychological and physiological parameters for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

A Study on the Relationship between the Breast Self-Examination and the severity of breast cancer / 재활간호학회지

The purpose of this study is to determine the need of education about BSE for the medical members, to survey about the performance and the knowledge of BSE in patients who operated on subtotal and total mastectomy and to compare the regularity of BSE with the severity of breast cancer. The subjects were 163 patients with operated on mastectomy who participated were interviewed in the S university Hospital. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and t-test, One-way ANOVA and Pearson Correlation with SPSSWIN program. Results were obtained as follows: 1. There was no statistical difference between in the regular group of the mammography and the regular BSE group(F=0.558, P=0.458). 2. There was statistical difference between the method of detection and the severity of the breast cancer(F=3.359, P=0.011). 3. There was statistical difference between regularity of the BSE and the severity of breast cancer(F=3.301. P=0.019). 4. There was showed higher severity of the breast cancer in the elderly patients (r=0.l72, P=0.019). 5. There was showed higher severity of the breast cancer in the lower educational level(r=-0,170, P=0.033). According to this study need to the development of the educational program about the BSE and the future research about the regular BSE of the high risk group in the breast cancer.

The effect of Oral Cryotherapy in Prevention of Oral Mucositis for Anti-Cancer Chemotherapy Patients / 성인간호학회지

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of oral cryotherapy on oral mucositis in the patients who receiving high-dose ARA-C plus Mitoxantrone chemotherapy regimen. There were total of ten patients who received the chemotherapy regimen for 13 months ; 5 patients for the experimental group, while the others for the control group. The tool used for assess degree of oral mucositis was the Oral Assessment Guide(OAG) which was developed by Elier, Burger, Peterson in 1988. []The experimental group received oral cryotherapy range from 30minutes before the Mitroxantrone IV infusing to 30minutes after the high-dose ARA-C IV infusing. The control group was not treated by oral cryotherapy. The effect of this treatment was analyzed with the OAG score. The collected data were analysed with, mean, Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square test according to characteristics of variables. The results were as follows : 1. There were no statistical difference in general characteristics(age, sex, cycle of the chemotherapy, smoking, alcohol) between the two groups, so the homogeneity of two groups was established. There were no differences in the OAG Scores between the two groups statistically. 2. The subjects of this study suffered the neutropenia from 5.6 days to 24.6 days after starting chemotherapy. During the neutropenia period the average OAG scores in the experimental group were lower than that of the control group(experimental group was 9.17+/-1.91, control group was 9.33+/-1.10). 3. The mean OAG of experimental group for 21 days was 204.72+/-20.61, while the mean of control group for 21 days was 206.23+/-15.97. There were, however, no differences between the experimental and the control groups statistically. The subjects of the experimental group expressed more comfortable oral condition than those of the past cycle and they would like to try oral cryotherapy again for the next chemotherapy. The subjects of this study suffered the neutropenia from 5.6 days to 24.6 days after starting chemotherapy. During the neutropenia period the average OAG scores in the experimental group were lower than that of the control group(experimental group was 9.17, control group was 9.33). 5 subjects of the study group complained of numbness, 3 subjects complained of slight headache, and 2 subjects expressed teeth and abdominal discomfort. However, these signs occurred temporarily and were resolved rapidly after cessation of the cryotherapy. It was I recommended that replication with larger sample.