Experiences of Public Officials for the COVID-19 Response in the Community Health Center

Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of public officials working for the Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) response in community health centers in South Korea. @*Methods@#A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted using data collected from three focus groups and two individual interviews. @*Results@#The participants performed quarantine tasks in a poor working environment with several problems, such as significant workload, lack of manpower, and inappropriate compensation system. Participants experienced obstacles in performing quarantine works, which had the lack of the detailed quarantine guidelines, work support and cooperation system. Participants suffered from civil complaints. Participants endured sacrifices in their personal lives while partaking in COVID-19 response work without holidays, and subsequently experienced health problems. And also participants said that it was necessary to secure expertise and effective communication for infectious disease management. @*Conclusion@#The study results suggest that policies are required that are aimed to improve the working environment and the recruitment of experts in infectious diseases. In addition, the job stress related to the COVID-19 response by public officials in community health centers must be evaluated, and the relation of their job stress to physical and mental problems, as well as psychosocial stress, must be examined.

Cancer-related Fatigue of Breast Cancer Survivors: Qualitative Research

Purpose@#Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is an important health concern among breast cancer survivors. However, CRF is apt to be dismissed as a minor discomfort by medical professionals. This study aimed to understand the experience of CRF in breast cancer survivors. @*Methods@#We conducted a qualitative study using in-depth interviews and thematic analysis. The 14 participants were over the age of 40, complained of fatigue, and had been battling breast cancer for at least eight months to up to 16 years. @*Results@#The analysis revealed four themes: traces of fighting cancer, inseparable part of the self, difficulty in daily life, and the body’s signals for care.Chronic fatigue initially disrupted the daily lives of the participants. As time passed, fatigue made it difficult for patients to fulfill their roles within their families, and gradually alienated friends and neighbors. Nevertheless, they tried to overcome the symptoms of fatigue by responding sensitively to the warning signs or changes in their bodies. @*Conclusion@#Breast cancer survivors often worry about relapse due to persistent fatigue after treatment completion. Therefore, the results of this study may be useful in developing strategies tailored for managing CRF using a multifaceted approach.

Cancer-related Fatigue of Breast Cancer Survivors: Qualitative Research

Purpose@#Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is an important health concern among breast cancer survivors. However, CRF is apt to be dismissed as a minor discomfort by medical professionals. This study aimed to understand the experience of CRF in breast cancer survivors. @*Methods@#We conducted a qualitative study using in-depth interviews and thematic analysis. The 14 participants were over the age of 40, complained of fatigue, and had been battling breast cancer for at least eight months to up to 16 years. @*Results@#The analysis revealed four themes: traces of fighting cancer, inseparable part of the self, difficulty in daily life, and the body’s signals for care.Chronic fatigue initially disrupted the daily lives of the participants. As time passed, fatigue made it difficult for patients to fulfill their roles within their families, and gradually alienated friends and neighbors. Nevertheless, they tried to overcome the symptoms of fatigue by responding sensitively to the warning signs or changes in their bodies. @*Conclusion@#Breast cancer survivors often worry about relapse due to persistent fatigue after treatment completion. Therefore, the results of this study may be useful in developing strategies tailored for managing CRF using a multifaceted approach.

The Effects of Oral Cryotherapy on Nausea, Vomiting, Oral Mucositis, and Oral Pain in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Purpose@#The purpose of this study was to determine whether repeated oral cryotherapy was effective in reducing nausea, vomiting, oral mucositis, and oral pain in patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy during the 1 st , 2 nd , and 3 rd rounds of chemotherapy for the first time. @*Methods@#A nonequivalent control group non-synchronized design was used. The experimental group (n=21) received oral cryotherapy that applied a 2×2×2 cm ice cube in the mouth for 30 minutes at each chemotherapy. Both experimental group and control group (n=20) received oral care educations. Nausea, vomiting, oral mucositis and oral pain were measured on 5 days, 14 days, and 21 days after each chemotherapy. Data were collected from July 2019 to April 2020 at a university hospital in Korea, and analyzed using the SPSS WIN 25.0 software package. @*Results@#There was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the nausea·vomiting score, oral mucositis grade, and oral pain score. Oral cryotherapy was confirmed to be effective in delaying nausea and vomiting. It has been shown that stomatitis and oral pain are related. @*Conclusion@#For breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, it is recommended to apply oral cryotherapy as a nursing intervention to reduce nausea, vomiting, oral mucositis, and oral pain.

