Nursing Students' Hearing Levels and Blood Pressure Measurement Accuracy / 기본간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine the relationship between nursing students' hearing levels and accuracy of blood pressure (BP) measurements. METHODS: Participants were 107 students who had finished their fundamental nursing practice and clinical practicum and who used earphones. Data were collected from October 13 to November 30, 2014 and from April 30 to May 19, 2015. Students' hearing thresholds were examined using an audiometer. Students were assigned to take two BP measurements on BP measurement training simulators, but only the second measurement was used for analysis. RESULTS: All nursing students' hearing levels were within normal range, and there was no significant difference found among the settings for diastolic blood pressure. However, there were significant differences between low systolic blood pressure (SBP) (below 120mmHg) and high SBP (over 140mmHg) (z=9.02, p=.011). Measurement error in SBP showed a positive correlation with hearing threshold in the right ear at frequencies of 1000Hz and 500Hz. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that BP measurement error is correlated with hearing threshold at some frequencies. To reduce measurement error, nursing students should be provided with health education about hearing and to improve training for students, further studies need to examine other factors influencing BP measurement error.

Job Stress, Organizational Commitment, Way of Coping and Turnover Intention among Korean Visiting Nurses / 한국직업건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to identify factors related to turnover intention among Korean visiting nurses. METHODS: The data from 192 of 208 nurses working in southern part of Korea were collected for analysis during in-service education in May 19~20, 2011. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression analysis were performed using SPSS 19.0 program. RESULTS: Among the general characteristic factors, young, married, university graduation, lower satisfaction with income and longer work experience as a nurse were associated with higher odds of turnover intention. Organizational commitment was associated with low turnover intention. Way of coping was not statistically significantly associated with turnover intension. CONCLUSION: Stress from the organizational system was found to be the most important variable that explains the turnover intention in this study. Use of sensible communication methods and introduction of effective conflict resolution system is suggested to reduce turnover intention. Further research is recommended to identify the job demands and organizational systems of visiting nurses.

Factors Related to Quality of Life among Rural Elderly / 성인간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to explore the degree of depression, perceived health status, chronic disease and quality of life(QOL) among rural elderly and to determine the factors related to their QOL. METHOD: The design of this study was a correlational study. The subjects were 423 elderly consisted of 157(37.1%) men and 266(62.9%) women dwelling in a rural area of N City. Data were collected from May to December, 2003 using a structured questionnaire. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the factors related to the QOL. RESULT: It was found that the mean score of QOL was in total with 2.15 out of 5.00 and women elderly's score was significantly lower than men(t=2.20, p=.028). Perceived health status showed statistically significant positive relationship with QOL(r=.608, p<.05), while depression(r=-.751, p<.01) and chronic illness(r=-.336, p<.01) showed statistically significant negative relationship. Depression was found to have the highest correlation with QOL among the subjects. Depression score explained QOL at the most, accounting for 36.8% of the variability, followed by perceived health(8.2%) and the number of chronic illness(.7%). Other factors related to the QOL were economic status and absence of spouse. CONCLUSION: In order to increase the QOL of rural elderly, it is necessary to decrease the depression, to increase their perceived health status and to decrease the number of chronic illness. We suggest the implementation of a program not only to promote physical health status and self-care ability but to take care of mental health for the rural elderly.

A Study for a Curriculum for the Oriental Clinical Nurse Specialist Program / 간호학회지

The purpose of this study was to develop a curriculum for the oriental clinical nurse specialist program based on the understanding of Korean human beings so as to develop nursing as a profession and promote the client's health. The design of this study was based on literature review and nominal group study. The research was managed by East-West Nursing Research Institute of nursing science college at Kyung Hee University. The research team was composed of 17 professors of nursing departments of oriental medical colleges. We obtained opinions from Oriental Nurses Association, Oriental Nursing Research Association, and professors in oriental medical college. We reviewed articles, curriculums of other clinical nurse specialist programs, medical laws and the curriculum development plan for the oriental clinical nurse specialist program from Korean Nurses Association. We discussed a curriculum thoroughly in numerous meetings. We developed a following curriculum: 1. Educational philosophy was founded on the oriental human view which was based on Chun-In union theory. It was founded on the oriental health view which recognized health being in harmony with nature and the balance of body function with the harmony of Yin-Yang in the five elements. In addition, it was founded on oriental nursing view to promote these health states. 2. Educational goals were to train oriental clinical nurse specialists, oriental nursing educators and oriental nursing researchers who developed knowledge of oriental nursing theory, nursing practice and created a leadership. 3. Curriculum consisted of 48 credits, of which 36 credits are based on lectures and laboratory classes and 12 credits are based on clinical practice. 36 credits consisted of 5 general subject credits and 31 core subject credits. General subjects consisted of nursing theory, nursing research, law and ethics. Students who had earned master's degrees are not required to take the general subjects. Core subjects consisted of 11 subjects such as advanced physical examination and laboratory, oriental nursing theory, original text of oriental nursing, oriental medical nursing, oriental pediatric nursing, oriental gynecologic nursing, oriental gerontologic nursing, oriental pharmacology, oriental constitutional nursing, advanced nursing of channels and acupuncture points and laboratory and oriental rehabilitation nursing and laboratory. In addition, clinical practice in a hospital ward, out patient department, herb prepation room, department of physical therapy and health promotion center in oriental medical hospitals for 12 weeks. To admit this program, students should complete prerequisites of introduction to oriental nursing and nursing of channels and acupuncture points. 4. Course contents of each subjects were developed to include the course's goal and objectives and specific items. 5. Evaluation involved lecture, laboratory and in field practice. We applied various evaluation systems and methods that were based on both knowledge and skills of the students to ensure full credibility and validity.

