• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.29-40
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was to investigate Job Stress and the Health status of ICU Nurses. Methods: Data was accumulated from 230 ICU nurses serving at least more than one year in 500 bed order hospitals during the period of three months from June 1 to August 31, 2009. Results: The average job stress was $3.14{\pm}.59$ points, which was relatively high, The average health status was $1.52{\pm}.19$ points, There was significant difference according to religion and subjective health status in Job Stress, There was significant difference according to age, religion and subjective health status in Health Status, There was significant difference according to satisfaction of work, satisfaction of personal relations, impulse to give up duty and in service education in Job Stress, There was significant difference according to satisfaction of work. satisfaction of personal relations, and expectant nursing job in Health Status, There was significantly negative relationship between job stress and health status. Conclusion: Job stress has the most important impact on health status of ICU nurses, Based on the finding, we could conclude that job stress management of ICU nurses should be required to improve health status.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.11-23
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• 2020

Purpose : This study examined factors influencing the attitudes towards nurse-led defibrillation in the emergency department (ED) and intensive care unit (ICU). Methods : This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 212 nurses in the ED and ICU from three general hospitals responded to the survey. Data were collected between September and October 2015 using structured questionnaires. Independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson's correlation coefficient, and hierarchical multiple regression were used to analyze factors affecting nurses' attitudes towards nurse-led defibrillation. Results : The mean score of nurses' attitudes towards nurse-led defibrillation was 61.37 of a possible 91. Hierarchical multiple regression showed that nurses' attitudes towards nurse-led defibrillation were significantly affected by their experiences regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation (p=.003), knowledge regarding electrocardiogram interpretation and defibrillation (p=.007), and tenure in ED or ICU (p=.043). Conclusion : Results indicate that employers should set policies to support nurses in maintaining their careers in the ED or ICU and conduct systematic educational programs for them. This will increase nurses' confidence in performing defibrillation, which will lead to early defibrillation during in-hospital cardiac arrest. Consequently, it can be a strategy to increase the survival rate of cardiac arrest patients.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.37-49
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• 2021

Purpose : This study aims to identify nurses' attitudes toward patients hospitalized after attempting suicide and inform directions for research and interventions to establish a therapeutic environment. Methods : For integrative review, the five stages suggested by Whittemore and Knafl were followed. Articles and theses published before February 2021 were searched using eight databases and a manual search. The search terms were suicide, self-harm, emergency department (ED), intensive care unit (ICU), nurses, and attitudes. Results : Five studies met the inclusion criteria; three of them were descriptive studies, one was a qualitative study, and one a mixed-method study. In most studies (80%), the participants were ED nurses. ED/ICU nurses showed positive or neutral attitudes toward patients. All studies suggested that suicide-related education programs are needed to increase nurses' positive attitudes such patients. Conclusion : More research is required on ICU nurses' attitudes toward patients who have attempted suicide, and efforts to identify various aspects of such attitudes are necessary. In addition, suicide education programs and support from trained psychiatric personnel should be provided to establish a therapeutic environment.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.61-73
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• 2019

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of two single chest physiotherapies mechanically ventilated patients with acute lung injury. Method : Participants were 30 ICU patients depending entirely on ventilators without self-respiration. Each patients received two single chest physiotherapiesvibration palm cup percussion at hour intervals. Data were analyzed one-way ANOVA and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Statistical significance was accepted at a p value less than .05. Results : ibration therapy, dynamic compliance and statics compliance demonstrated a significant increase immediately and remained increased until 30 minutes after chest physiotherapy. palm cum percussion therapy saturation showed a significant increase immediately chest physiotherapyut there were no significant differences in tidal volume, dynamic compliance and statics compliance. Conclusion : In this study, we analyzed the effects of oscillation method and palm cup percussion method separately for each type of chest physiotherapy. Nursing interventions that actively utilize vibration methods should be provided to patients with respiratory diseases.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.44-55
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• 2023

