Effects of the Inpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Program on Behavioral Modification and Quality of Life in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease / 간호학회지

The purpose of the study was to identify the effects of inpatient cardiac rehabilitation programs on motivation, the performance of health behavior, and quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease. The subjects consisted of 31 patients who participated in the rehabilitation program during their hospital stay, and were compared with 34 patients who did not participate. The study results are as follows: 1. The mean of cardiac risk factor scores for the subjects was 22.5 (SD = 5.5) at the level of low to moderate risk with some possibility to improve. The physiological and behavioral risk factors for the subjects were also in the normal range or slightly above the normal range. 2. The motivation level to preform health behaviors for both groups was improved after discharge. Also, perceived self-efficacy was significantly higher for the program participants than for the comparison group at the post-test. 3. The performance of cardiac related health behaviors improved for both groups after discharge, but there were no significant differences between the two groups. The program participants reported better performance in most health behaviors at the post-test, but the results failed to reach a statistical significant level. 4. As for motivation and health behavior, the subjects in the both groups showed an improved quality of life after the discharge. In addition, the program participants produced significantly higher scores in health and functioning dimension than the comparison group during the post-test. In conclusion, the study partially supported the effects of the inpatient cardiac rehabilitation program to motivate and improve the quality of life, and provide the need to apply early rehabilitation interventions for the patients after cardiac events. Further study with a longitudinal design is also suggested to verify the effect of cardiac rehabilitation program from hospitalization to discharge and subsequently to fully recover to the level of pre-hospitalized state.

Effects of the Inpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Program on Behavioral Modification and Quality of Life in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease / 간호학회지

The purpose of the study was to identify the effects of inpatient cardiac rehabilitation programs on motivation, the performance of health behavior, and quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease. The subjects consisted of 31 patients who participated in the rehabilitation program during their hospital stay, and were compared with 34 patients who did not participate. The study results are as follows: 1. The mean of cardiac risk factor scores for the subjects was 22.5 (SD = 5.5) at the level of low to moderate risk with some possibility to improve. The physiological and behavioral risk factors for the subjects were also in the normal range or slightly above the normal range. 2. The motivation level to preform health behaviors for both groups was improved after discharge. Also, perceived self-efficacy was significantly higher for the program participants than for the comparison group at the post-test. 3. The performance of cardiac related health behaviors improved for both groups after discharge, but there were no significant differences between the two groups. The program participants reported better performance in most health behaviors at the post-test, but the results failed to reach a statistical significant level. 4. As for motivation and health behavior, the subjects in the both groups showed an improved quality of life after the discharge. In addition, the program participants produced significantly higher scores in health and functioning dimension than the comparison group during the post-test. In conclusion, the study partially supported the effects of the inpatient cardiac rehabilitation program to motivate and improve the quality of life, and provide the need to apply early rehabilitation interventions for the patients after cardiac events. Further study with a longitudinal design is also suggested to verify the effect of cardiac rehabilitation program from hospitalization to discharge and subsequently to fully recover to the level of pre-hospitalized state.

Coping Strategies Utilized in the Caregiving Situation and Predictors of Health Responses among Informal Caregivers of Older Adults / 간호학회지

The sample of this study consisted of 140 informal caregivers who provided care to the older adults(over 60 years of age) in Great Cleveland, USA. Self-rated questionnaires were utilized to collect information. The purpose of the study was to identify coping strategies most frequently utilized by informal caregivers of older adults and to examine predictors of the caregivers' health responses to the caregiving situation applying Lazarus and Folkman stress model(1984). Stepwise multiple regression was used to identify significant predictors among caregivers' demographic-socio-economic factors, older adult's dependency of activities of daily living(ADLs), caregiver's appraisal to the caregiving situation, and coping strategies. Informal caregivers (N=140) included in the study utilized help-seeking and problem-solving coping strategies more than self-blame and minimization of threat coping strategies. Caregivers' responses to the caregiving situation were observed by caregivers' perceived physical health, depression and life satisfaction. For perceived physical health, threat appraisal, older adult's dependency on ADLs, existential growth coping strategy, and monthly income accounted for 25% of the variance. Caregivers who appraised the caregiving situation as more threatening, reported higher dependency on ADLs, used more existential growth coping strategy, and had higher monthly income reported better physical health. For depression, threat appraisal, stress appraisal, existential growth coping strategy, self-blame coping strategy, and monthly income accounted for 48% of the variance. Caregivers who used more existential growth coping and less self-blame coping, appraised the situation as less threatening, less stressful, and had higher monthly income reported less depression. For life satisfaction, self-blame coping, existential growth coping, monthly income, stress appraisal accounted for 49% of the variance. Caregivers who used more existential growth coping, less self-blame coping, less stress appraisal, lower monthly income reported better life satisfaction. In conclusion, informal caregivers in this study utilized positive coping strategies such as problem-focused, existential growth, help-seeking, rather than negative coping strategies including self-blame. When they utilized positive coping strategies more often, caregivers experienced higher perceived physical health, higher life satisfaction and lower depression. Therefore, nursing intervention which utilized positive coping strategies is needed to enhance informal caregivers to have positive health responses to the caregiving demands.

