• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 2013

Purpose: This study to describe experiences of nurses who work in intensive care units (ICUs) where they frequently encounter patients with attempted suicide by drug ingestion. Methods: Data were collected by 2 focus group interviews with 9 ICU nurses. The interview were recorded and transcribed, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The results of data analysis, five themes were drawn: 'Confusion about for the attempted suicidal patient care', 'Helplessness for dying with attempted suicidal patients', 'Guilty for insufficient care', 'Ambivalence for the attempted suicidal patients', 'Recognition of need for professional approach'. Conclusion: The results of this study help us to understand patients who attempted suicide through the ICU nurses' experience. It would be useful to develop effective education programs for ICU nurses to preventive strategies for patients who are high risk of recurrence of suicidal crisis situation.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.48-60
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was to explore the postnatal care experiences among first time Chinese immigrant mothers living in Korea. Methods: Data were collected by focus group interviews with 12 first time Chinese immigrant mothers utilizing 3 focus groups. After obtaining written informed consent from all participants, each session of the focus group was audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed by content analysis to identify major themes. Results: Four major themes for postnatal care experiences were extracted from the data as follows. 1) Range over traditional, modern, Korean or Chinese postnatal care, 2) Struggle with newborn care, 3) Another struggle with breastfeeding, and 4) Difficulties in becoming a mother as an immigrant. Conclusion: Based on their postpartum care experiences, it is concluded that participants requested more professional practical and individualized education/training for successful breastfeeding and newborn care. Health care providers need to develop and implement integrated support and mentoring programs that include information and peer support system for the first time Chinese immigrant mothers living in Korea. This would decrease the difficulties of becoming a mother.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.211-238
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• 2016

This study examines indicators and factors for identification of ASD(Autism Spectrum Disorder) characteristics of infants and toddlers and early screening of children with ASD by day care teachers. Focus group interviews were conducted with 11 teachers by a semi-structured questionnaire developed by the authors. The findings are: 1) key problems and indicators of behavioral characteristics of children with ASD included problems with social communication and interactions, restricted and unusual interests, outstanding ability in specific areas, insistence on sameness and ritualized patterns, problems with language development and communication, sensory abnormalities; 2) counseling with parents of children with ASD revealed a lack of recognition of parents, negative expressions of emotions and resistance, and difficulties in referral to and association with experts; 3) needs for ASD in the child care field included visiting by experts, provision of test scales, training of child care teachers and parents, and building cooperative systems; and 4) demands of development and execution of a Korean-style scale for early screening of children with ASD.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.131-139
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• 2010

Objectives: This pilot study was designed to examine whether the adolescent smoking cessation program with harmonica therapy was effective or not. It was qualitatively explored perceived smoking consequences, cessation and relapse experience, specific harmonica help to overcome smoking urge, preference of harmonica toward cessation, and harmonica intervention planning to quit. Methods: The treatment program was conducted 30-minute, 6-session, and once a week basis. Qualitative data using Focus Group Interview were collected at the completion of the program with 6 participants, and analyzed by Krueger's systematic process. Results: Participants were smoking daily and consumed 3-10 cigarettes. They recognized undesirable smoking consequences in terms of cost, interpersonal relationship, and health that might lead to cessation attempts in the past. Participants who did not want to quit smoking at the program beginning changed their attitude to quit after exploring partial cessation efforts with the help of harmonica therapy. They believe harmonica's consistent help of quitting and leading to success. Conclusion: Adolescent attitudinal change toward smoking cessation has promising insight of motivation enhancement through harmonica therapy that was a major barrier to successful quit.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.352-361
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the communication experience of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in the workplace. Methods: The present study utilized a qualitative approach using focus group interview method. A total of three focus groups of 15 ICU nurses from two university hospitals were formed. The conversations during the focus group interviews were recorded and analyzed through Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Results: As a result of analyzing participants' conversation, Five theme clusters were elicited, namely, "one-way communication", "differences in the position of senior and junior nurses", "communication crisis", "beginning of understanding", and "movement toward change" out of 15 themes and 138 significant sentences. Conclusion: ICU nurses report having experienced communication crisis because of the one-way communication of the ICU nursing environment and the hierarchical differences in junior and senior nurses' position. Systematic education and continuous training on communication skills need to be provided to improve interpersonal relationship among nurses and work environment in the ICUs.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.347-357
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of family caregivers who care for the elderly under Long-term Care Insurance. Methods: Data were collected using focus group interviews and analyzed using a phenomenological approach. The four focus groups consisted of eight caregivers, two social workers and three nurses in B city, Korea. Results: Five themes were identified: 'Obtaining a care-helper certification for employment', 'Taking care of the elderly in their homes', 'Difficulties due to life changes', 'Difficulties due to reduced wages' and 'Dissatisfaction with the Long-term Care Insurance operating system'. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that the long-term care system for family caregivers faces many systematic challenges in providing care for the elderly harmoniously in their home. To help them succeed in their tasks, Long-term Care Insurance system must offer respite and support programs to family caregivers.

