• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.1-8
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• 2017

Purpose : This study examined the status of critical care nursing education in bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) to suggest future directions. Methods : The target of the survey was 185 BSN programs that were certified by the Korean Accreditation Board of Nursing Education as of October 31, 2016. We structurally reviewed the curriculums and the course syllabi. Results : Forty-eight courses of 42 BSN programs were analyzed. Only five programs offered both theoretical and practical courses in critical care nursing; 22 offered theoretical courses and 26 offered practical courses. Most courses were offered as electives with 1 or 2 credits, and were taught by faculty who were experts in adult health nursing. Conclusion : The results show that there is a quantitative shortage of critical care nursing education in the curriculum of BSN programs in Korea. The lack of knowledge and skills on critical care can lead to a burden of new intensive care unit nurses and is a threat to patients' health. It is necessary to develop a practical and integrative curriculum for critical care nursing education.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.82 no.1
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• pp.86-87
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• 2019

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.58-68
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• 2022

Purpose : This study aimed to provide basic data for developing strategies to improve the nursing performance of nurses working in the intensive care unit by identifying the degree of their communication ability, job satisfaction, organization commitment, and nursing performance, and the relation between each of these variables in the intensive care unit by examining the factors affecting nursing performance. Methods : The participants comprised of 150 nurses working in the intensive care unit in two advanced general hospitals. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using a t-test, ANOVA, the Scheffé test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis using the SPSS/WIN 25.0 program. Results : Nursing performance of the participants was positively correlated with communication ability (r=.64, p<.001), job satisfaction (r=.26, p<.001), and organization commitment (r=.29, p<.001). Factors significantly influencing the participants' nursing performance included academic background (𝛽=.16, p=.032) and communication ability (𝛽=.50, p<.001). The explanatory power of these variables for nursing performance was recorded at 49.9% (F=19.04, p<.001). Conclusion : The use of various programs in the hospital and the development of effective communication ability with medical staff and other departments among nurses will help improve nursing performance, cooperation with other departments, and patient care.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2017

Purpose: This study aimed to estimate the appropriate nurse staffing ratio in intensive care units (ICUs) by measuring nursing workload based on patient's severity and needs, using the Korean Patient Classification System for critical care nurses. Methods: The data were collected from January 18 to February 29, 2016 using a standardized checklist by observation or self-report. During the study period, 723 patients were included to be categorized from I to IV using the patient classification system. Measurement of total nursing workload on a shift was calculated in terms of hours based on the time and motion method by using tools for surveying nursing activities. The nursing activities were categorized as direct nursing care, indirect nursing care, and personal time. Total of 127 cases were included in measuring direct nursing time and 18 nurses participated in measuring indirect and personal time. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Two patients were classified into Class I (11.1%), 5 into Class II (27.8%), 9 into Class III (50%), and two into Class IV (11.1%). The amount of direct nursing care required for Class IV (513.7 min) was significantly more than that required for Class I (135.4 min). Direct and indirect nursing care was provided more often during the day shift as compared to the evening or night shifts. These findings provided the rationale for determining the appropriate ratio for nursing staff per shift based on the nursing workload in each shift. Conclusions: An appropriate ratio of nurse staffing should be ensured in ICUs to re-arrange the workload of nurses to help them provide essential direct care for patients.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.9
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• pp.436-442
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• 2021

This article aimed to summarize the impact and burden of pediatric postintensive care syndrome (PICS-p) in the physical, mental, cognitive, and social health domains after a review of the current pediatric literature in MEDLINE and PubMed. We also aimed to elucidate the limitations of the current evaluation tools used in limited-resource settings. PICS-p can impact a child's life for decades. Most validated tools are time-consuming, require qualifications, and expertise, are often limited to older children, and can evaluate only one domain. A novel, simple, and comprehensive surveillance tool can aid healthcare providers in the early detection and intervention of PICS-p. Further studies should validate and refine the parameters that will enhance the outcomes of pediatric intensive care unit survivors.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.13-22
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• 2015

Purpose: This study identified the current status and perception of intensive care unit nurses' handover. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive survey was employed. The population included nurse managers and staff nurses who worked in intensive care units in hospitals with more than 500 beds and excluded nursing homes, psychiatric hospitals, and military hospitals. Results: Of the nurses, 61.7% were satisfied with the current handover method, 68.36% had no handover-related guidelines, and 83.2% of them perceived that the handover was important for patients' safety. The most frequent cause for errors related to handover was that the "nursing workload is heavy." The nurses perceived that their handover was informative ($5.62{\pm}0.79$) and efficient ($5.04{\pm}0.98$). The variables associated with their perception of the handover were the level of satisfaction with the current handover method, existence of handover guidelines, and importance of handover for patient safety. Conclusion: The development of standardized handover guidelines, especially for intensive care units, is necessary to reduce handover time and errors and to improve handover quality for patients'safety and high standards of nursing care.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.14-25
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• 2021