Adaptation Experiences of Male Students in Nursing Education Programs: A Meta-synthesis Study / 한국간호교육학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to integrate and synthesize findings from qualitative studies exploring male students' experiences of adapting to nursing education programs so as to obtain further understanding of the phenomenon. METHODS: The meta-synthesis process was primarily guided by Noblit and Hare's approach, which consists of four stages including searching, appraisal of an individual study's quality, data extraction for analysis, and meta-synthesizing the results. RESULTS: Findings from the literature reviewed were synthesized into six themes: 1) extraordinary choice based on job stability and gender scarcity; 2) unexpected feeling of marginalization as minority far apart from the mainstream; 3) assimilation and negotiation for relational adaptation through perspective shift; 4) fortifying the vision and identity as nursing students by meaning making for adapting to the nursing major; 5) mutual support among colleague male students; and 6) serving in the military as way of hiding out and achieving maturation. CONCLUSION: The findings illustrate that nursing education programs need practical changes promoting male students' adaptation to the program itself as well as preparation to be a professional nurse in the future.

Factors Affecting Hospital Nurses Intention to Remain: Focusing on Role Conflict / 한국간호교육학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate nurses' role conflict and intention to remain and to identify factors that may influence this intention. METHODS: Data were collected from 172 nurses in a 600-plus bed hospital on nurses' intention to remain, which included 47 items and nurses' role conflict, which included 82 items from a self-reported questionnaire. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression using SPSS 22.0. RESULTS: The mean of the role conflict frequency was 2.71(±.39) and the mean severity was 2.86 (±.47). The most significant item among the items of intention to remain was “a nurse's job is to help people.” The intention to remain employed showed a significant difference in the duration of desired working period and subjective job satisfaction. The subjective job satisfaction of nurses was the most influential variable as a factor affecting the intention to remain, followed by frequency of role conflict in nursing practice. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that inadequate nursing environments in nursing practice require improvement and support the idea that nurses with positive attitudes of the nursing organization and theirs leaders reduce nurses' related fatigue.

Experiences of Depression in Low Income Elderly Women

PURPOSE: The purpose of this qualitative research was to understand the meaning of the depression in low income elderly women. METHODS: Participants were 15 elderly women, aged between 60 and 80 who were registered in two senior welfare centers in Seoul. Data were collected from June to December, 2012 after having obtained consent from participants. In-depth interviews were done with open-ended questions about their depression experiences, which were audio-taped and transcribed with verbatim. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to discover the categories considering their relationships and abstractness. RESULTS: Depressions of aged women were a part of the their life throughout their long lived hardship and was implied unhealed wounds within the relationship. Participants did not know how to manage with depression symptoms that they tried to overcome individually but due to decreased activities and interpersonal relationships, their depressions were tended to continue. They have tried to get out from depressive symptoms, but it still remains unseen shadow of mind. CONCLUSION: This results suppose that social support and aged welfare policy included reliving the economical difficulty and improving relationships will be provided to manage the depression for low income elderly women.

Phenomenological Study on Burnout Experience of Clinical Nurses Who have Turnover Intention

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to understand the meaning and essentials of the experience of burnout for hospital nurses with turnover intention. METHODS: The design was a qualitative research of phenomenological study. Participants: Seven hospital nurses who had worked over three years and had experiences of turnover intention in a hospital with over 400 beds were included. RESULTS: Nine meaningful themes related to burnout experiences and four theme clusters of 1) battery warning sounds almost out; 2) the player who hit the drum and double-headed drum; 3) the target flying arrow without a break; and 4) the pendulum swaying to turn over. Registered nurses (RNs) felt burnout with an overload of work and by the thought that it was illegal action for registered nurses to receive insufficient rewards for their work. RNs also experienced there were no problem solving strategies to verbal violence by patient and medical team. CONCLUSION: The findings show that burnout experiences for those who had turnover intention was developed from the insight that insufficient training to do work independently with over-load for nurses was not ethical. It suggests that it is necessary to rethink training systems for nursing and hospitals to relieve turnover intention.

