• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2014

Purpose: In Korea, about 30,000 people die in intensive care units annually. However, their quality of life at the end-of-life seems very low. The purpose of this study was to describe palliative care models that could be applied in intensive care units and examine nurses' roles in the models. Methods: A conventional literature review was performed focusing on palliative care in intensive care units and nursing roles in the approaches identified. Results: There are two different models regarding the implementation of palliative care approaches in the intensive care unit. Those are the consultative model and the integrative model. Each model has advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, an appropriate model must be chosen according to the setting. Nurses' roles could vary depending on the setting. Conclusion: Palliative care in the intensive care unit is important to improve patients' quality of life. Moreover, nursing roles are important in providing comprehensive palliative care in intensive care units.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.33-42
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the perception, barriers, and importance of delirium assessment of intensive care unit nurses utilizing a tool for delirium assessment. Methods: The subjects were 150 intensive care unit nurses who routinely use the CAM-ICU to screen delirium. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and ranking. Results: Most intensive care unit nurses had experience of education about delirium and delirium assessment, and had assessed over once in a shift. However, a small number of nurses recognized utilizing their assessment result and the effect on higher mortality and underdiagnosed and preventable problem. The first rank of barriers was being too busy to assess patients and the second was difficulty of interpreting intubated patients. The importance of delirium assessment was considered lower than assessing catheter placement and level of pain. Conclusion: The study identified intensive care unit nurses' use of a delirium assessment tool, and the perception, barriers, and importance of delirium assessment. Furthermore, it is necessary to develop education programs to improve the early recognition of delirium by intensive care unit nurses.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.1-11
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• 2018

Purpose : This study compares experiences of ethical dilemma between nurses working in intensive care units and those in general units under specific situations of treatment decisions and confidentiality. Method : This cross-sectional descriptive study utilizes the self-report survey method. The survey questionnaires were completed by 50 and 52 nurses working in intensive care units and general units, respectively. The instrument, which consisted of 16 items of ethical dilemma situations about treatment decision and confidentiality, was used. The mean scores for each item were compared between the two groups. Results : The study found no differences in terms of age, gender, education level, clinical experience in years, and being educated on healthcare ethics. For 9 out of 16 items, the mean scores of nurses in intensive care units were significantly higher than those of nurses in general units. Conclusions : Nurses in intensive care units experienced ethical dilemmas regarding treatment decisions and confidentiality more often than those in general units. This study emphasizes the need to establish strategies for improving the ethical competence of critical care nurses.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Oriental Medical Informatics
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the level of job stress, burn-out and job satisfaction between intensive care unit nurses and general unit nurses. Methods: The subjects of this study were 100 intensive care unit nurses and 100 general unit nurses in university's hospitals. The data were collected using self-report questionnaires. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, -test, ANCOVA, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient by using the SPSS WIN 20.0 program. Results: There were significantly negative correlation in the score of job stress and job satisfaction in both groups of nurses. Job stress of intensive care unit nurses was significantly differences according to department satisfaction. Burn-out of intensive care unit nurses was significantly differences according to position, department satisfaction. Job satisfaction of intensive care nurses unit was significantly differences according to department satisfaction. Job stress of general unit nurses unit was significantly differences according to department satisfaction. Burn-out of general unit nurses was significantly differences according to clinical experience, position, department satisfaction. Job satisfaction of general unit nurses was significantly differences according to clinical experience, department satisfaction. Conclusions: The appropriate rewards for intensive care nurses and general unit nurses to decrease their job stress will be needed in hospital settings. In addition, a plan for systemic nurse training program is needed to provide high quality nursing education for each unit nurses effectively.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.501-512
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was done to develop a nursing competency scale according to a clinical ladder system for intensive care nurses. Methods: Index of content validation was done by 20 clinical experts and 80 nurses in Intensive Care Units (ICU). Results: The process and results of study are as follows. First, 12 nursing competencies were used in the establishment of the clinical ladder system (Jang, 2000). Second, the first draft of the competency lists was developed. It was based on the clinical nurses' behavioral indicators of nursing competency by Jang (2000), and was modified and supplemented through various literature reviews including competency standards for specialist intensive care nurses in Australia and consultation with 2 clinical nurses with over 10 years experience in the ICU. Third, the draft was examined by 20 clinical experts for content validity. Finally, the final draft was analysed using clinical validity where 20 nurses in each ladder participated. The final number of items was fixed at 309. Conclusion: The tool represents expected nursing competency of nurses working in ICU. Intensive care nurses can recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and identify directions for their professional growth by analysing results of their competency evaluation using this tool.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.5-14
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• 2022

