A Study on the Experience of Depression in Elderly Women Living Alone / 정신간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was done to explore the experience process for depression in elderly women living alone. METHODS: Data was analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's Grounded theory. The twelve participants were elderly women living alone, aged 65 to 80 years. RESULTS: From the participants' statements, 116 concepts, 43 sub-categories and 16 categories were extracted by an open coding process. Core category was 'wandering in a waste land'. The experience process leading to depression in elderly women living alone had 4 phases: loss, emptiness, struggle and response. CONCLUSION: The findings in this study on the experience of depression in elderly women living alone can be used for evidence in a detailed assessment, early detection and prevention of depression in elderly women living alone.

Effects of Human Rights Sensitivity Program on the Human Rights Consciousness and Attitudes Toward the Mental Illness by Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses / 정신간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the effects of human rights sensitivity training on human rights consciousness and attitudes toward the mentally ill by psychiatric mental health nurse. METHODS: A non equivalent control group pre-posttest design was used for this study. The 54 participants were selected from the mental health institute in Y city. The experimental group (n=26) received the interventions 3 times a week for 2 weeks. The evaluation tools were Human Right Consciousness and Community Attitude toward the Mentally Ill (CAMI). Data were analyzed using chi2-test, Fisher's exact test, t-test, paired t-test, repeated measure ANCOVA with the SPSS/WIN 12 program. RESULTS: There was a significant mean change in human rights consciousness in the experimental group. But there was no significant difference in attitudes toward mentally illness. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate that the human rights sensitivity program is effective in increasing human rights consciousness of psychiatric mental health nurses. Therefore, this program can be utilized in the field of mental health care services to improve human rights of person with mental illness.

Analysis of Trends and Contents of Nursing Doctoral Dissertations in Korea

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify contents and trends of Korean nursing doctoral dissertations in terms of research methodology and theoretical characteristics. METHODS: The design of the study was descriptive study and a total of 1,089 quantitative studies completed between 1982 and 2010 were reviewed using the analytical framework developed by the researchers. RESULTS: The majority of studies utilized the experimental design (51.5%) and the others were survey design (38.8%) and methodological design (5.0%). Study subjects were shown as patients (45%), care givers (11.2%), ordinary persons (40.6%) and others (3.2%). There were growing trends in experimental design and patients as subjects. The prevailing data collection settings were hospitals (45.8%) and community (27.8%). The theoretical frameworks that studies were based on were the existing theories (37%) and a newly developed theoretical framework by a researcher (25.2%). a framework derived from other studies by the researcher (25.2%). Majority of studies (78.5%) employed a single theory as a theoretical framework. However, 31.8% of studies had no theoretical framework based on. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study provided the opportunities to shed new light on the current status of Korean doctoral dissertation and to deliberate on the future direction of nursing studies in Korea.

Educational Needs Assessment on Research Ethics among Nursing Researchers

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the educational needs of research ethics among nursing researchers. METHODS: Convenience sample of 161 nursing professors and 262 master or doctoral nursing students participated in the study. Data was collected with self-reported questionnaire from June to August 2009, and analyzed with descriptive statistics using SPSS WIN (version 14.0). RESULTS: Among 161 nursing professors, about 31.7% has educated nursing ethics in the postgraduate course. The most common course was nursing research or methodology (62.7%), and median education time was 2 hr. Areas that showed difficulty in understanding was the conflict of interest and plagiarism for professors and falsification and fabrication for graduate students. Average knowledge on the research ethics was 75.4 points for professors and 61.6 points for students based on the 100 points. CONCLUSION: Educational needs of research ethics among nursing professors and students in the postgraduate course was high. We recommend both basic and advanced research ethics educational programs for the nursing researchers. The basic course should be at least 6 hr and include various cases and something to discuss.

Relationship of Social Support and Meaning of Life to Suicidal Thoughts in Cancer Patients

PURPOSE: This study was done to explore the relationship of social support and meaning of life to suicidal thoughts among patients with cancer. METHODS: Data were collected by questionnaires from 138 patients who had been in cancer treatment at medical clinics and 8 patients who were members of an internet cancer association. The data were collected between August and November 2009 and analyzed using SPSS 12.0. RESULTS: Of the participants, 47.3% reported having had suicidal thoughts and 16.4% had attempted suicide since the diagnosis of cancer. The study participants received most support from family members, but 73.3% reported experiencing an existential vacuum. The suicide attempt group had significantly higher scores according to gender, age, level of education, diagnosis, treatment modality, level of activity, caregiver and social support compare to the suicide thought group. Suicidal thoughts were negatively related to social support and meaning of life was positively associated with social support. Support from family and friends and diagnosis explained 50.0% of variance for suicidal thoughts with 36.0% of variance being explained by family support. CONCLUSION: Nurses should be able to identify risk factors for suicide in cancer patients. Prevention and intervention efforts need to be directed toward improving social support, family support in particular, and assisting patients finding meaning in life after a diagnosis of cancer.