Job Analysis of Clinical Research Coordinators Using the DACUM Process

PURPOSE: This study was done to analyze the job of clinical research coordinators (CRCs). METHODS: Through the "developing a curriculum (DACUM)" workshop, the definition of CRCs' role was described and CRCs' duties and tasks were identified. Finally, the developed duties and tasks were validated for importance, difficulty, and frequency. RESULTS: A CRC is defined as the one who coordinates and performs tasks related to clinical research/trials among investigators, participants, and sponsors according to the Good Clinical Practice at institutions conducting clinical trials. Twelve duties and 78 tasks were identified on the DACUM chart which represented the importance, difficulty, and frequency of tasks represented as A, B, and C respectively. Based on determinant coefficient (DC) of the task, the highest ranked task was confirming the eligibility of participants for research (DC=8.03) and the lowest was inventory management for clinical study materials (3.95). CONCLUSION: In this study, the job of a CRC was analyzed through the DACUM process and it was found that CRCs were doing various duties and tasks. Based on these results, it is suggested that it is necessary to develop CRC education programs considering the career ladder of CRCs.

Knowledge of and Attitude toward Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome among Korean Auxiliary Police / 병원감염관리

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate AIDS-specific knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of auxiliary police on duty in Seoul and to provide basic data for use in AIDS prevention education for auxiliary police. METHODS: In November 2008, we questioned 402 auxiliary police in the Mobile Police Force located in Seoul by using a self-administered questionnaire containing 39 items. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 98.5% were unmarried and scored, on average, 2.95+/-0.98 out of 4 with respect to their knowledge about the transmission routes of HIV infection. Approximately 70.6% of the respondents were sexually active in the past year and 6.3% were diagnosed with or treated for a venereal disease within the past year. Approximately 42.5% of the respondents had sex with someone other than their steady partner and 35.5% of these respondents did not use condom during sexual intercourse. Approximately 77% of the respondents were willing to be anonymously tested for HIV infection that may have been acquired because of unprotected sexual activity during the past year (P=0.018). CONCLUSION: Providing assertive education, as well as additional support and instructions, is necessary to raise awareness about the prevention of AIDS among auxiliary police.

Evaluation of the Korean Formal Educational Program for Training Care Workers for Frail Elderly

PURPOSE: This study was done to evaluate the formal education program provided by the Korean government for care workers for frail elderly people. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional survey in which 438 certified care workers who had completed the education program participated. Data were collected from June to October 2009, using a self-report questionnaire consisting of satisfaction with, and understanding of the education program. RESULTS: The participants had a mean age of 46.7 yr, 87.9% were female and 58.2% were high school graduates. For the theory part of the education, the highest score for understanding was for 'supporting household & activities of daily living' while the lowest score for understanding was for 'care for death and dying'. For the practical education, the highest score for understanding was for 'talking with the client' and the lowest score was for 'first aid & basic life support'. There was a significant difference in satisfaction and understanding of the theoretical and practical parts according to educational level. CONCLUSION: Continuing education programs are needed for care workers for elders, both in the theoretical and practical areas. Also the content of programs should address the weak points of this formal education program.

Evaluation of Nurses' Competency in Nurse-Patient Communication about Medications: Conversational Analysis Approach

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop evaluation criteria for conversations about medication and to demonstrate conversational analysis with actual dialogues on medication as examples. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of qualitative research using conversational analysis which showed functional phases and patterns of dialogue about medication (greeting, identifying the patient, medicating, finishing). Nurse-patient conversations were videotaped and transcribed and 75 conversations were used for analysis. RESULTS: Not all functional phases were showed in the conversations about medication. Therefore, conversations about medication can be considered as incomplete dialogues. The evaluation-criteria were represented in terms of the structure and content of the dialogues. Structural evaluation-criteria were the same as the functional phases, as functional stage is the standard for evaluation. The criteria of evaluation for content suggested 3 domains, content, expression, and interaction with 20 items scored on a Likert-type scale of 5-points. Finally, analysis of actual conversations about medication according to the evaluative criteria were provided. CONCLUSION: The results provide the basic data to develop educational programs and strategies to improve nurses' competency in conversation about medication.