Purpose: Neonatal nurses are expected to have clinical competency to provide qualified and safe care for high-risk infants. An educational intervention to enhance nurses' clinical competence is often a priority in the nursing field. This study was conducted to explore nurses' perceived importance and performance confidence of nursing care activities in neonatal intensive care units. Methods: One hundred forty-one neonatal nurses from seven hospitals across South Korea participated in the online survey study. The scale of neonatal nursing care activity consisted of 8 subdomains including professional practice (assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention, evaluation, education, research, and leadership). The Importance-Performance Matrix was used to analyze the importance of and confident performance in each of the nursing subdomains. Results: Both importance and performance confidence increased as nurses' age (p=.042 and p<.001) and clinical experience (p=.004 and p<.001). Participants scored relatively higher in importance and performance confidence in the professional practice subdomains (assessment, intervention, evaluation), but scored lower in the education and research subdomains. Conclusion: To provide evidence-based nursing care for high-risk infants in neonatal intensive care units, educational interventions should be developed to support nurses based on the findings of the research.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1-13
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• 2021

Purpose : This study aims to provide basic data for effective nursing interventions and improvement of nurses' work by exploring their work experiences in single-room-structured intensive care units (ICU) through focus group interviews. Methods : Data were collected through two focus group discussions conducted from March to November 2020 with 13 ICU nurses. Interviews were audio-recorded and analyzed thematically by investigators. Results : Through content analysis, 15 sub-categories and 6 categories were formed. Two themes, "positive experiences patients care in an independent space" and "difficulties in nursing work according to space separation of patients" emerged. There are positive aspects of single-room-structured ICUs, but it was found that practicing nurses had difficulties and required specialized nursing competencies. Therefore, efforts to reduce the burden of nurses in single-room-structured ICUs are necessary. Conclusion : The limitation of this study is that it was conducted in a single hospital because single-room-structured intensive care units are uncommon in Korea. However, this study is of great significance as a basis for establishing guidelines on the efforts required from nurses, hospitals, and governments single-room-structured ICUs in the future.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.323-332
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the terminal care stress of nurses in intensive care units in terms of their death perception, attitude toward terminal care, and mental health. Methods: This descriptive study collected data from 118 nurses in intensive care units in one tertiary referral hospital and three general hospitals. The instruments used in the study were the Terminal Care Stress Assessment Tool, the View of Life and Death Scale, the Frommelt Attitudes toward Nursing Care of the Dying Scale (FATCOD), and the Mental Health Assessment Tool. The data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression. Results: There was a significant positive correlation between terminal care stress and death perception (r=.31, p<.001). The factors significantly influencing the terminal care stress of the participants included gender (β=.33, p<.001), religion (β=.24, p=.004), and death perception (β=.35, p<.001), and the overall explanatory power was 23.1% (F=12.73, p<.001). Conclusion: To decrease terminal care stress among nurses, establishing the death perception of nurses based on value clarification about death may be necessary. Furthermore, this study suggests an intervention study examining the effect of an education program on terminal care stress among ICU nurses.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.95-107
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• 2018

Purpose : This study aimed to investigate the public's perception of reimbursement for the education and counseling services provided to advanced practice nurses in intensive care units. Method : This was a secondary data analysis study. The original data were collected utilizing an online panel. The sample comprised 615 individuals aged between 19 and 49 years nationwide. The study variables included the public's perception of reimbursement for education and counseling services, age, gender, education level, income, and health status. Variables such as past experience of being admitted to an intensive care unit by self, family, or relatives and the recognition of advanced practice nurses were also examined. Results : The mean of the perception score was 3.15 on a 4-point scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). Among the participants, 89.2% answered "somewhat agreed" or "strongly agreed" to the question about the education and counseling services being covered by the National Health Insurance. Moreover, education level, past experience of being admitted to an intensive care unit by self, family, or relatives, and recognition of advanced practice nurses were significantly associated with the perception score. Conclusion : Efforts should be made to publicize the need for the education and counseling services that are provided to advanced practice nurses in intensive care units.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.172-183
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the subjective experience of life-sustaining treatment care among nurses in intensive care units. Method: A phenomenology was used for the study. Data were collected from October to December, 2015 using open-ended questions during in-depth interviews. Participants were nurses working in intensive care units and were contacted through purposive techniques. Eight nurses participated in this study. Results: Four categories emerged from the analysis using Colaizzi's method: (a) difficulties due to life-sustaining treatment care, (b) dilemma of extension or cessation of life-sustaining treatment, (c) repressed feelings and emotional exhaustion, and (d) forming values for life-sustaining treatment from nursing experience. Conclusion: Provision of clearer guidelines on life-sustaining treatment which reflect a family-oriented culture is important for nurses in ICU and will promote nurses involvement in the decision-making process of life-sustaining treatment of patients.