Confirmatory Analysis of Perception and Preference Scales for Work Characteristics among Korean Nurses / 간호학회지

The study was conducted to confirm the construct of individual perception and preference for work characteristics as personal factors influencing Korean nurses' job satisfaction. The subjects of the study were 231 nurses who are currently working in intensive care units and have been for a minimum of 6 months. The study used the Staff Perception and Preference Scale(Song et al., 1997) to measure the individual's perception and preference on the technical, practice, and management components of the ideal work environment. The Korean version of the Staff Perception and Preference Scale consists of 16 items on perception and 13 on preference with each item related on a scale from 1 (not at all) to 4 (a great deal). Psychometric testing revealed that the preference and perception scale is internally consistent with Chronbach's alphas of .83 for perception scale and .80 for preference scale. The subscales of the perception and preference scale also showed acceptable reliability for the early stage of the development of the instruments with Chronbach alphas of .62-.76 and .69-.83 respectively. Criterion0related validity of the scale was tested by examining correlations with individual growth need that is conceptually close to individual preference, but not to individual perception. Individual growth need was significantly related to individual preference(r=.63, p<.05), but the correlation with the perception scale was not significant. A separate factor analysis for the each of perception and preference scales was performed with a three-factor loading solution based on a previous study. The results on the staff perception scale confirmed with varimax rotation that the items were cleanly and strongly loaded on technique, practice and management components, which together explained 50.7% of the variance. The factor analysis on the staff preference scale also yielded a three factor solution that explained 56.7% of the variance, but items on technique and management components were loaded together. This phenomena may due to the current nursing delivery system in Korea where nurses never experience either shared governance nor case management, and as a results they may not be able to consider management roles as their potential extended roles. Therefore, more efforts should be given to enhance nurses' autonomy and decision making in the technique, practice and management components of their work environment. Meanwhile, there is a need for continuously confirming and developing tools for individual perception and preferences to effectively enhance job satisfaction among Korea nurses through innovative work environments.

Job Satisfaction among ICU nurses according to the Preference and Perception of Work Characteristics / 간호학회지

The purposes of this study were to determine the factors that influence job satisfaction for ICU nurses and to analyze group differences in job satisfaction based on the nurses' preference and perception of the work environment with an enhanced professional role. A total of 231 nurses who had been working in Intensive Care Units at least for 6 months at selected university hospitals participated in the study while head nurses or those with administrative positions were excluded. The study participants had an average of 33 months of clinical experience with an age range of 23 to 40 years. The data were analyzed by utilizing SPSSWIN and the results are as follows. 1) Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that work characteristics defined by Job characteristics theory and nurses' preference/ perception of ideal work environment together explained 33% of variance in job satisfaction. Skill variety, task identity and autonomy as well as individual perception of work environment were significant variables for explaining job satisfaction. Job satisfaction was not significantly related to age, marital status, education, and clinical experience. 2) The groups classified by nurses' preference and perception of work environment were significantly different in their job satisfaction. Nurses with high preference and high perception showed significantly higher general and specific job satisfaction than other nurses. The nurses who showed high preference but perceived their work environment as not reflecting ideal job characteristics reported the lowest job satisfaction among the groups. In conclusion, the role of individual preference and perception of the work environment in explaining the relationship between the redesign of work environment and job satisfaction was supported by the study. The preferences of nurses to the innovative work characteristics should be considered in the process of enhancing job characteristics to lead job satisfaction and low turn over and ultimately to improve quality of care.