Experiences of Sexual Life of Korean Women with Breast Cancer: Descriptions from Focus Groups and Interviews / 기본간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe experiences of sexual life among Korean women with breast cancer. METHODS: Data were collected by focus group and individual tape-recorded interviews. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Participants were 13 women who had stage I, II, or III breast cancer. Four major categories were discovered. "Not interested in sexual life at all" in which participants described their struggle to live while avoiding sexual life during initial stages of disease. "Sexual life that could not go back to previous normal life" in which participants described how they began to recognize many problems related to their sexual life resulting from the loss of femininity and pain during intercourse. "Dangerous marriage due to no sexual life" in which participants illustrated how no or unsatisfactory sexual life threatened their entire marriage and family life. Finally, "rediscovery of sexual life as a vital element in life" in which participants described how, with support from their spouse, they came to realize that sexual life was an important and vital part of their life. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study could help in developing-educational programs to improve sexual well-being of women with breast cancer and their spouses.

Quality of Life and Illness Intrusiveness by Type-D Personality in the Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of the type-D personality on quality of life and illness intrusiveness. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional study. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaire from 200 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Variables were measured with the Type-D Scale-14 (DS14), Korean Health Related Quality of Life Scale (KoQoLS), and the Illness Intrusiveness Rating Scale (ILRS). RESULTS: Of the patients, 38% were classified as type-D personality. Among the 10 subcategories of quality of life, the highest mean score was bodily pain (5.84+/-.85) and the lowest was role limitation (1.52+/-.20). Among 13 item of illness intrusiveness, the highest mean score was health (3.78+/-.73) and the lowest was family relationships (2.14+/-.58). There were significant differences in all the subcategories of quality of life between type-D and non type-D except for subcategories of bodily pain and role limitation. However, there were no significant differences in illness intrusiveness between type-D and non type-D. CONCLUSION: Type-D is an important factor in quality of life in patients with CAD, but no correlations between type-D and illness intrusiveness were found. These results can be used as basic data for developing cardiac rehabilitation programs to improve quality of life in type-D patients

Effects of Family Support and Quality of Life in Relation to Smoking Cessation in Male Patient with Coronary Artery Disease / 기본간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify effects of family support and quality of life on smoking cessation in patients with coronary artery disease. METHOD: Data were collected using a self-reported questionnaire included smoking history, family support and quality of life (QOL). The participants were 159 male patient with coronary artery disease who were current smokers or ex-smokers. A logistic model was developed to estimate the likelihood of current smoker or ex-smoker. RESULTS: Of the participants, 28.3% were current smokers and 71.7% were ex-smokers. The mean score for family support was 27.41 for positive support and 23.11 for negative support. The mean score for QOL was 50.48. There were significant differences in QOL according to smoking status. The predictors of smoking cessation were social interaction QOL and self-control QOL, and duration of smoking. The model correctly classified 89.5% of ex-smokers and 44.4% of current smokers and the correct classification for the total was 76.8%. CONCLUSION: Social interaction QOL, self-control QOL and duration of smoking were significant variables in prediction of smoking cessation. QOL should be considered in developing smoking cessation interventions. It is advisable to also examine the mediating effect of family support on quality of life.

The Life of Elderly Women Living Alone

PURPOSE: This study aimed to uncover the fundamental nature of living alone in female elderly. METHODS: The phenomenological research approach developed by van Manen was adopted. RESULTS: The theme was 'taking a firm stand alone on the edges of life'. The composition elements of living alone experienced by elderly women were as follows: 1) Corporeality: participants perceived their bodies by their health status. Unhealthy participants were suffering with diseases and dependant on other persons, while healthy participants were free from family responsibility and kept on moving. 2) Spatiality: participants felt both freedom and loneliness while they stayed home. 3) Relationality: participants felt pity and yearning for their bereaved husband and sometimes talked to his picture. According to their children's filial piety, participants were pleased or displeased. However, they incessantly devoted themselves to their children. 4) Temporality: participants considered the rest of their life as extra-time which was proceeding to death, and tried to keep themselves busy before they died. CONCLUSION: A nurse should understand the multifarious aspects of elderly women's life, and then intervene to consolidate their strengths for self-supporting the final years of life.

