Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of auricular acupressure on musculoskeletal pain and functional disability in activities of daily living among operating room nurses. Methods: This randomized controlled trial included 40 nurses from a university hospital, who were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=20) or a control group (n=20). After one dropout, the remaining 39 participants were included in the final analysis. The experimental group received auricular acupressure once a week for two weeks. Pain intensity was measured using the Numeric Rating Scale, and functional disability was assessed using the Korean version of the Oswestry Disability Index. Results: The experimental group showed a significant reduction in NRS pain scores compared to the control group, particularly in the neck, shoulders, hands, wrists, fingers, and lower back. In addition, Korean version of the Oswestry Disability Index scores were significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: Auricular acupressure is an effective non-pharmacological intervention for reducing musculoskeletal pain and functional impairment among operating room nurses.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the level of frailty in patients undergoing hemodialysis and to examine the relationships between frailty and key variables, including health literacy, dialysis-related symptoms, sleep quality, fall history, and the number of comorbidities, in order to determine factors associated with frailty. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional survey study included 122 patients undergoing hemodialysis. Data on general characteristics, health literacy, dialysis-related symptoms, sleep quality, and frailty were collected using self-report questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests/ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results: The mean frailty score was 4.54±2.81, and 53.3% of participants were classified as pre-frail or frail. Frailty showed significant positive correlations with the number of comorbidities, health literacy, and dialysis-related symptoms, with the strongest correlation observed for dialysis-related symptoms. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the number of comorbidities, fall history, functional health literacy, and dialysis-related symptoms were significant predictors of frailty, with dialysis-related symptoms showing the greatest influence. In contrast, sleep quality and the remaining domains of health literacy were not significant predictors. Conclusion: These findings suggest that interventions focusing on dialysis symptom management, along with improvement of functional health literacy, comorbidity management, and fall prevention, are needed to prevent and manage frailty in hemodialysis patients.

Purpose: Although previous meta-analyses have examined MBIs in children and adolescents, most combined school-age children and adolescents in a single analysis and provided limited outcome-specific effect estimates. This study systematically reviewed the effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) exclusively in school-age children aged 6~12 years to provide more precise and age-specific evidence. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, five databases (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and ERIC) were searched from inception to March 2025. Thirty-one randomized controlled trials involving more than 8,800 children were included. Risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using Cochrane RoB 2 tool. Narrative synthesis was conducted, and random-effects meta-analyses were performed for mindfulness skills, anxiety, and depression. Results: MBIs showed generally positive findings for executive function and attention, social-emotional competence, and academic-related outcomes, while findings for emotional-behavioral problems were mixed. Meta-analysis showed a small pooled effect on mindfulness skills (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.00 to 0.99) with high heterogeneity, a small non-significant trend toward anxiety reduction (95% CI -0.28 to 0.02), and a small non-significant effect on depression (95% CI -0.28 to 0.06). Effects tended to be greater in vulnerable children, including those with lower baseline executive function or higher levels of rumination. Studies using active control groups showed limited mindfulness-specific effects. Conclusion: MBIs may support self-regulation and psychological adaptation in school-age children, particularly among vulnerable populations. Future research should use active control conditions, longer follow-up periods, and culturally adapted programs for Korean children.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the levels of communication and job satisfaction among neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses and to identify the factors influencing collaboration with physician assistant nurses. Methods: This descriptive study included 162 NICU nurses working in general and tertiary hospitals in Korea. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire from April 15 to April 30, 2025. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman's correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis with SPSS/WIN 25.0. Results: Communication and job satisfaction showed significant positive correlations with collaboration. Multiple regression analysis revealed that job satisfaction, communication, and the squared term for number of assigned beds per nurse) were significant predictors of collaboration. The model explained 82.6% of the variance in collaboration. Conclusion: The findings indicate that job satisfaction and communication are key factors influencing collaboration between NICU nurses and physician assistant nurses. In addition, the non-linear effect of workload suggests the need to consider appropriate staffing allocation. Therefore, organizational support and targeted interventions, such as communication training and improvements in the work environment, are needed to promote effective collaboration.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify differences in general and health-related characteristics, health-promoting behaviors, positive affect, and social support between community-dwelling frail and non-frail older adults. Methods: The study included 146 older adults from three welfare centers located in a metropolitan city. Data were collected from March 27 to April 2, 2024. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS/WIN 23.0, including descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and independent t-tests. Results: Significant differences were found between frail and non-frail older adults in general characteristics, including age and standard of living. Significant differences were also observed in health-related characteristics, including perceived health status, number of chronic diseases, and depression. Furthermore, frail and non-frail older adults differed significantly in health-promoting behaviors, positive affect, and social support. Conclusion: These findings suggest that assessing and comparing health-related characteristics between frail and non-frail older adults may help facilitate the early identification of individuals at risk of frailty.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore how public primary healthcare workers in a medically underserved area perceive the four core attributes of primary care-comprehensiveness, accessibility, continuity, and coordination. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was applied. A total of 37 public health and nursing officers and related personnel working at a public health center, public health subcenters, and primary health posts in a rural underserved area of Gangwon State, Republic of Korea, participated in the study. Data were collected from November 20 to 27, 2025, using a pre-structured open-ended survey based on Starfield's framework, supplemented by follow-up interviews with four participants. Data were analyzed using directed content analysis with the four attributes as a priori categories. Results: For comprehensiveness, chronic disease management (45.9%) was most frequently identified, while gaps were noted in mental health, child welfare, and integrated services (32.4%). For accessibility, transportation and geographic barriers were the most prominent (81.1%), and 70.3% of participants were favorably toward remote monitoring, contingent on support for older adults with limited digital literacy. For continuity, frequent staff turnover threatened relational continuity, highlighting needs for accumulated data systems and multidisciplinary management. For coordination, intra-public-health linkages functioned well, whereas linkages with hospitals and welfare agencies were limited due to the absence of integrated platforms and a designated coordinator (32.4%). Nurses emphasized clinical management and digital hub functions, whereas non-nursing personnel emphasized lifestyle interventions and face-to-face coordination. Conclusion: Strengthening multidisciplinary integrated service planning, digital and mobile accessibility, workforce stabilization with integrated information platforms, and coordinator-centered structures is essential. Coordination competency should be a required component of capacity-building programs for primary care nurses. In particular, primary care nurses are well positioned to serve as care coordinators bridging clinical management, digital monitoring, and inter-agency linkage in medically underserved areas, and nursing curricula and continuing education should reflect this expanded role.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the factors influencing recovery among people with mental disorders living in the community. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was used. The participants included 160 people with mental disorders recruited from seven mental health welfare centers, two psychosocial rehabilitation facilities, and two day hospitals in Gyeonggi Province. Data were collected from June 15 to August 31, 2024, using structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analyses with SPSS 29.0. Results: Multiple regression analysis revealed that interpersonal relationships, self-efficacy, and social support were significant factors influencing recovery. These variables explained 66% of the variance in recovery. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that interpersonal relationships, self-efficacy, and social support are important factors associated with recovery among people with mental disorders living in the community. Therefore, interventions aimed at improving interpersonal relationship skills, enhancing self-efficacy, and strengthening social support are needed to promote recovery in this population.

Purpose: Although the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is rapidly expanding, the adoption of AI-based nursing technologies in Korea remains limited. Methods: This descriptive study examined clinical nurses' levels of AI-related knowledge, attitudes, ethical awareness, and intention to use AI-based nursing technologies, and identified factors associated with their intention to use. Data were collected from 227 nurses employed at a tertiary hospital in S City using a structured self-report questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical multiple regression. Results: Nurses demonstrated a moderately high intention to use AI-based nursing technologies (Mean=3.79 out of 5). Attitude (r=.59, p<.001) and ethical awareness (r=.52, p<.001) were positively correlated with intention to use, whereas AI knowledge showed no significant association. In the hierarchical regression analysis, attitude (β=.468, p<.001) and ethical awareness (β=.322, p<.001) emerged as the strongest independent predictors after controlling for general characteristics. Education level was positively associated with intention to use (β=.124, p=.019), whereas greater total clinical experience was negatively associated (β=-.168, p=.003). AI knowledge and frequency of personal AI use in daily life were not significant predictors. Conclusion: These findings suggest that, during the early phase of AI implementation in clinical settings, psychological and ethical factors-rather than technical knowledge-are primary determinants of nurses' intention to adopt AI-based technologies. The results underscore the importance of providing experiential AI training, strengthening AI ethics education, and developing tailored institutional support strategies to facilitate the safe and effective integration of AI into nursing practice.