Phagocytic Activity of Apoptotic Cells

Apoptosis is a distinct mechanism of cell death involved in many physiological and pathological processes. Various stimuli, including phagocytosis of bacteria, can induce apoptosis. As the cells proceed through apoptosis, functional activities decline in accord with phenotypic changes. However, decline in functional activities does not mean instantaneous shut-down of all functions, which is rather the characteristic of necrosis. Phagocytosis and oxidative burst are two of the major tasks of mloid cells for engulfment and killing of microbes. It was reported that the myeloid cells which phagocytosed bacteria underwent apoptosis, rendering resolution of acute inflammation. On the contrary, it was known that phagocytosis of latex beads did induce apoptosis. However, we found phagocytosis of latex beads within the apoptotic cell fraction. Thus we investigated whether phagocytosis of latex beads induced apoptosis or apoptotic cells phagocytosed the beads. We used human promyelocytic cell line HL-60 cultured for 4 days in RPMI1640 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and 1 uM all-trans retinoic acid for phagocytic assay. Phagocytic activity was analyzed by flow cytometry after shaking incubation of HL- 60 cells (5 x 10 cells/ml) with fluorochrome-cougated latex beads for 1 hour at 37C followed by elimination of the un-phagocytosed beads by centrifugation on the density of fetal bovine serum. Apoptotic cells were identified as subdiploid fraction by staining the cells with DNA-dye. To investigate whether phagocytosis of latex beads leads to apoptosis or apoptotic cells phagocytose the beads, the cells wbich had phagocytosed the beads were sequentially analyzed before and after 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours of incubation. On the other hand, the apoptotic cell fraction was sorted to be analyzed for phagocytic activity. The sorted cells were also analyzed by chemiluminescence assay for capability of oxidative burst by stimulation with PMA (5 mM). The results showed little increase in the apoptotic fraction among phagocytic cells during incubation up to 24 hours. Rather the sorted apoptotic cells did phagocytose latex beads. But the sorted cells did not show any capability of oxidative burst. Taken these results into consideration, the apoptotic cells seemed to be on the way of dying process in which oxidative burst was lost while phagocytic activity remained. Thus it was suggested that the primitive function of phagocytosis remained longer in the cells proceeding through apoptosis, while oxidative bunt, requiring mitochondrial function, was lost earlier.

Morphological Study on the Mechanism of the Central Nervous System Dysfunction Induced by Unipolar Pulsating Magnetic Field in Mice

The morphologic change of the mouse brain after exposure to magnetic field is studied. Our magnetic field model was a pulsed unipolar magnetic field with the flux density of 0.2 - 0.3 tesla and the frequency of 60 hertz. Twelve adult male mice were exposed to the magnetic field for 2, 4, 8, 12, 18 and 24 hours. After the exposure to the magnetic field mice were anesthetized with chloral hydrate, and paraformaldehyde was infused through the left ventricle for fixation. During exposure to the magnetic field, behavioral and weight changes of mice were observed. Mice became irritable and restless, especially during first 2 hours of the exposure. Microscopic and ultrastructural examination on the brain revealed nuclear chromatin clumping of the neuron in mice exposed to the magnetic field for more than four hours. The change was proportional to the exposed time and more prominent in the cerebral cortex. An immunohistochemical study for amyloid precursor protein (APP) was also performed. There was an increased expression of APP in the neuronal cytoplasm of the mouse brain exposed to the magnetic field for 4 hours or more. But the reaction was not proportional to the exposure time and reactive neuron was diffusely distributed through the whole brain. Anti-APP antibody reactivity was not correlated with the chromatin clumping. The mechanism of APP induction was postulated as stress-induced APP-gene induction, and the role of APP was presumed to protect the neuron against hazardous environment.