• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.140-144
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• 2023

Many terminally ill cancer patients grapple with a range of physical, psychological, and social challenges. Therefore, it is critical to offer effective psychological interventions to assist them in managing these issues and enhancing their quality of life. This brief communication provides a concise overview of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), along with empirical evidence of its application for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals in hospice and palliative care settings and an overview of future directions of ACT interventions in South Korea. ACT, a third-wave type of cognitive behavioral therapy, is a model of psychological flexibility that promotes personal growth and empowerment across all life areas. Currently, there is substantial evidence from overseas supporting the effectiveness of ACT on health-related outcomes among patients with various diseases, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. The necessity and significance of conducting ACT-based empirical research in hospice and palliative care settings in South Korea are discussed.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2021

With the introduction of national health insurance, the burden of health care costs decreased and choices of medical services widened. However, because of the rapid expansion of non-covered medical services by health insurance, financial security for health care expenditure is still low. This gives patients barriers to choose medical services especially for non-covered medical services, and it becomes narrower. Compared to Korea, Japan has high financial protection in health care utilization, but there exists a limitation using covered and non-covered medical services both together. This is called a prohibition of mixed treatment in health care. This study reviews the Japanese health care system that limits choosing medical services and the burden of health care costs. The prohibition of mixed treatment can alleviate the out-of-pocket burden in the non-benefit sector, but it can be found that it has a huge limitation in that it places restrictions on choices for both healthcare professionals and patients.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the status of caffeine-containing energy drink consumption among Korean nursing students and to identify associated psychological factors. Methods: In total, 187 Korean nursing students participated in this cross-sectional study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to identify participants' general characteristics and psychosocial factors (self-esteem, academic stress, depression, and college adjustment) associated with energy drink consumption. Data were analyzed with SPSS using descriptive statistics, the $x^2$ test, the t-test, and logistic regression. Results: More than two-thirds (73.3%) of the participants had consumed energy drinks. Among the investigated psychological factors, depression appeared to most strongly influence energy drink consumption behaviors in this population. Conclusion: The consumption of caffeine-containing energy drinks was found to be common among nursing students preparing to become health care professionals; depressed nursing students were more likely to have consumed energy drinks than non-depressed students. Nursing educators should emphasize the early detection of unhealthy beverage consumption habits and provide appropriate education to enhance healthy behaviors in future health care professionals.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.132-138
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• 2009

Proper education of hospice professionals is essential for ensuring quality of end-of-life care. In 2005, 'End-of-life Care Task Force Team' by Ministry of Health and Welfare established '60 hours of hospice education' as basic requirement for hospice professionals. This study is aimed to determine how many of the hospice professionals meet with the criteria and whether there are significant regional variations. Methods: We analyzed the data from 46 hospice organizations, which submitted the application to the 2008 designation program of Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Family Affairs. Data included details of the educational records of each hospice professionals. Results: Total 673 hospice professionals were included in the analysis. Overall, only 41.5% (279/673) met the requirement. Nurses (46.8%; 177/378) were more likely to meet the requirement than doctors (35.8%; 38/106), social workers (32.0%; 24/75) and clergies (35.1%; 40/114). Hospice professionals of the organizations in metropolitan area received more education than those in small cities or rural area (52.4% vs. 25.0% for doctors, 50.6% vs. 43.9% for nurses, 42.9% vs. 25.5% for social workers). By geographic areas, hospice professionals in southeast regions received less education than other part of Korea (28.1% vs. 43.0${\sim}$48.8%, respectively). Conclusion: Less than half of the Korean hospice professionals has received proper amount of hospice education, and significant regional variations existed. National programs to promote the education of hospice professionals and eliminate its disparities are greatly warranted. Implementation of the 60-hour currirulum for hospice professionals, based on the train-the-trainer model, would be regarded as one potential solution.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.307-322
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• 2015

In most democratic countries, influential professional interest groups often become a part of the iron triangle in the policy making process. One of the typical methods by which professional interest groups participate in policy making process may be by having interest group members in the national assembly, who are sympathetic to the group, implementing policies through legislation. In this study we found that from the Constitutional National Assembly through the 18th National Assembly, 147 members of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea have been ex health care professionals. The research analyzed the roles of these members in health care law amendments as requested by the professional organizations. This study analyzed 11 major cases that involved nullification or amendment of legislations in favor of the healthcare profession, against the basic policies of the government. The study showed that in the 11 major cases, policies were amended in the direction intended by the National Assembly members and other organizations with similar interests, which was against the policy stance of the government. However, these cases did not unilaterally imply that the National Assembly has been captured by the interest groups through the legislators with health care professional background; rather, they should be perceived to be influenced by the exhibited loss of governability by the government in respect to healthcare policy decisions, loss of initiative due to lack of controllability, and reversals and inconsistencies of the policies.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.216-221
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• 2014