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between burnout, nursing work environment, patient-centered communication, and person-centered care nursing among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses and to identify factors related to person-centered care nursing. Methods : This is a descriptive study involving 156 ICU nurses. A structured questionnaire was used to assess burnout, nursing work environment, patient-centered communication, and person-centered critical care nursing performance. Data were collected from February to March 2020, and descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis were conducted using SPSS/WIN 25.0 program. Results : The mean scores for person-centered care nursing, burnout, nursing work environment, and patient-centered communication of ICU nurses were 3.52±0.42, 3.00±0.76, 2.62±0.34, 4.06±0.64, respectively. Person-centered nursing showed a statistically significant negative correlation with burnout (r=-.20, p=.013) and a statistically significant positive correlation with patient-centered communication (r=.49, p<.001). In addition, patient-centered communication (𝛽=.47, p<.001) was significantly correlated with person-centered nursing. Conclusion : The results of this study showed that the factors affecting the person-centered care nursing of ICU nurses were patient-centered communication. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and apply patient-centered communication programs for improving the person-centered nursing performance of ICU nurses.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.73 no.2
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• pp.100-106
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• 2012

Background: There are a plethora of literatures showing that high-intensity intensive care unit (ICU) physician staffing is associated with reduced ICU mortality. However, it is not widely used in ICUs because of limited budgets and resources. We created a critical care team (CCT) to improve outcomes in an open general ICU and evaluated its effectiveness based on patients' outcomes. Methods: We conducted this prospective, observational study in an open, general ICU setting, during a period ranging from March of 2009 to February of 2010. The CCT consisted of five teaching staffs. It provided rapid medical services within three hours after calls or consultation. Results: We analyzed the data of 830 patients (157 patients of the CCT group and 673 patients of the non-CCT one). Patients of the CCT group presented more serious conditions than those of the non-CCT group (acute physiologic and chronic health evaluation II [APACHE II] 20.2 vs. 15.8, p<0.001; sequential organ failure assessment [SOFA] 5.5 vs. 4.6, p=0.003). The CCT group also had significantly more patients on mechanical ventilation than those in the non-CCT group (45.9% vs. 23.9%, p<0.001). Success rate of weaning was significantly higher in the CCT group than that of the non-CCT group (61.1% vs. 44.7%, p=0.021). On a multivariate logistic regression analysis, the increased ICU mortality was associated with the older age, non-CCT, higher APACHE II score, higher SOFA score and mechanical ventilation (p<0.05). Conclusion: Although the CCT did not provide full-time services in an open general ICU setting, it might be associated with a reduced ICU mortality. This is particularly the case with patients on mechanical ventilation.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.45-57
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a blood glucose control protocol for medical intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: The subjects were recruited from medical ICU adult patients whose blood glucose levels exceeded 200 mg/dL in two consecutive tests. The experimental group (n=62) received the modified Yale (MY) insulin protocol, whereas the control group (n=64) was treated with the conventional insulin therapy methods. Results: In the experimental group, the mean blood glucose levels (p<.001) and the time to reach the target range of glucose (p<.001) decreased significantly while the incidence rates of a target range of glucose of 100-140 mg/dL (p<.001) increased significantly as compared to the control group. However, no statistically significant differences were found in the incidence of hypoglycemia(p=.644), or the number of glucose tests (p=.236) between the groups. The length of stays in the ICU (p=.001), ventilator care days (p=.038), and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (p=.029) in the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group. Conclusion: Application of the protocol was effective in improving the state of blood glucose control in medical ICU patients. Therefore, this protocol is expected to be used as a part of nursing intervention in critical care nursing.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.106-110
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• 2015

The prevalence of pneumothorax cases among Intensive Care Unit patients who require mechanical ventilation ranges from 4%-15%. A pneumothorax remains one of the most serious complications of positive pressure ventilation. It can be diagnosed in a critically ill patient through a physical examination or radiographic studies that include chest radiographs, ultrasonography, or computed tomography scanning. However, in a critically ill patient, the diagnosis of a pneumothorax is often complicated by other diseases and by difficulties in imaging sick and unconscious patients. Although electrocardiogram changes associated with a pneumothorax have been described for many years, there has been no report of such among patients who require mechanical ventilation. In this paper, we report 2 cases of a spontaneous pneumothorax with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in patients who required invasive mechanical ventilation due to acute respiratory failure.