This study was conducted to examine the relationship among the error risk of high-alert medication, attitudes to single-person checking of medication, and medication safety activities. The participants were 60 nurses working in the intensive care unit. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, t-test, analysis of variance, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. The mean scores of the knowledge and certainty of high-alert medication were $0.71{\pm}0.11$ and $2.74{\pm}0.59$, respectively. The mean score of the error risk of high-alert medication was $1.63{\pm}0.24$ and that of attitudes to single checking medication was $3.32{\pm}0.49$. The error risk of high-alert medication had a positive correlation with nurses' attitudes to single checking medication (r = .258, p = .047), which is correlated with the scores for certainty of knowledge (r = .284, p = .028). Based on the results of this study, continuing education for high-alert medication and the development of an accurate protocol for single checking medication are needed to improve the stability of high-alert medication.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of patients on the waiting list for kidney retransplantation. Methods: The data were collected by individual in-depth interviews of nine patients who were dialyzed after primary kidney graft dysfunction and were waiting for deceased donor kidney retransplantation. All interviews were audio-taped and transcribed, and were analyzed using a phenomenological method. Results: The findings included 5 theme clusters and 13 sub-themes. The 5 clusters were 'Diagnosed with chronic renal failure and dialysis: Broken daily life and crisis', 'Kidney transplantation: The only way to escape from dialysis', 'Kidney graft failure: Inevitable moving backward to hemodialysis', 'Self-management of re-dialysis patients: Growth through pain', and 'The waiting for kidney retransplantation: To try again in the hope of getting a new life'. Conclusion: This study provides a deep understanding of patients with dialysis who are waiting for deceased donor kidney retransplantation. On the basis of the findings of this study, health professionals can provide customized information and develop effective nursing interventions to improve the self-management of these patients.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to identify the frequency and importance of task performance and the perceived competence to perform of the emergency nurse practitioners (ENPs) certified in Korea. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 41 ENPs certified by March 2012. The questionnaire to identify frequency, importance, autonomy, and perceived competence to perform 131 typical ENP task elements was developed on the basis of the standardized role of an ENP defined by the Korean Accreditation Board of Nursing Education. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The professional nursing practice showed the highest scores for performance frequency, task importance, autonomy, and perceived competence to perform as compared to other job categories. Clinical decision making was the most frequently performed duty. Data collection was the duty with highest levels of importance, autonomy, and perceived competence for the ENPs. However, the ENPs reported that research was the duty with the lowest levels of frequency, importance, autonomy, and perceived competence Conclusion: ENPs in Korea perform various tasks. In order to improve their position in the field, it is necessary to clarify their job description and enhance their competence to perform evidencebased professional nursing practices.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure the noise levels in intensive care units (ICUs) and to analyze the causes of the noise and patient perceptions of the noise. Methods: Noise levels were recorded in adult ICUs for 24 h over a week from the patients' bedside with a sound level meter. Noise sources were categorized into three groups: medical equipment, health care providers, and the environment. Noises from the environment were recorded in an empty ICUs side room. Perceptions of the noise of 125 patients admitted to the ICUs were recorded using a questionnaire. Results: The mean level of noise in the ICUs was 58.5 dBA (range: 34.2-80.2 dBA). The causes of noise higher than 70 dBA were nebulizers and infusion/syringe pumps among medical equipment, and drawer slamming, phone ringing, and stripping packages of medical fluids among environmental noises. According to the questionnaire, 64.0% of the patients responded that the ICUs were noisy and that they suffered from sleep disturbance because of the noise. Conclusion: Noise is considerably high in ICUs and is an annoying factor for the patients. Most noise sources are adjustable, and we should try to reduce noise whenever possible to make the ICUs environment more pleasant.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a valid tool for measuring the work environment of Korean nurses and test the validity and reliability of the instrument. Methods: This is a methodological study for developing and testing a measurement tool. The conceptual framework for the tool was formed through a literature review and in-depth interviews with clinical nurses. 260 meaningful statements were derived through this process, and 59 of the primary items were generated out of these statements. On the basis of the content validity test, 41 items were selected for the preliminary tool. A total of 350 nurses from 7 hospitals responded to the preliminary questionnaire in October 2011. Results: After the item analysis and the principal component analysis using varimax rotation methods, 11 items were deleted. Considering the conceptual framework and the scree plot, we extracted 4 factors from the final 30 items. These factors were organizational support, head nurse's leadership, support system, and relationship with coworkers, and their total variance was 54.4%. The value of Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ of the final tool was 0.92. Conclusion: The above findings revealed that the Korean Nursing Work Environment Scale (K-NWES) is an appropriate, valid, and reliable tool for evaluating the work environment of Korean nurses. Further research to perform a criterion validity test of the K-NWES is needed.

Purpose: This study is a descriptive research study to determine the level of professional autonomy, professional self-concept, and job satisfaction of emergency nurses, and to investigate their correlations and verify the effects of professional autonomy and professional self-concept on job satisfaction. Method: The subjects were 189 emergency nurses with a work experience of 1 year or more, in 14 hospitals located in B and U Metropolitan Cities. The study was conducted from July 20, 2014, to August 30, 2014. The measurement instruments for professional autonomy, professional self-concept, and job satisfaction were used as the measurement tools. The collected data were analyzed using the t-test, analysis of variance, Scheffe's test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression. Results: Job satisfaction among emergency nurses showed a significant positive correlation with professional autonomy (r=.28, p <.001), and with professional selfconcept (r=.50, p <.001) with sub-areas of professional practice (r=.79, p <.001), satisfaction (r=.64, p <.001), and communication (r=.25, p <.001). Factors affecting job satisfaction were satisfaction (${\beta}$=0.60, p <.001), followed by low professional autonomy (${\beta}$=-0.24, p <.001) and communication (${\beta}$=0.14, p =.008), which accounted in total for 48.3% of the effect. Conclusion: This study suggests that enhancing professional satisfaction, maintaining proper communication, and securing autonomy are required to improve the job satisfaction among emergency nurses.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the applicability of the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and Acute Physiology, Age, Chronic Health Evaluation III (APACHE III) to the prediction of the healthcare outcomes of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: This research was performed with 136 adult patients (age>18 years) who were admitted to the ICU between May and June 2012. Data were measured using the CCI score with a comorbidity index of 19 and the APACHE III score on the standard of the worst result with vital signs and laboratory results. Discrimination was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under an ROC curve (AUC). Calibration was performed using logistic regression. Results: The overall mortality was 25.7%. The mean CCI and APACHE III scores for survivors were found to be significantly lower than those of non-survivors. The AUC was 0.835 for the APACHE III score and remained high, at 0.688, for the CCI score. The rate of concordance according to the CCI and the APACHE III score was 69.1%. Conclusion: The route of admission, days in ICU, CCI, and APACHE III score are associated with an increased mortality risk in ICU patients.