Dosage Adjustment before and after Warfarin - Rifampin Combination Therapy / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Warfarin is used as an anticoagulant and it is mainly excreted by the liver metabolism (the R-form is mainly metabolized by cytochrome p450 3A4, and the S form by cytochrome p450 2C9). Rifampin is usually used for tuberculosis or endocarditis, and it is a representative drug that induces the CYP families, including 3A4 and 2C9. The anticoagulation effect of warfarin decreases through the increased metabolism that's due to the induction of enzymes, and this iscaused by rifampin when patients take these two medicines together. No one has suggested appropriate guidelines regarding this drug interaction even though an appropriate adjustment of warfarin's dosage is needed. We examined the drug interaction in patients who received warfarin - rifampin combination therapy according to the time interval, and the factors affecting drug interaction were analyzed. Based on the data, we tried to determine the clinically available warfarin dosage guidelines before and after taking this drug combination. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We reviewed the OO University Hospital anticoagulation service team's follow up sheets that were filled out from Jan 1998 to Sep 2006 for the patient who took warfarin - rifampin combination therapy (n=15). RESULT: The average INR of all the patient before rifampin administration was 2.25+/-0.52 (mean+/-SD), and that value for the first 100 days after rifampin administration was 1.98+/-0.28. The p value for these two sets of data showed no correlation (paired t-test, p>0.05). The average INR of all the patient before rifampin cessation was 2.19+/-0.34, and the value after rifampin cessation was 2.49+/-0.43. The p value of these two showed correlation (paired t-test, p<0.05) but the average INR falls between the therapeutic INR range. CONCLUSION: The warfarin dose adjustment equation of before and after warfarin - rifampin combination therapy was derived based on this study's results because the warfarin dosage adjustment of the anticoagulation service team was considered appropriate.

The Trends of Nursing Research in the Journals of Seven Branches of the Korean Academy of Nursing / 간호학회지

This study was designed to analyze the research methodology and the key concepts used in articles published in each nursing journal of seven branches of the Korean Academy of Nursing. The purpose of this study was for reflecting the trends of nursing research and suggesting the direction of future nursing research in Korea. One thousand three hundred seventy two articles published in seven nursing journals from the beginning year of 2000 were analyzed. The prevailing research designs for these journals were the non-experimental design ranging from 54.3% to 75.7%, the experimental design ranging from 6.2% to 30.4%, and qualitative research design ranging from 3.7% to 10.6%. Research subjects were 10.0% to 46.0% for clients with health problems, 2.1% to 42.4% for generally healthy persons, 1.4% to 43.9% for primary care-givers, 7.0% to 53.5% for nurses or nursing students, and 3.1% to 7.3% for health organizations or nursing organizations. The data collection method used most often self-report questionnaires using psychosocial measures. Interviewing methods and physiologic measures were used relatively few times. The domains of the key concepts that prevailed was personal domain and health domain. This study has the limitation of focusing on only the superficial structural analysis rather than in-depth content analysis of each article. However, this study is the first study for reflecting the trends of nursing research based on each journal of seven branches of the Korean Academy of Nursing.

Vascular Occlusions Associated with Antiphospholipid Antibodies in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Antiphospholipid antibodies are found in association with collagen-vascular diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus[SLE]. As the laboratory tests suggest impaired coagulation, the patients having antiphospholipid Ab have been reported to be prone to develop thrombosis. The authors present three patients with antiphospholipid antibodies in SLE who had suffered from retinal vascular occlusions. Case 1 with central retinal vein occlusion who had both lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin Ab resulted in visual loss. Case 2 with branch retinal vein occlusion who was positive for only lupus anticoagulant experienced moderate visual disturbance. Case 3 with branch retinal artery occlusion who was positive for both lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin Ab died without ocular follow-up examination. We consider that SLE patients with the antiphospholipid Ab may be at high risk to develop disturbances in vision due to thromboembolism from a hypercoagulable state.

The Extent of Patient's Content for Epiphora and Skin Scar in external Dacryocystorhinostomy Operation

External dacryocystorhinostomy(DCR) has been a main surgery for epiphora since its introduction, offering the advantages of the complete formation of the ostium, the formation of flap, and potential application in all cases suffering from chronic epiphora although the disadvantages of postoperative morbidity and a cutaneous scar. In this study, the authors report the extent of patient's content for epiphora and skin scar in 131 cases treated with external DCR perfomed on 112 patients between december 1994 and January 1996. DCR incision followed the periorbital relaxed skin gension lines in order to minimize cutaneous scar. External DCR were combined with silicone intubation of the lacrimal drainage system. The medical records of all patients undergoing external DCR procedures were reviewed retrospectively in detail. the authors asked about postoperative epiphora and skin sacr through the questionnaire or the telephone. Phtients with follow-up periods less than 6 months or conjunctivo-dacryocystorhinostomy were not included in the study. Of 131 cases, 126 were improved for epiphora in comparision with preoperative state after a single attempt, yielding a success rate of 96.2%. Of 131 cases, 129(98.2%) did not express discontent for skin scar. Although endonasal DCR is considered as an increasingly attractive alternative to external DCR, external DCR is still a good procedure to treat epiphora in unexperienced surgeon for endonasal DCR.

A study of perceived discomfort of intensive care unit patient / 성인간호학회지

No abstract available.