Levels of Partnership between Nurses and Parents of Hospitalized Children and the Quality of Pediatric Nursing Care as Perceived by Nurses

Purpose@#This study investigated the relationship of the partnership between nurses and parents of hospitalized children with the quality of pediatric nursing care as perceived by pediatric nurses. @*Methods@#A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 90 nurses. The data collected were analyzed using the independent t-test and the Pearson correlation coefficient. @*Results@#The level of partnership between nurses and parents showed significant differences by nurses’ age (t=2.22, p=.029) and marital status (t=2.54, p=.013). The quality of pediatric nursing care was found to significantly differ by the nurses’ age (t=2.62, p=.013), marital status (t=4.17, p<.001), whether nurses had children (t=2.53, p=.020), pediatric ward work experience (t=2.43, p=.020), and total work experience (t=2.51, p=.016). The level of partnership between nurses and parents was positively correlated with the quality of pediatric nursing care (r=.48, p<.001). @*Conclusion@#To improve the quality of nursing care for hospitalized children and their parents, it is important to consider the specific characteristics of pediatric nurses, whose clinical skills should be improved.

Validity and Reliability of the Korean Version Scale of the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher Evaluation Scale (CLES+T)

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the clinical learning environment, supervision and nurse teacher evaluation scale (CLES+T) that measures the clinical learning environment and the conditions associated with supervision and nurse teachers. METHODS: The English CLES+T was translated into Korean with forward and back translation. Survey data were collected from 434 nursing students who had more than four days of clinical practice in Korean hospitals. Internal consistency reliability and construct validity using confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis were conducted. SPSS 20.0 and AMOS 22.0 programs were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The exploratory factor analysis revealed seven factors for the thirty three-item scale. Confirmatory factor analysis supported good convergent and discriminant validities. The Cronbach's alpha for the overall scale was .94 and for the seven subscales ranged from .78 to .94. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the 33-items Korean CLES+T is an appropriate instrument to measure Korean nursing students'clinical learning environment with good validity and reliability.

Comparison of the Quality of Nursing Care as Perceived by Pediatric Nurses and Mothers of Hospitalized Children

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the quality of nursing care as perceived by registered nurses and mothers of hospitalized children in South Korea. METHODS: This was a descriptive study that recruited 70 mothers of hospitalized children and 70 nurses in pediatric units in university hospitals as participants. The quality of pediatric nursing care was measured using importance and performance scores for 19 items describing various elements of nursing care. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the independent t-test. RESULTS: The hospitalized children mothers' mean importance scores were significantly higher than those of the nurses (t=2.94, p=.004). However, there were no significant differences in the mean performance scores of nurses and mothers (t=0.91, p=.363) or between nurses' and mothers' perceptions of quality of nursing care, with the exception of a significant difference for the quality of explanations (t=2.78, p=.006). The quality of explanations was assessed more positively by nurses than by mothers. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that when developing strategies to improve the quality of nursing care in pediatric wards, ensuring that pediatric nurses provide detailed explanations should be considered as a way to improve the quality of nursing care in pediatric units.

Validity and Reliability of the Korean Version of the Families' Importance in Nursing Care-Pediatric Nurses' Attitudes Instrument

PURPOSE: This study aimed to test the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Families' Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses' Attitudes (FINC-NA) instrument developed by Saveman et al. METHODS: The 222 pediatric nurses' data were collected from 13 hospitals in South Korea and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, the Pearson correlation coefficient, and the Cronbach's α in SPSS software. The AMOS program was used to conduct confirmatory factor analysis of construct validity. RESULTS: Of the 26 initial items, 24 were ultimately selected after evaluating content validity, construct validity, and reliability. The following 6 factors were included in the Korean version of the Families' Importance in Nursing Care-Pediatric Nurses' Attitudes (KFINC-PNA): family as a ‘conversational partner’, ‘participant in care’, ‘supporter for the nurse’, ‘burden’, ‘recipient of empowerment’, and ‘its own resource’. CONCLUSION: The KFINC-PNA was partially modified to explain differences in language and culture, but its validity and reliability were verified. Pediatric nurses' attitudes can be assessed using the KFINC-PNA, and adjustments to the care of hospitalized children and their families can be made based on these items. We recommend developing and verifying intervention methods that will improve family-centered care for hospitalized children and their families.