Purpose : This study aims to identify job stress, emotional intelligence, and exhaustion of the nurses in comprehensive nursing service units and then verify the moderating and mediating effects of emotional intelligence on the relationship between job stress and exhaustion. Methods : Participants are 118 nurses working in two general hospitals. The collected data are analyzed using the SPSS WIN 27.0 and AMOS 18.0 programs by assessing frequency and percentage, mean and standard deviation, independent t-test and one-way ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis and bootstrapping. Results : Exhaustion has a statistically significant positive correlation with job stress (r=.40, p <.001) and a statistically significant negative correlation with emotional intelligence (r=-.26, p =.004). A partial mediating effect of emotional intelligence is found between job stress and exhaustion, however, there is no moderating effect. Conclusion : It is expected that to reduce the exhaustion of nurses in comprehensive nursing service units, it is necessary to assess job stress and emotional intelligence, and strengthen emotional intelligence along with job stress intervention.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.27-38
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a blood glucose control protocol for medical intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: The blood glucose control protocol was developed through the following process: selection of preliminary protocols, clinical application, and evaluation. The clinical validity of the protocol was measured by application, along with examination of the effects of the Yale and the Mayo blood glucose protocols. Seventeen medical ICU adults patients whose blood glucose levels exceeded 200 mg/dL consecutively participated in the study. The development protocol was evaluated by an expert group. Results: Incidence of normal blood glucose levels (p=.041) increased significantly in the Yale protocol application group. Also, incidence of severe hyperglycemia (p=.029) decreased significantly and time to target range of glucose (p=.023) decreased significantly after application of the Yale protocol. However, there was no significant difference in incidence of hypoglycemia (p=.666) between three groups. Conclusion: Using the developed protocol as a basis for the modified Yale protocol was found to be effective in improving the state of blood glucose control for medical ICU patients and is expected to be used for nursing intervention in critical care.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.37-50
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• 2022

Purpose : This study aimed to examine the item characteristics of the Korean version of the intensive care experience questionnaire (K-ICEQ) using the Rasch analysis model of the item response theory. Methods : In this methodological study, the validity of the scale was examined, and a secondary analysis was conducted using cohort data of patients who were discharged from the intensive care units (ICU). Data from 891 patients who responded to the K-ICEQ upon ICU discharge were analyzed. The WINSTEP program was used to analyze item characteristics, including item difficulty, fit indices, appropriateness scale, and separation reliability. Results : The difficulty level of all 26 items of the K-ICEQ was appropriate, and the fit indices of the 25 items, except for item 18, were good. The 5-point scale of the K-ICEQ was not appropriate in the three subscales. The item separation reliability was good in all subscales, but did not meet the criteria in terms of respondents. Conclusion : The results of examining the item characteristics of the K-ICEQ revealed a good degree of difficulty, fitness, and item separation reliability. To increase the validity of the K-ICEQ, we suggest the rearrangement of the overall item order, modification of the item description of the "recall of experience" subscale, and reduction of the scale response level.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.83 no.4
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• pp.312-320
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• 2020

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) involves multiple organ systems and has the highest mortality among connective tissue diseases. Interstitial lung disease is the most common cause of death among SSc patients and requires closer studies and follow-ups. This study aimed to identify lung function changes and predictors of progressive disease in systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). Methods: A retrospective study extracted SSc patients from an electronic database January 2002-July 2019. Eligible cases were SSc patients >age 15 diagnosed with SSc-ILD. Factors associated with progressive disease were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: Seventy-eight SSc-ILD cases were enrolled. Sixty-five patients (83.3%) were female, with mean age of 44.7±14.4, and 50 (64.1%) were diffuse type SSc-ILD. Most SSc-ILD patients had crackles (75.6%) and dyspnea on exertion (71.8%), and 19.2% of the SSc-ILD patients had no abnormal respiratory symptoms but had abnormal chest radiographic findings. The most common diagnosis of SSc-ILD patients was non-specific interstitial pneumonia (43.6%). The lung function values of diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and DLCO per unit alveolar volume declined in progressive SSc-ILD during a 12-month follow-up. Male and no previous aspirin treatment were the two significant predictive factors of progressive SSc-ILD with adjusted odds ratios of 5.72 and 4.99, respectively. Conclusion: This present study showed that short-term lung function had declined during the 12-month follow-up in progressive SSc-ILD. The predictive factors in progressive SSc-ILD were male sex and no previous aspirin treatment. Close follow-up of the pulmonary function tests is necessary for early detection of progressive disease.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.236-245
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• 2000

