• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and implement the Hospice Smart Patient Program and to evaluate its effectiveness. Methods: It was quasi-experimental non-equivalent pre-post study. Breast cancer patients who underwent surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or who needed palliative care, participated in the study. Participants were divided into two groups, experimental and control groups based on their preferences. The program was developed after literature review and discussion among experts on hospice and palliative care. Participants who were in the experimental group received either face-to-face or phone "Hospice Smart Patient" Service at least once a week for 5 months. Results: There was a significant difference in quality of life and communication skill between the two groups after the service was provided. In addition, participants in experimental group showed improved decision making skills, mastery sense, and understanding of hospice and palliative care, which would be beneficial in improving their quality of life. Conclusion: We have concluded that the "Hospice Smart Patient" Program is useful for cancer patients in decision making, improving self-control and choosing hospice care to improve their quality of life.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.21
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• pp.9549-9553
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• 2014

Background: Cancer affects patients in many ways including physical, social, emotional, psychological and economic and restricts the functional lives. Psychiatric problems seen among cancer patients may increase the suicide probability and patients perceive suicide as a peaceful death type. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between functional life and suicide probability among cancer patients. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with 105 cancer patients as descriptive. The Functional Living Index_Cancer (FLIC)," suicide probability scale" (SPS) and personal information form were used as data collecting tools. Data were evaluated by descriptive analysis, and Pearson's correlation. Results: It was determined that 34.3% of patients thought of suicide. Significant negative correlation was found between functional life and suicide probability (r=-.641, p=0.000), increase being evident in those with poor functional life. Conclusions: It is recommended that cancer patients should be supported for improving their functional lives with help in coping processes for illness and treatment symptoms. Evaluation of the patient mental status to prevent the suicide among this group is an important role for nurses.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.218-230
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was conducted to develop the telecommunication guideline that was possible to make the immediate, logical decisions and to evaluate the possibility of the use by verifying it from the specialists' group. Methods: Telecommunication guideline was designed with selected six symptoms which were pain, dyspnea, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and cough based on the results of literature. Results: This study showed that the patients understood well about the contents of the questions, examination, and education. Also, 85% of them fulfilled the guidelines of the adjustment and more of them were satisfied with the results shown to all of them compared to the previous telecommunication. And 95% of them replied that the information from the telecommunication was more useful than any other information sources related to the information of cancer and self management that were used previously. Conclusion: The telecommunication was considered to complement the weakness during the time the cancer patients spent at home after the treatments. Also, it was expected to be a role as an immediate and comprehensive method of decision making and a passage for information supply which was considered the specialty of individual patient related to an inquiry of the self management.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.156-165
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was to identify predictors of sexual function in gynecologic cancer patients. Methods: The participants were 154 patients treated at a university medical center in A city, Korea. The data collection was performed through a structured questionnaire from July to December, 2010. The instruments used in this study were Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) perceived health status scale, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, body image, and depression. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test and stepwise multiple regression with the SPSS 18.0. Results: The mean score of perceived health status was 8.42 and sexual function was 8.42. The lowest score among sexual function was lubrication. The scores of sexual function was significantly different by age, job, marital status, period after diagnosis of cancer and diagnosis. There were significant correlations between sexual function, perceived health status, ECOG performance, body image and depression. In multiple regression analysis, predictors were identified as ECOG performance, age, diagnosis and period after diagnosis of cancer (Adj.$R^2$=.28). The most powerful predictor of female sexual function was ECOG performance (19.0%). Conclusion: The above findings indicate that it is necessary to develop a more effective and personalized sexual function improvement program for gynecologic cancer patient.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.16-26
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• 2002

Purpose: This study was done to investigate the effect of foot reflexology on vital signs, general fatigue, mood and foot fatigue in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Method: Data were collected from a convenience sample of 11 patients who were admitted at S and E University Hospital. Changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure(DBP), pulse rate(PR), general fatigue, mood status, and foot fatigue between pre and post foot reflexology were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank test and Friedman test at 0.05 level of significance. Results: There were significant differences in the SBP(p= .009), DBP(p=.014), PR(p=.015), general fatigue (p=.015) mood status(p=.007), and foot fatigue(p= .007) between pre and post foot reflexology. Conclusion: Foot reflexology can improve vital signs, general/foot fatigue and mood status, therefore we recommend to use foot reflexology as an effective nursing intervention in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.247-257
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify communication principles for nurses in cancer units according to Grice's theory. Method: This study was a secondary analysis of qualitative research using conversational analysis. Results: The principles consisted of four maxims: Quality, quantity, relevance and manner and 14 strategies. For the quality maxim, 'asking what you believe to be true' and 'saying the facts you know' strategies were identified. In the quantity maxim, the strategies were 'asking single questions', 'asking open questions' and 'asking optimistic questions'. In the relevance maxim, 'asking about the same theme' and 'giving relevant explanations' strategies were identified. In manner maxim, the strategies were 'using clear expressions in asking questions', 'asking in an orderly way', 'verifying answers', 'using clear expressions in explanations', 'explaining in an orderly way' and 'verifying understanding'. Conclusion: It is expected that these strategies will help and increase the degree of cooperation for nurses in effectively communication with cancer patients.