Verification for the Validity and Reliability of the Type D Scale-14 / 기본간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to verify the validity and reliability of the Type D Scale-14 (DS14). METHODS: The participants were 288 patients who were diagnosed with angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and hypertension. DS14 was developed by Denollet(2005) and consists of two domains, 7 items on negative affectivity (NA) and 7 items on social inhibition (SI). The Korean version of DS14 was developed through translation-reversed translation and a preliminary test. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. Cronbach alpha and Guttman split-half were used to test reliability and item analysis and factor analysis for validity. The SPSS program was used. RESULTS: 35.8% of the participants were classified as Type D. Mean score for NA was 16.80 and for SI, 14.10 in Type D participants. For reliability of NA, Cronbach alpha=0.771, and for SI, 0.707. Factor analysis on 12 items(numbers 1 & 3 were excluded as the corrected item-total correlations were below r=0.3) yielded two factors for NA (6 items) and SI (6 items). Number 7 in the NA domain was sorted into the SI domain. CONCLUSION: The results indicate, the cultural differences were between Europeans and Koreans. Repetition of the research is needed for generalization of DS14.

Evaluation of the Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index and Problem Index-Korean Version / 여성건강간호학회지

PURPOSE: The O'Leary Symptom Index and Problem Index (ICSI/ICPI) have been used widespread in clinical studies and research. This research was aimed to determine the reliability and validity of the ICSI/ICPI-K that was translated into Korean. METHODS: The research design was a methodological study to test the measurements. Subjects were 301 elderly women in Seoul, Chungnam and Gyungbuk. They were recruited through a formal announcement and they responded after informed consent. Data was analyzed with SPSS 15.0. The internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the criterion validity was assessed by Pearson correlation with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and inter-subscales. RESULTS: The elderly women were on average 74.3 years old. As to the reliability of the scale, ICSI/ICPI-K had a Cronbach alpha of .832. In addition, the results showed that ICSI/ICPI-K was valid through the Pearson correlation. That is, the ICSI-K and ICPI-K had a significant relationship with GDS (r=.295; r=.374, respectively) and strong correlations of subscale to subscale (ICSI-K & ICPI-K: r=.676). The most common symptom of the lower urinary tract by the ICSI/ICPI-K was nocturia 249 (83.3%) followed by frequency 187 (62.8%), urgency 148 (49.8%). and pelvic pain 71 (23.9%) in the elderly women. CONCLUSION: We can conclude that the ICSI/ICPI-K is reliable and valid in Korean elderly women. It needs to be evaluated in the clinical area.

Job Description of the Nurses Who Work in Operating Room Using DACUM Technique / 기본간호학회지

PURPOSE: Developing a curriculum(DACUM) is a method of analyzing job focused competency, which is obtained from the data of an expert belonging to a certain career. In this study the DACUM method was used to analyze the jobs of operating room nurses. METHOD: Through the DACUM workshop which was arranged by two DACUM facillitators, a definition of the role of operating room nurses was developed and then duties and tasks of operating room nurses' were identified. For the workshop, a DACUM committee with 10 operating room nurses was organized. Finally, the duties and tasks which were identified were validated by 422 nurses for importance, difficulty, and frequency. RESULTS: Thirteen duties and 105 tasks were identified on the DACUM chart, where importance, difficulty, and frequency of tasks were represented by alphabet letters A, B, and C as higher degree of importance. The determinant coefficient(DC) showed that the most important duty was assisting with operations(DC=6.61), and the least, managing operating materials(DC=4.22). For tasks, the most important ones were assisting in orthostatic surgery(DC=7.60), and assisting in thoracic surgery(DC=7.38), and the least important making gauze ball(DC=2.39), and saving of operation site((DC=3.27). CONCLUSION: The results suggest a need to develop an education program using the DACUM chart as a basis for the development and as a clinical career ladder and for curriculum of operating room nursing.

Family Caregivers' Experiences Utilizing a Nursing Home for Their Elderly Family Members / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of the family caregivers using a nursing home for their elderly family members. METHOD: Participants for this study were 1 man and 9 women caregivers. Data was collected through in-depth interviews from October, 2005 to April, 2006 and analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory methodology. RESULTS: "Finding a way to live together" emerged as a core category and it reflected expanding consciousness allowing them to see each other in a more positive view. The basic social process of "finding a way to live together" includes 3 phases: 1) recognizing the problems, 2) finding solutions to the problems, and 3) accepting the changes in their surrounding. Lack of privacy, family troubles, extreme distress, and unavailable caregivers are reflected in the process of recognizing the problems. The process of finding solutions was making a decision, obtaining family agreement, choosing the best nursing home, and enduring the financial burden. Possible outcomes of the last phase include recovering peace of mind and continuing conflict. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study offer suggestions for developing a strategy to help not only the elderly but also the family caregivers.