Background: Transbronchial lung biopsy(TBLB) has known to yield useful information for pulmonary infiltrates of uncertain etiology, However, its safety and usefulness have not been conclusive in the critically ill patients with respiratory failure. Moreover, TBLB has not been recommended for patients with mechanical ventilation. This study was conducted to investigate the diagnostic values and risks of Will performed on critically ill patients at bedside to obtain information on the pulmonary infiltrate of unknown etiology. Methods: Twenty patients(21 admissions with 23 cases) with diffuse pulmonary infiltrates who were treated in a medical intensive care unit of a tertiary referral hospital from January 1994 to May 1998, were enrolled for the study. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed. TBLB was opted when a noninvasive diagnostic work-up failed to reveal the cause for the pulmonary infiltrate. The procedure was performed at patients' bedside without assistance of fluoroscopy. Bronchial washing or bronchoalveolar lavage was performed on the same pulmonary segment before performing TBLB. Results: Adequate specimens were obtained in 18 cases(78%). TBLB provided a specific diagnosis in two cases. The results of TBLB suggested the underlying etiology in 9 cases; bacterial pneumonitis(4), hypersensitivity pneumonitis(1), polymyositis(1), radiation fibrosis(1), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(1), and BOOP(1). Therapeutic decisions were altered in 11 cases(47.8%) based on the TBLB results. Pneumocystis carinii was found in the BAL fluid of another case. Ten patients with a therapeutic change and ten patients without a management change had mortality rates of 40% and 80%, respectively. The APACHE III scores were significantly higher in patients with complications($72.8{\pm}21.8$) compared with those without complications ($48.3{\pm}18.9$)(p<0.05). The complication rates were higher in those with mechanical ventilation(50%) than in those without Mechanical ventilation(33%), but the difference was not statistically significant(p=0.3). Conclusions: TBLB may be a useful diagnostic option for critically ill patients with unknown cause of pulmonary infiltrates. However, it should be cautious be used with care for patients with mechanical ventilation or for severely ill patients.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.12-19
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D is a pleiotropic hormone that affects various body organ systems. We evaluated the prevalence of a vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and its potential role in the clinical condition of critically ill Korean children. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Patients under 18 years old with a 25(OH) vitamin D measurement on the first day of PICU admission were included from among the children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of our tertiary children's hospital between October 2017 and January 2019. RESULTS: A total of 172 pediatric patients were enrolled. The mean 25(OH) vitamin D level was 17.5 ± 12.8 ng/mL. There was a 65.1% prevalence of VDD (25(OH) vitamin D level < 20 ng/mL). VDD was associated with age at PICU admission, gastrointestinal/hepatobiliary disorders, International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis disseminated intravascular coagulation (ISTH DIC) score, pediatric multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (pMODS) score and with several laboratory test findings including hemoglobin, platelet, C-reactive protein, serum albumin, total bilirubin, prothrombin time, and anti-thrombin III levels. Most of these parameters also showed significant linear correlations with the 25(OH) vitamin D level (P < 0.05). However, no statistically meaningful association was found between VDD and other clinical conditions such as the need for a mechanical ventilator, requirement for vasoactive drugs, duration of the PICU and hospital stays, or PICU mortality. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of VDD in critically ill Korean children. There were significant associations between the 25(OH) vitamin D level and gastrointestinal/hepatobiliary disorders, the pMODS score and with coagulation related factors. Further large-scale studies with more specific subgroup analyses are required to more precisely assess the clinical implications of VDD in critically ill pediatric patients.