[The experiences of job stress on head nurses in general hospitals].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify job stress experienced by head nurses of general hospitals. METHODS: Data was collected from 10 head nurses with in-depth interviews about their actual experiences. The main questions were when, why, and from whom they get stress in the work field; how they are affected by the stressful situation; and how they cope with this stress. All the interviews were recorded and transcribed. The collected data was analyzed using a consistent comparative data analysis method. RESULTS: Job stress of head nurse was formed by 3 axis; causes, reactions, and coping strategies in complicated situational context such as human relationship, culture of hospital, individual characteristics, social support. CONCLUSION: The results of this study yields very useful information for nursing mangers to identify, by stages, the demands of the head nurses in their role adaptation process. The findings of this study contributes to developing programs and supportive policies that palliates the head nurses' job stress.

[Experience of job satisfaction in clinical nurses: application of focus group methodology].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of job satisfaction in clinical nurses. METHODS: Data was collected from three focus groups composed of 17 hospital nurses. Each focus group had an interview for an average of two and a half hours with the guidance of researchers. The main question was "how do you describe your lived experience of job satisfaction as a clinical nurse?" Qualitative data from the field notes and transcribed notes were analyzed using a grounded theory methodology developed by Strauss and Corbin. RESULTS: The core category of experience of job satisfaction in clinical nurses was identified as "Finding success." Supportive interpersonal relationships and environment affected this category. In the process of attaining job satisfaction through finding success, the participants were using four interactional strategies such as giving meaning, finding self-esteem, extending the horizon of life, and strengthening self-capability. The dimensions of job satisfaction in clinical nurses were the sense of achievement, stability, and pride. CONCLUSION: The results of this study yields very useful information for nursing managers to design a program which enhances job satisfaction of clinical nurses based on interactional strategies.

[Concept analysis of spiritual care].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify attributes of the concept of spiritual care. METHOD: Walker and Avant's concept analysis framework was employed to review the clinical guidelines, nursing text books, and nursing research articles which were related to spiritual care and published from 1985 to 2005. RESULT: The attributes of the concept of spiritual care were a three stage process such as spiritual assessment, spiritual intervention, and spiritual evaluation. Spiritual care included three dimensions of relationships such as transpersonal, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. The quality of spiritual care was dependent upon characteristics of care-givers such as perception and knowledge of spiritual care, and the clinical environment. The antecedents of spiritual care was spiritual needs due to the prompt events. The consequence of spiritual care was spiritual well-being. CONCLUSION: This concept analysis of spiritual care contributed to promote performance of spiritual care in clinical fields by removing conceptual ambiguity and confirming the true meaning of spiritual care.

[Developing a home care nursing information system by utilizing wire-wireless network and mobile computing system].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a home care nursing network system for operating home care effectively and efficiently by utilizing a wire-wireless network and mobile computing in order to record and send patients' data in real time, and by combining the headquarter office and the local offices with home care nurses over the Internet. It complements the preceding research from 1999 by adding home care nursing standard guidelines and upgrading the PDA program. METHOD: Method/1 and Prototyping were adopted to develop the main network system. RESULT: The detailed research process is as follows : 1)home care nursing standard guidelines for Diabetes, cancer and peritoneal-dialysis were added in 12 domains of nursing problem fields with nursing assessment/intervention algorithms. 2) complementing the PDA program was done by omitting and integrating the home care nursing algorithm path which is unnecessary and duplicated. Also, upgrading the PDA system was done by utilizing the machinery and tools where the PDA and the data transmission modem are integrated, CDMX-1X base construction, in order to reduce a transmission error or transmission failure.

The role adaptation process of head nurses in the general hospitals.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify the role adaptation process experienced by head nurses. METHODS: Data were collected from 10 head nurses with in-depth interviews about their actual experiences. All the interviews were recorded and transcribed. The collected data were analyzed by the grounded theory methodology of Strauss and Corbin. RESULTS: The core category was identified as "weighing and balancing," and the role adaptation process was divided into six stages by time sequence: inquiring, approaching to others, bringing people into their fold, working with conviction, avoiding conflicts, and settling. CONCLUSION: The results of this study yield useful information for top managers of nursing to identify, by stages, the demands of the head nurses in their role adaptation process. The findings of this study contributes to developing programs that facilitates the head nurses' role adaptation.