• International Journal of Computer Science & Network Security
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.171-180
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• 2021

Currently, hospitals and medical practices have a large amount of unstructured information, gathered in time at each ward or practice by physicians in a wide range of medical branches. The data requires processing in order to be able to extract relevant information, which can be used to improve the medical system. It is useful for a physician to have access to a patient's entire medical history when he or she is in an emergency situation, as relevant information can be found about the patient's problems such as: allergies to various medications, personal history, or hereditary collateral conditions etc. If the information exists in a structured form, the detection of diseases based on specific symptoms is much easier, faster and with a higher degree of accuracy. Thus, physicians may investigate certain pathological profiles and conduct cohort clinical trials, including comparing the profile of a particular patient with other similar profiles that already have a confirmed diagnosis. Involving information technology in this field will change so the time which the physicians should spend in front of the computer into a much more beneficial one, providing them with the possibility for more interaction with the patient while listening to the patient's needs. The expert system, described in the paper, is an application for medical diagnostic of the most frequently met conditions, based on logical programming and on the theory of probabilities. The system rationale is a search item in the field basic knowledge on the condition. The web application described in the paper is implemented for the ward of pathological anatomy of a hospital in Romania. It aims to ease the healthcare staff's work, to create a connection of communication at one click between the necessary wards and to reduce the time lost with bureaucratic proceedings. The software (made in PHP programming language, by writing directly in the source code) is developed in order to ease the healthcare staff's activity, being created in a simpler and as elegant way as possible.

• Infection and chemotherapy
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.319-327
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• 2018

Background: Lancet-related needlestick injuries (NSIs) occur steadily in clinical practices. Safety-engineered devices (SEDs) can systematically reduce NSIs. However, the use of SEDs is not active and no study to guide the implementation of SEDs was known in South Korea. The lancet-related NSIs may be eliminated to zero incidence using a SED lancet with effective sharp injury protection and reuse prevention features. Materials and Methods: We implemented a SED lancet by replacing a conventional prick lancet in a tertiary hospital in a sequential approach. A spot test of the new SED was conducted for 1 month to check the acceptability in practice and a questionnaire survey was obtained from the healthcare workers (HCWs). A pilot implementation of the SED lancet in 2 wards was made for 1 year. Based on these preliminary interventions, a hospital-wide full implementation of the SED lancet was launched. The incidence of NSIs and cost expenditure before and after the intervention were compared. Results: There were 29 cases of conventional prick lancet-related NSIs for 3 years before the full implementation of SED lancet. The proportion of prick lancet-related NSIs among yearly all kinds of NSIs during two years before the pilot study was average 11.7% (22/188). Pre-interventional baseline incidence of all kinds of NSIs was 7.01 per 100 HCW-years. After the full implementation of SED lancet, the lancet-related NSIs became zero in the 2nd year (P = 0.001). The average direct cost of 18,393 US dollars (USD) per year from device and post-exposure medical care before the intervention rose to 20,701 USD in the 2nd year of the intervention. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 210 USD per injury avoided. Conclusion: The implementation of a SED lancet could eliminate the lancet-related NSIs to zero incidence. The cost increase incurred by the use of SED lancet was tolerable.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.165-178
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• 2021

Purpose: To analyze nurses' shift work according to the government guidelines for night work and their perceptions of their work schedules. Methods: The study sample included 487 nurses who provided information on their schedules, including the normal working hours of each shift, and overtime per shift during September 2020. Nurses' perceptions were measured in terms of satisfaction, appropriateness for work-life balance, and fairness to their work schedule. Results: One-third of the respondents worked more than 40 hours per week. The average overtime hour was 1.14 hours per shift. Unsocial hours (8 pm to 6 am on weekdays, midnight to midnight on weekends and public holidays) accounted for 56.4% of all working hours. During their last night shift, on average, nurses worked 9.62 hours and had a break of 39 minutes, although 20.5% reported no break. Sixty-eight percent of nurses had at least one between-shift break shorter than 48 hours after a consecutive night shifts. Fifty-seven percent were satisfied with their schedule. One-third perceived their schedule as appropriate for work-life balance, and two-thirds perceived that days off on weekends and nights were fairly distributed within the unit. Working and overtime hours had an inverse relationship with all three aspects of nurses' perceptions. A higher proportion of unsocial hours and having no breaks during the night shift were associated with lower perceptions of fairness. Conclusion: Reducing working hours, ensuring breaks during night shifts, and increasing rewards for unsocial hours are required to improve nurses' perceptions and reduce turnover due to shift work.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.66-76
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• 2021

