• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.709-719
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• 2009

Purpose: The study was done to investigate physical assessment skills used by, and educational needs of, advanced practice nurses (APNs) and nurse specialists in Korea. Methods: A total of 123 APNs and nurse specialists working in five major hospitals in Seoul were surveyed from July 15 to August 20, 2007. Results: Fourteen skills out of 126 items were reported as being performed on a regular basis by participants. The majority of these skills involved general observation. Forty-six skills were rarely used. Some participants showed a lack of confidence in certain assessment skills, such as in doing a rectal or pelvic exam, and the use of some assessment equipment. Over 90% of participants required in-depth education on health assessment provided by specialists or nursing professional organizations. Conclusion: More educational opportunities in physical assessment should be provided including education programs based on the nurses' skill levels and needs. This effort will help to increase confidence of APNs and nurse specialists in physical assessment skills, ultimately resulting in better nursing outcomes.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.300-310
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• 2024

Purpose: Medical support staff nurses have traditionally performed various supportive tasks for physicians, often extending beyond standard nursing roles. Despite these long-standing practices, there is a notable lack of official recognition and legal protection for these expanded responsibilities, leading to increasing legal concerns. Therefore, there is a need for proposing a rational solution to address these issues. Methods: The number of medical support staff nurses is rising, particularly as they fill gaps left by the 2024 resident physician strike. The study focuses on identifying potential challenges arising from this shift and developing strategic improvements to address these challenges effectively. Results: This study proposed legally expanding the scope of nursing duties and creating a robust system for training and certifying nurses to handle these responsibilities effectively, by integrating these roles within the advanced practice nurse (APN) framework. Conclusion: Integrating these roles within the framework of APN can offer a sustainable and legally sound solution to the ongoing healthcare crisis, ensuring patient safety and safeguarding healthcare workers' legal rights.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.35-49
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• 2019

Purpose : This study aimed to propose a common scope of practice (SOP) for 13 specialties of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) in Korea. Methods : The first draft of a common SOP was extracted from domestic and international laws with a literature review by 17 experts from the Korean Association of Advanced Practice Nurses (KAAPN). Then, the common SOP was finalized after comparing the activities of APNs in clinical settings. Results : A total of 70 duties were identified and six categories were suggested for the common SOP. The SOP proposed by the KAAPN featured the following: 1) identification of and discrimination between health problems; 2) prescription and implementation of diagnostic tests; 3) treatment of injuries and diseases while implementing measures to prevent exacerbation; 4) prescription of medicinal products in line with 1) to 3); 5) referral and consultation; and 6) education and counseling. It was then confirmed that the proposed six categories in the common SOP reflected all the duties performed by APNs in clinical practice, including all 40 activities. Conclusion : The results of this study can be used as evidence for the legalization of a common SOP for APNs. Given the increasing multidisciplinary team approach adopted in Korean hospitals, it may be desirable to establish a broader SOP to reflect the diverse duties of APNs.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.1340-1351
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• 2006