Background: Mental health complaints are quite common in health care employees and can have adverse effects on work functioning. The aim of this study was to evaluate an e-mental health (EMH) approach to workers' health surveillance (WHS) for nurses and allied health professionals. Using the waiting-list group of a previous randomized controlled trial with high dropout and low compliance to the intervention, we studied the pre- and posteffects of the EMH approach in a larger group of participants. Methods: We applied a pretest-posttest study design. The WHS consisted of online screening on impaired work functioning and mental health followed by online automatically generated personalized feedback, online tailored advice, and access to self-help EMH interventions. The effects on work functioning, stress, and work-related fatigue after 3 months were analyzed using paired t tests and effect sizes. Results: One hundred and twenty-eight nurses and allied health professionals participated at pretest as well as posttest. Significant improvements were found on work functioning (p = 0.01) and work-related fatigue (p < 0.01). Work functioning had relevantly improved in 30% of participants. A small meaningful effect on stress was found (Cohen d = .23) in the participants who had logged onto an EMH intervention (20%, n = 26). Conclusion: The EMH approach to WHS improves the work functioning and mental health of nurses and allied health professionals. However, because we found small effects and participation in the offered EMH interventions was low, there is ample room for improvement.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.74-83
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a child health care protocol for teachers in child day care centers. Methods: The ADDIE model with 10 Kid Keys was applied to develop this child health care protocol. All contents were developed through content validity test by 7 professionals and need assessment and evaluation by child day care center teachers. Results: This protocol consisted of 10 keys, as follows: "Health Examination/Growth & Development", "Practice of Health Life", "Management of Communicable Disease", "Negligent Accident", "Coping with Emergency and Transference", "Child Abuse", "Nutrition/Obesity", "Quality Assurance of Staff", "Parent Education", "Guidance & Supervision of Child Day Care Centers". The contents contained goals, objectives, teaching content, suggested activities for children, writing forms related to each subject, and self-evaluation sheet. Conclusion: This protocol can be practical and effective for child health care in child day care centers and it is hoped that it will be utilized in more child day care centers.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.73-82
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• 2000

Twenty-first century coming of health care in our country is in a situation of much conflict because the relationship between nurses and doctors is seen in terms of a traditional and vertical structure. Accordingly. it is very difficult to find collaboration amongst individuals of these two professions. Now nursing is trying to find independence and autonomy by carrying out independent professional skills. This study on collaboration and the obstacles hindering its pursuit. The strategies of collaboration to give better health care quality are as follows; First, a program for professionals should be developed to enhance professional knowledge and technology and train nursing professionals so that nursing can be acknowledged as a profession with a power to carry out on independent job. Second, collaboration reduces expenses and results in satisfactory performances of duty, high productivity, low incidence of medical accident, and higher satisfaction of the patient. Therefore the leader in the higher position should take positive stance for collaboration and help create a cooperative situation through the development of practical orders for collaboration. opening cooperative wards, and meeting for collaboration. Third, a collaboration model should be introduced into the courses of the nursing and medical school curriculum, which would influence job atmosphere after graduation. Fourth, nurses should have pride in their jobs as professionals and have confidence in their professional skill, knowledge and ability. Nurses should make an effort to share responsibility and have independence and autonomy. Fifth, common people as well as doctors know little about professional practice and the role of nurses, so a publicity campaign is also required.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.137-156
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• 2004

Altruistic virtuous caring, possibly originated from religion and/or spirituality, is indispensable for holistic health through channeling vital energy with diet, exercise and meditation. This is a participant-observed medical anthropological research of a first generation Korean elderly immigrant health professional woman living in a four generational family. She had hypertension and was concerned about possible attack of stroke. Multi-religious, spiritual, and cosmological vital energy based on holistic Nature-oriented health beliefs and practices influenced by psychosocial, cultural and economic background, education, self- discipline and self-cultivation of individual, and group or family may create health. Self-care beliefs based on confidence in self-control of one's life style for oneself and others influence individual and group health practice. The holistic alternative health beliefs and practices were proved to be efficacious and beneficial by her self-evaluation, evaluation of significant others, biomedical professionals, and laboratory tests. That may have potential application for global health.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.219-230
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the care manager curriculum for elderly's health & welfare and exam it's perspectives. Method: A descriptive survey was used. four hundred eight students of S university and seventy seven professionals were participated for this study. The curriculums evaluated for the elderly's health and welfare was care managers. eight times Brainstormings were done with five faculty members of S university to exam the current curriculums and to guide new perspectives. Result: Brainstorming results are as follow: the best curriculum contents is NEWSTART, we need new role for elderly's health & welfare. Conclusion: Even though, care manager have been working for the elderly, their role focuses not the direct care but the management. Therefore we need new role to do direct care to the elderly.