Purpose: This descriptive study aimed to explore the performance, nurses' perception, and influencing contexts of intentional rounding (IR), and to identify the factors influencing the performance of IR. Methods: 498 questionnaire responses were collected from clinical nurses with more than six months of work experiences in general wards performing IR in a general hospital. Results: The mean scores of the performance, nurses' perception, and influencing contexts of IR were 3.81(±0.68), 3.46(±0.42), and 3.79(±0.51) out of 5.00, respectively. There were significant differences in performance (F=20.51, p<.001) and nurses' perception (F=4.96, p=.001) based on the work department. There were significant differences in the influencing contexts based on age (F=6.02, p=.003) and the length of clinical experience in the ward (F=3.36, p=.010). Performance and nurses' perception(r=.42, p<.001), performance and influencing contexts (r=.46, p<.001), and nurses' perception and influencing contexts (r=.58, p<.001) showed a statistically positive correlation. Work unit (F=10.45, p<.001), nurses' perception of the benefits to patients (F=-2.46, p=.014) and to nurses (F=4.34, p<.001), and influencing contexts at the individual (F=7.77, p<.001) and department levels (F=2.99, p=.003) were found to be significant factors on the performance of IR. Conclusion: It is necessary to support the education programs and active participation of nurses in their role as leaders to raise their awareness regarding the benefits of IR. Furthermore, there is a need to adapt the IR protocol according to the unique characteristics of each unit and evaluate the effectiveness.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.414-429
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• 2021

Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis analyzed the effects of 2% chlorhexidine bathing on the incidence of hospital-acquired infection (HAI) and multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) in adult intensive care units. Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane library, and RISS database were systematically searched, and 12 randomized studies were included in the analysis. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 3.0 was used to calculate the effect size using the odds ratio (OR) and a 95% confidence interval (CI). Subgroup analysis was performed according to the specific infection and intervention types. Results: In general, 2% chlorhexidine bathing has a significant effect on the incidence of HAI (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.40~0.86) and MDRO (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.34~0.79). Subgroup analyses show 2% chlorhexidine bathing is effective in bloodstream infections (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.39~0.66) but not for urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia infections, and Clostridium difficile infections. Moreover, 2% chlorhexidine bathing alone or its combination with other interventions has a significant effect on the incidence of HAI and MDRO (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.38~0.92). Conclusion: This meta-analysis reveals that 2% chlorhexidine bathing significantly reduces the incidence of HAI and MDRO in intensive care units. The effect of 2% chlorhexidine bathing on pediatric patients or patients at general wards should be further assessed as a cost-effective intervention for infection control.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.269-278
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• 2022

Background: PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD) had a great impact on health care workers during the COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019, COVID-19). Better knowledge of the prevalence of PTSD and its risk factors is a major public health problem. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence and important risk factors of PTSD among medical staff during the COVID-19. Methods: The databases were searched for studies published during the COVID-19, and a PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis) compliant systematic review (PROSPERO-CRD 42021278970) was carried out to identify articles from multiple databases reporting the prevalence of PTSD outcomes among medical staff. Proportion random effect analysis, I² statistic, quality assessment, subgroup analysis, and sensitivity analysis were carried out. Results: A total of 28 cross-sectional studies and the PTSD results of doctors and nurses were summarized from 14 and 27 studies: the prevalences were 31% (95% CI [confidence interval, CI]: 21%-40%) and 38% (95% CI: 30%-45%) in doctors and nurses, respectively. The results also showed seven risks (p < 0.05): long working hours, isolation wards, COVID-19 symptoms, nurses, women, fear of infection, and pre-existing mental illness. Two factors were of borderline significance: higher professional titles and married. Conclusion: Health care workers have a higher prevalence of PTSD during COVID-19. Health departments should provide targeted preventive measures for medical staff away from PTSD.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.211-222
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the effects of preparedness towards delegation, critical thinking disposition, and communicative competence on job satisfaction among comprehensive nursing care service ward nurses and general ward nurses. Methods: The participants in this study were 218 nurses from two university hospitals. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires and were analyzed using SPSS Statistics/WIN 21.0, including descriptive statistics, x² test, Fisher's exact test, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffeé test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: For comprehensive nursing care service ward nurses, the significant influencing factors on job satisfaction were age (β=-.37, p=.041), marital status (β=.35, p=.001), critical thinking disposition (β=.29, p=.003), and communicative competence (β=.28, p=.002) with the explanatory power was 39.0% (F=12.00, p<.001). On the other hand, for general ward nurses, the significant influencing factors on job satisfaction were advanced degree (β=.29, p=.047), critical thinking disposition (β=.23, p=.040), and communicative competence (β=.42, p<.001) with the explanatory power was 33.0% (F=11.78, p<.001). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest the importance of developing and applying education programs to improve critical thinking disposition and communicative competence of nurses. This would enhance the comprehensive nursing service and increase overall nursing manpower resources. In addition, further studies are needed to improve nursing work environments and to develop strategies for enhancing preparedness towards delegation, which would increase the job satisfaction of nurses in the comprehensive nursing care service wards.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.185-197
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• 2022