Purpose. To determine and compare the perception among nurses and doctors of the roles and tasks of critical care advanced practice nurses (APNs) in order to establish standardized and formally agreed role criteria for such critical care APNs. Method. This study measured and analyzed the necessity of each of the roles and tasks of critical care APNs, as perceived by nurses and doctors, through a survey of 121 participants: 71 nurses in 7 intensive care units (ICUs) at a general hospital in Seoul, and 50 doctors who used ICUs. Data collection utilized a questionnaire of 128 questions in the following fields: direct practice (79), leadership and change agent (17), consultation and collaboration (15), education and counseling (11), and research (6). Results. Both the nurses' and the doctors' groups confirmed the necessity of critical care APNs, with doctors who frequently used ICUs indicating a particularly strong need. As for the priority of each role of critical care APNs, the nurses considered direct practice to be the most critical, followed by education and counseling, research, consultation and collaboration, and leadership and change agent. The doctors also considered direct practice to be the most critical, followed by education and counseling, consultation and collaboration, research, and leadership and change agent. There was a statistically significant difference between how the two groups regarded all the roles, except for the consultation and collaboration roles. As for the necessity of each role of critical care APNs, the nurses considered research to be the most necessary, followed by education and counseling, consultation and collaboration, leadership and change agent, and direct practice. The doctors, on the other hand, considered education and counseling to be the most necessary, followed by research, consultation and collaboration, leadership and change agent, and direct practice. The responses of the two groups to all the roles, except for education and counseling roles, were significantly different. Conclusion. Nurses and doctors have different perceptions of the roles and tasks of critical care APNs. Thus, it is necessary for the combined nursing and medical fields to reach an official agreement on a set of criteria to standardize for the roles and tasks of critical care APNs.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.168-179
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify level of recognition of the importance, satisfaction and contribution of APNs' role by physicians, nurses, and advanced practice nurses. Method: Perceived importance and satisfaction were measured with a 23-item questionnaire on APN role with 5 subcategories. APNs' contribution was investigated using a 13-item outcome questionnaire developed by the researchers. Between August 15 and October 31, 2009, the researchers collected data from 68 physicians, 265 nurses, and 23 APNs all working in a single tertiary hospital. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis Test with Bonferroni's Correction and scatter plot. Result: The importance (3.24~3.39, 4 point scale), satisfaction (3.02~3.13, 4 point scale), and contribution of APNs' role (3.39~4.12, 5 point scale) were well recognized by the health care professionals. All the three health care professional groups rated APNs' contribution high in medical service management, continuity of care, patient accessibility, improvement in patient satisfaction, and patient and family education. 'Importance-Satisfaction Analysis' showed that patient data management by APNs needed greater effort. Conclusions: The findings show that the importance, satisfaction, contribution of APNs' role are recognized, and indicate a need for further development of APNs' role through efforts to overcome the gaps identified through this research.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.352-361
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop roles and organizational policy of advanced practice nurses (APNs) in an acute hospital setting. Method: The design of the study was to descriptive-exploratory. Sample consisted of 43 participants who included 13 nurses, 18 nurse managers and 12 physicians. Survey, interview and focus group interview were performed to obtain the data. Results: The expected roles of APNs were education and counseling, direct management patient care with advanced skills, research, and collaboration and coordination among several departments. The expected outcomes were patient satisfaction, improved access to care, decreased the rate of complications, and speedy provision of services. Based on research, a proposal of APNs roles and organizational policy in a hospital setting was developed, which included definition of APNs, qualification, roles and specific roles, specialty areas, accountability, recruitment and affiliation, privileges, and expected outcomes. Conclusion: This study gives a guideline on how to introduce and use APNs in acute care tertiary settings.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.290-306
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to describe the experiences of health-care providers about advanced practice nurses (APNs) focusing on the perspectives of physicians and APNs in Korea. Methods: Qualitative data were collected with snowball sampling. Six physicians and 13 APNs participated in this study through in-depth interviews or a focus-group interview. Qualitative content analysis was employed. Results: Three themes and seven categories were emerged. Three themes were 1) challenging start and attempts to settle down on unfamiliar system, 2) being positioned as an APN at clinical settings, 3) long journey for social recognition and legal institutionalization of APNs' role. Seven categories were 1) challenges to new area, 2) introduction and conflict of APN system, 3) driving force for stepping toward becoming APNs, 4) dedication and commitment to role development, 5) efforts to prove APNs' competency, 6) approaches to guarantee legal APNs' activities, and 7) filling the gap in health-care service. Conclusion: The findings suggest that health-care providers who have collaborated with APNs are aware of the needs to operate APN system more stably through the legislation of APNs' scope of practices. Further research is needed to provide the evidences of APNs' practice outcomes such as health care quality, patient safety, reduction of medical expenses, etc.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2017

Purpose: This study aimed to provide information on the developmental process and current status of Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) and to suggest ways for activating APN roles in Korea. Methods: We reviewed literatures to explore domestic and international trends related to the roles, practice settings, scope of practice, regulatory policies, and political environment of APN. Results: Interest in the APN role has been gaining ground worldwide. While the roles of APN in the USA, Taiwan and Japan have been changed in terms of legislation and institutional regulations, the role of APN in 12 fields except for APN in home care has not been legislated since qualification was specified in Korean Medical Law. Many problems were found in vitalizing APN roles: absence of legal regulations on the scope of practice or health insurance coverage for APN, increase the number of medical support staffs who are not qualified, and a disagreement regarding the qualification field and practical field. Conclusion: This study presents snapshots and vitalizing strategies of practice, and regulation for APN to develop their unique roles in Korea. The tasks and duties of APN should be identified specifically to fulfill their roles. In terms of national health insurance policy APN's Nursing care should be reimbursed just as nursing care of APN in home care.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.233-244
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the actual utilization of clinical practice guidelines developed by Hospital Nurses Association. Methods: The subjects were 70 nurses who were in charge of guideline distributions in 70 advanced general hospital and general hospitals with 500 beds or more nationwide. Data were collected between June and August, 2020 by mail (return rate: 88.6%). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA with SPSS/WIN 24.0. Results: Among the clinical practice guidelines developed by Hospital Nurses Association, 72.9~90.1% were placed with book and electronic file in nursing department and 24.3~35.8% were placed with book and electronic file in each nursing unit at hospital. The average number of utilized clinical practice guidelines were 3.96±3.88, and average score of guideline utilization was score 2.85±0.79 which means 'use sometimes'. Conclusion: To improve the distribution and utilization of the clinical practice guidelines, it is necessary to enhance the recognition of values of evidence based nursing practice targeting head of nursing department and to stimulate the distribution and utilization of the clinical practice guidelines using diverse education programs for staff nurses.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.187-189
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• 2004