• Journal of Korea Game Society
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.15-24
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to propose a storytelling board game model using cards, focusing on motif theory illustrated at , a type of software that supports story-making. First, the study categorizes storytelling board games into 4 types, then sets a development objective. Furthermore, after creating a 205 types of motif cards according to motif categorizing system, the study presents development model of both basic and expansion mode. The study aims to verify its game characteristics and elaborate its model through focus group tests henceforth.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.183-193
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe cleaning workers' working experiences in Korea. Methods: The data were collected in two focus-group interviews with 9 cleaning workers. The phenomenological analytic method suggested by Colaizzi was used to analyze the data. Results: Five theme clusters and thirteen themes emerged from the analysis. The first theme clusters, 'Dead-end choice' included Limits of elderly women workers, Financial difficulties, Lowered self-esteem. The second theme clusters, 'Facing with discriminatory working environments' included Fear and unfair working conditions. The third theme clusters, 'Potential health problems' included Physical overload, Repeated exposure to hazardous substances and Emotional labor. The fourth theme clusters, 'Excluded from protection of the law' included Gloomy reality and Sexual harassment. The fifth theme clusters, 'Desire to get out of social isolation' included Efforts to maintain the status, Desire to live confidently and Desire to change social recognition. Conclusion: The findings of the study provide understanding on cleaning workers' working experiences to explain by their vision and language and should ensure proper working conditions and environment to live a better life.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.315-326
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• 2011

Purpose: Purposes of this study were to identify non-value-added nursing activities (NVANAs) and to estimate the amount of time spent on NVANAs among total nursing activities. Methods: Non-value-added nursing activities were identified though the use of a focus group. The nurses in the focus group were nurses working in a tertiary hospital. They discussed possible activities that could be NVANAs. Based on the focus group discussion, a pilot study was done to examine the actual occurrence of NVANAs in clinical settings. Results: The focus group discussion showed that NVANAs occurred in ten categories of nursing performances including communication with physicians, communication with other departments, medications, equipment/supplies, nursing records, tests, admission, discharge, and transfer. Direct nursing activities accounted for 35.5% of total nursing activities while indirect nursing activities accounted for 64.5%. Of indirect nursing activities, 16% were NVANAs. Most NVANAs were related to communication and equipment/supplies. Conclusions: To improve the quality and efficiency of nursing activities, it is necessary to identify NVANAs and their causes. Results of this study suggest that improvement in the work process and nursing unit structure, support for equipment/supplies, and effective communication are needed to reduce NVANAs in tertiary hospitals in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.92-102
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• 2009

Purpose: Relocation stress is a common phenomenon in patients discharged from an intensive care unit(ICU) to a ward. Therefore, nurses need to be aware of the problems that can arise during the transfer process. The aim of this study was to identify nurses' experiences in transferring critically ill patients from the ICU to a ward. Method: Focus group interviews were done with 13 nurses from wards and ICU, which participated in receiving and sending of ICU patients. The debriefing notes and field notes were analyzed using the consistent comparative data analysis method. Result: Seven major categories were identified in the analysis of the data. These were 'mixed feeling about transfer', 'lack of transfer readiness', 'increase in family burden', 'uncertainty with unfamiliar environment', 'difficulty in decision making', 'difference of perception of the relationships between patients and health care providers', 'need for continuity of nursing care'. Conclusion: Transferring out of the critical care area should be presented to the patient and family as a positive step in the recovery process. However, a more universal method of passing information from nurse to nurse is needed to assist in a smooth transition.