Purpose: This study was performed to verify reliability and validity of the Korean Pediatric Patient Classification System (KPPCS) and estimate nursing time conversion index. Methods: The study was conducted in 9 children's hospital which included various areas and size of bed settings. To verify intraclass correlation reliability and construct validity, staff nurses and nurse managers of 21 wards classified 575 patients according to KPPCS comparing differences by age, days of stay, type of stay and medical department. Direct and indirect nursing time of 575 patients were measured by 284 nursing staffs by stopwatch observation and self reports for 24 hours. Results: KPPCS has 12 categories, 55 nursing activities and 80 criterions. High agreement among nurses (r=.91, p<.001) suggested substantial reliability. Construct validity was verified by comparing differences in age, days of stay, type of stay and medical department (p<.05). The correlation of nursing time and classification score was also statistically significant (r=.59, p<.001). The nursing time conversion index was 10.78 minutes per 1 classification score. The entire patient group were classified to four groups using KPPCS. Conclusion: The findings suggest that KPPCS would be a useful tool for estimating nursing demands related to the complexity of pediatric patients.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.95-103
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide multifaceted interventions for nurses and to confirm changes in their knowledge, perception, and actual practice on the adequate storage, conditions, and transportation of culture specimens. Methods: A one-group pretest-posttest experimental design was conducted with 41 nurses in two general wards of a tertiary acute care hospital in Seoul. Multifaceted interventions including education, feedback, posting guidelines and reminders, and improvement in specimen management accessibility were provided from May 2019 to January 2020. Outcomes were measured before and after the interventions. Knowledge and perception of the nurses were evaluated using self-reported questionnaires and actual practice by observation. Results: After the interventions, the average knowledge score on transportation time was significantly increased (Z= -4.89, p< .001). However, the knowledge score on storage methods was not significantly increased. The perception score was significantly increased (t= -3.19, p= .003). The proportion of specimen storage times, places, and conditions managed properly was significantly increased from 43.0% (46/107) to 77.1% (84/109) (p< .001). The average transportation time of blood samples to the laboratory significantly decreased from 3 hours 36 minutes (± 1 hour 52 minutes) to 3 hours 1 minute (± 1 hour 41 minutes) (t= 2.51, p= .013). The percentage of blood culture specimens arriving within 2 hours was increased significantly from 22.9% to 39.2% (χ²= 6.90, p= .009). Conclusion: The interventions were effective. However, some specimens remained in the ward longer than expected after the interventions. This requires further interventions.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2022

Purpose: The study aimed to extract the space mentioned in the criteria for evaluation and certification of psychiatric institutions in which the most specific standards for medical services of psychiatric institutions are prepared, and to organize and analyze the requirements. Method: The implied space is derived by analyzing the evaluation and certification criteria. The derived space is re-classified by departments of the hospital, and the requirements are organized and analyzed. Results: First, a total of 41 spaces were derived. The derived spaces can be considered as spaces to be treated as important in psychiatric institutions. Second, as a result of reclassifying the derived space by department, 10 spaced for the hospital as a whole, 10 for wards, 12 for central/outpatient departments, 5 for pharmaceutical departments, 2 for catering facilities, and 2 for facilities. Third, if organized by psychiatric institution, there is a total of 40 spaces for psychiatric hospitals according to certification criteria, and according to evaluation criteria, there is 38 spaces for psychiatric hospitals and departments and 19 spaces for the clinics. The difference between the certification and evaluation criteria of psychiatric hospitals is insignificant. In order to promote the qualitative improvement of psychiatric institutions, it is necessary to gradually strengthen from the certification criteria. Fourth, the requirements reflecting the characteristics of a psychiatric institution were very limited to emergency exits and treatment rooms. It is necessary to prepare the space requirements for other rooms in consideration of the behavior of the mentally ill. Implications: The derived spaces and requirements can serve as practical reference materials for practitioners preparing to receive certification and evaluation of psychiatric institutions. In addition, it has meaning as a basic data for estimating the level of space and requirements of psychiatric institutions that are currently required in Korea.