• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.172-188
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• 2001

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to test the effectiveness of the nursing intervention, mutual goal setting, for patients who have had a mastectomy. Special reference was given to King's goal attainment theory and a theoretical framework for establishing an effective nursing strategy to enhance patient recovery is suggested. Method: This research employed a quasi-experimental design which consisted of pretest-posttest non-equivalent control and experimental groups. Data were collected from 37 patients who had a mastectomy and were hospitalized in the Department of Surgery of Y Medical Center from January 2001 to May 2001. The experimental group received the nursing intervention, mutual goal setting four times from the day before the operation to the fifth day after the operation while the control group received only routine nursing care. As postoperative recovery indicators, ROM of arm joints, arm circumference, pain, physical symptoms, oxygen saturation stress, anxiety and body image were measured. Result: The test results are as follows : 1) there were statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups in extension and internal rotation of the shoulder Joint and flexion of the wrist joint. 2) there was no significant difference between the two groups in arm circumference. 3) there were no significant differences between the two groups in pain, physical symptoms, or oxygen saturation. 4) there were no significant differences between the two groups in stress, anxiety, or body Image. On the basis of research results, the following are recommended : 1) The effectiveness of nursing intervention in the acute recovery period as well as long term effects need to be investigated. 2) There is a need to develop an instrument to measure perception which facilitates goal attainment in the interactive setting between patients and nurses.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.107-124
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• 1998

Based on King's goal attainment theory, this research deals with applying nursing intervention of mutual goal settings to gastrectomy patients. It tests the effects of nursing intervention, according to the patients' health locus of control, suggested as external boundary criteria for the theory by employing a quasi-experimental design which consists of a pretest-posttest non-equivalent control and experimental groups. The subjects of this research were 62 gastrectomy patients hospitalized at Y medical center and the experimental and control groups consisted of 31 subjects. The experimental group received nursing intervention at the mutual goal setting of 5 times from the day before the surgery to the 5th day after the surgery, while the control group received only routine nursing care. Recovery indicators of both groups were measured and compared. Measurement variables included patients' characteristics, health locus of control, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, peak expiratory flow, bowel movement recovery, mobility recovery, level of pain, patients' stress and patients' satisfaction. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical package and the hypotheses were tested by ANOVA and ANCOVA. Results of the analyses are summarized as follows : 1) Internal health locus of control had higher effects of the nursing intervention of mutual goal setting than external health locus of control on pulmonary ventilatory functions of forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, and peak expiratory flow. 2) There was no statistically significant difference in the effects of nursing intervention of mutual goal setting on the bowel movement recovery between the internal and external health locus of control. 3) There was no statistically significant difference in the effects of nursing intervention of mutual goal setting on the mobility recovery between the internal and external health locus of control. 4) There was no statistically significant difference in the effects of nursing intervention of mutual goal setting on the level of pain between the internal and external health locus of control. 5) There was no statistically significant difference in the effects of nursing intervention of mutual goal setting on the level of stress between the internal and external health locus of control. 6) There was a statistically significant difference in the effects of nursing intervention of mutual goal setting on the level of satisfaction with provision of nursing information between the internal and external health locus of control, and there was no statistically significant difference in the effects of nursing intervention of mutual goal setting on the level of satisfaction with outcome of nursing between the internal and external locus of control. On the basis of the research results, the following are recommended : 1) Repeated research on responses to health locus of control is necessary. 2) Not only the effectiveness of nursing intervention in acute recovery periods, but also the long term effects are to be investigated. 3) The development of instruments is needed to accurately measure mutual goal setting regarding postoperative deep breath, coughing, early ambulation, etc. so that the relationship among the postoperative recovery indicators may be explored. 4) It is required that an instrument be developed to measure perception which facilitates goal attainment in the interactive setting between patients and nurses.