• 한국보건간호학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.207-208
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• 2005

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.353-363
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• 1997

With the occurrence of cancer, most cancer patients experience various emotional changes such as anxiety, depression, and emotional shock. Especially in our country, cancer has been recognized as an incurable disease resulting in death. The number of cancer patients increases daily. But as the survival rate of cancer patients is also increasing, there is a need to find the better methods of nursing care for cancer patients. The purposes of this paper are as follows : 1) To understand family support and hope and quality of life for the cancer patient both during hospitalization and at home. 2) To determine the relationship between family support, hope and quality of life. To examine the problems. we used a questionnaire and obtained data form the records of 45 home care and 90 hospitalized (in 3 university hospitals) patients in Taegu area from the period of June 15 to August 15, 1996. SPSS /PC was used for the data analysis and the statistical methods used were the T-test and ANOVA. The results of this paper are as follows : 1) In the aspect of family support, there is no difference between hospitalized and home care cancer patients(t=1.63, P>0.01). 2) In the aspect of hope, hospitalized cancer patients have a higher score than home care cancer patients(t=3.08, P>0.01). 3) In the aspect of quality of life, hospitalized cancer patients have a higher score than home care patients(t=2.96, P<.01). 4) There is a correlation between quality of life and hope with a correlation coefficient r=0.5195 and P=0.000. In addition, the correlation coefficient between quality of life and family support is 4179 with P=0.000. 5) The family support of the cancer patient is influenced by sex(F=9.1863, P<0.01), education(F=4.3641, P<0.01) and the level of life (F=5.5002, P<0.01), 6) The hope of cancer patients is influenced by the number of hospitalizations(F=3.6413, P<.05), education(F=6.0113, P<.01). and the level of life(F=5.0649, P<.01). 7) The quality of life of cancer patients is influenced by the number of hospitalization(F=5.1167, P<0.05), education(F=3.1590, P<0.01) and the level of life(F=5.6942, P<0.01).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.3081-3086
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to determine the level of social support and quality of life in Turkish patients with gynecologic cancer using a cross-sectional survey design. A total of 108 patients admitted to the gynecologic oncology clinic at a university hospital from September 2011 to January 2012 were included. Data were collected using patient information forms, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and The Quality of Life-Cancer Survivors Instrument (QOL-CS). Average age was $54.5{\pm}10.8$ years and it was determined that 65.7% of patients had ovarian cancer and 19.4% had cervical cancer. The total QOL-CS mean score was $5.59{\pm}1.10$. Average score of total MSPSS was found to be $69.7{\pm}14.64$. Comparing socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients and average scores of QOL-CS and MSPSS, it was found that there was not a statisticaly significant corelation (p>0.05). Statistically significant relation was found between the average scores of QOL-CS and MSPSS. These results showed that quality of life was moderate and perceived social support was high in Turkish patients with gynecologic cancer.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.319-328
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore effects of a Cancer-overcome BeHaS exercise program that consists of exercise, education, and cognitive supports to improve shoulder external rotation, cancer coping, group cohesion in mastectomy patients. Methods: A one group pre-post test design was used. Thirty mastectomy patients from C Hospital participated in the supervised exercise program once a week for 8 weeks. Data were collected from May to July 2011 using self-administered questionnaires and physical measurement. SPSS/WIN 19.0 was used for the data analysis. Results: The mean age of participants was 53.7 and the mean postoperative period after the surgery was 12.93 months. There were significant differences in the shoulder external rotation, cancer coping, group cohesion between pre and post program. Conclusion: The results showed that cancer-overcome BeHaS exercise program was an effective nursing intervention for improving breast cancer patient's shoulder external rotation, cancer coping and group cohesion.