Validity and Reliability of the Korean Version Scale of the Clinical Learning Environment, Supervision and Nurse Teacher Evaluation Scale (CLES+T)

PURPOSE@#This study was conducted to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the clinical learning environment, supervision and nurse teacher evaluation scale (CLES+T) that measures the clinical learning environment and the conditions associated with supervision and nurse teachers.@*METHODS@#The English CLES+T was translated into Korean with forward and back translation. Survey data were collected from 434 nursing students who had more than four days of clinical practice in Korean hospitals. Internal consistency reliability and construct validity using confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis were conducted. SPSS 20.0 and AMOS 22.0 programs were used for data analysis.@*RESULTS@#The exploratory factor analysis revealed seven factors for the thirty three-item scale. Confirmatory factor analysis supported good convergent and discriminant validities. The Cronbach's alpha for the overall scale was .94 and for the seven subscales ranged from .78 to .94.@*CONCLUSION@#The findings suggest that the 33-items Korean CLES+T is an appropriate instrument to measure Korean nursing students'clinical learning environment with good validity and reliability.

An Integrative Review of the 'QUality Of care Through patient's Eyes'

PURPOSE: The patient's perspective in the assessment of quality of care has become increasingly important. The purpose of this paper was to introduce the concept of 'QUality Of care Through patient's Eyes (QUOTE)', to analyze the papers using QUOTE through an integrative review method, and to present the attributes of the QUOTE evaluation. METHODS: Data were collected from electronic databases. Inclusion criteria were publication in English from 1997 to 2013, as a peer-reviewed research article, with an empirical study focused on QUOTE. Thirty two papers met the criteria and were analyzed. RESULTS: QUOTE had been applied to various groups of patients such as those with various diseases since 1997 in the Netherlands. Four themes were retrieved from synthetic analysis of the thirty-two papers using QUOTE; 1) acceptance of individuation of the patient and family, 2) evaluation of diverse nurses' competencies, 3) evaluation of quality of nursing environments, and 4) participation of patient in the whole process of evaluation. CONCLUSION: The strengths of QUOTE are that it attempts to overcome the conceptual and methodological problems associated with evaluation of quality of care. Our results imply that QUOTE evaluation could be an effective strategy to improve care of patients in clinical setting.

The Early Childhood Caring Experience of North Korean Refugee Mothers

PURPOSE: This study was done to develop a theory on the early childhood caring experience of North Korean refugee mothers and how such caring affects how they deal with the socio-psychological problems they face as North Korean refugees. METHODS: Data were gathered by in-depth interviews, participant observation, and medical records, and were analyzed using the Grounded Theory methods of Strauss and Corbin (1998). RESULTS: From open coding 62 concepts, 23 subcategories and 11 categories were derived, and the North Korean refugee mothers' caring experience was revealed to be 'hopeful upbringing'. A central theme common to the participants was 'coexistence of expectations and worries'. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide theoretical grounds to understand North Korean refugee mothers' child care experiences and offer personalized nursing and a deeper understanding of their needs by looking at their experience. Findings may also be useful to help nurses who care for North Korean refugee mother-child dyads in the community and in clinical settings to gain insight on this special needs group, and facilitate the development of interventions based on better understanding of the mothers' experiences.

Effects of an Exercise Program on Physical Functions and Quality of Life for Mastectomy Patients / 여성건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an exercise program on physical function and quality of life of mastectomy patients. METHOD: This study was conducted from October, 2004 to June, 2005. The subjects consisted of 60 patients with breast cancer(30 each in the experimental and control groups). The subjects in the experimental group participated in an exercise program for 16 weeks. Evaluation was performed four times in both the experimental and control group. RESULTS: The results revealed an increase in physical function in the experimental group including wrist circumstance, function of shoulder joint, stretching, and upper endurance. Also, an increase in function scales in quality of life were significantly higher in the experimental group than the control group. In addition subjective comments on how they felt after participating in the exercise program were good in the experimental group. CONCLUSION: The 16-week exercise program showed a large positive effect on physical function and quality of life of breast cancer patients after a mastectomy.