Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a daily life-based physical activity enhancement program performed by middle-aged women at risk for cardiovascular disease. Methods: This study used a randomized control group pretest-posttest design. Middle-aged women aged 45 to 64 were recruited from two outpatient cardiology departments, and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=28) and a control group (n=30). For the experimental group, after providing one-on-one counseling and education, we provided customized text messages to motivate them in daily life. To monitor the practice of physical activity, they also used an exercise diary and mobile pedometer for 12 weeks. Subjects' physical activities (MET-min/week) were measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Their physiological data were obtained by blood tests using a portable analyzer, and the data were analyzed using the SPSS 21.0/WIN program. Results: There were significant differences in exercise self-efficacy, health behavior, IPAQ score, body fat, body muscle, and fasting blood sugar between the two groups. However, there were no significant differences in total cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and waist-to-hip ratio. Conclusion: Strengthening physical activity in daily life without being limited by cost burden and time and space constraints. Therefore, it is essential to motivate middle-aged women at risk for cardiovascular disease to practice activities that are easily performed in their daily lives.

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of breast milk olfactory stimulation on physiological responses, oral feeding progression, and body weight in preterm infants. Methods: A repeated measures design with nonequivalent control group was used. The participants were healthy, preterm infants born at a gestational age of 28~32 weeks; 12 in the experimental group and 16 in the control group. Data were collected prospectively in the experimental group, and retrospectively in the control group, by the same methods. Breast milk olfactory stimulation was provided 12 times over 15 days. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon signed rank test and linear mixed models using SPSS 19. Results: The gastric residual volume (GRV) of the experimental group was significantly less than that of the control group. The heart rate, oxygen saturation, respiration rate, transition time to oral feeding, and body weight were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: These findings indicate that breast milk olfactory stimulation reduces GRV and improves digestive function in preterm infants without inducing distress.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of a reinforcement program for behavioral skills in postpartum care for couples with their first baby. Methods: The study used a non-equivalent control group and pretest-posttest design. It was conducted from January 14 to April 10, 2016 at a postpartum care center in D city. It analyzed 43 couples (22 in the experimental group and 21 in the control group.) For data analysis, descriptive statistics, test of homogeneity in pretest, independent t-tests, and repeated measures ANOVA were used. Results: For maternal fulfillment of postpartum care and postpartum fatigue, there was no significant difference in the interaction between group and time. In terms of parent-newborns attachment, the interaction between group and time showed a significant difference for mothers (F=13.63, p=.001) and fathers (F=6.51, p=.001). In marital intimacy, the interaction between group and time showed a significant difference for mothers (F=14.40, p<.001) and fathers (F=9.46, p=.004). In parenting stress, the interaction between group and time showed a significant difference for mothers (F=31.8, p<.001) and fathers (F=11.69, p=.001). A significant difference was found for the mothers' postpartum sleeping hours (F=0.14 p=.004). Conclusion: This program for behavioral skills in postpartum care, which is based on the information-motivation-behavioral skills model, improves postpartum care, parent-newborn attachment, marital intimacy, parenting stress, and maternal postpartum sleeping, by reinforcing behavioral skills required for postpartum care.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of oral cryotherapy on oral mucositis, reactive oxygen series, inflammatory cytokines, and oral comfort in patients undergoing chemotherapy for gynecologic cancers. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n=25, receiving oral cryotherapy during chemotherapy) and the control group (n=25, receiving the usual care consisting of 0.9% normal saline gargles three times before meals). Oral mucositis was assessed using the oral assessment guide, while oral comfort was assessed using the oral perception guide. Reactive oxygen series was measured as total oxidant stress, and the level of two inflammatory markers, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$), were examined. The data were analyzed using t-test, chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: There was a significant difference in the oral mucositis score, reactive oxygen series score, $TNF-{\alpha}$ level, and oral comfort score between the two groups, and there were significant changes over time and in the group-by-time interactions. There was a significant difference in the IL-6 score between the two groups, but there were no significant changes over time or in the group-by-time interactions. Conclusion: The study results revealed that oral cryotherapy was more effective than the usual care regime of normal saline gargles for reducing oral mucositis, reactive oxygen series, and inflammatory cytokines and for improving oral comfort in gynecologic cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Background: Quality ratings could provide vital information to help people in choosing a nursing home. Purpose: This study investigated factors aligned with quality ratings of nursing homes. Methods: We employed a cross-sectional descriptive design to assess publicly available data on 1,354 nursing homes with 30 or more beds in the Republic of Korea. After excluding 289 nursing homes with no reported quality-evaluation ratings, we analyzed the 2015 data of 1,065 nursing homes. To prevent multicollinearity among independent variables, we carefully selected the final set of variables based on clinical and theoretical meaningfulness to direct nursing care. Quality, the ordinal outcome, was scored from 1 to 5 with a higher score indicating higher quality of the organization. We constructed a multivariate ordered logistic regression model. Results: Higher quality ratings of nursing homes was significantly related to the number of unoccupied beds (OR=0.99, p=.024), registered nurses (RNs) (OR=1.30, p=.003), qualified care workers (OR=1.03, p=.011), cognitive-improvement programs (OR=1.05, p=.024), and other programs for residents' activities (OR=1.09, p<.001). Conclusion: The number of RNs had the strongest influence on the publicly reported quality rating, while the rating of qualified care workers demonstrated little effect and that of nursing assistants had no effect. The number of RNs could be used as a crucial indicator for high-quality homes; more resident-engaging programs also demonstrated better quality of nursing home care.

Purpose: The Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) is a tool used to classify the severity and urgency of emergency department (ED) patients, focusing on their symptoms. In consideration of the importance of the KTAS, a web-based learning program has emerged as a new mode of education; it enables ED triage nurses to access it anytime and anywhere, and according to their own learning abilities. This study aimed to develop a web-based KTAS learning program and evaluate its effects on self-efficacy and triage performance ability in ED nurses. Methods: A quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest was used. The conceptual framework was Bandura's self-efficacy theory. There were 30 participants in the experimental group and 29 in the control group. The experimental group attended an orientation and 4 sessions of a web-based KTAS learning program. The learning program lasted 280 minutes over five weeks, consisting of 40 minutes of orientation and four 60-minute sessions. Results: The scores of self-efficacy, triage performance ability in KTAS level, and chief complaints significantly increased in the experimental group compared to the control group. In addition, the numbers of under-triage in KTAS significantly decreased in the experimental group in comparison to the control group. Conclusion: The results suggest that the learning program was effective in improving ED nurses' level of self-efficacy and triage performance ability (KTAS level and KTAS chief complaint). Accordingly, the web-based KTAS learning program can be applied as an education intervention to improve ED nurses' triage skill.

Purpose: This study aimed to confirm the mediating effect of job involvement in the relationship between grit and turnover intention among nurses working at university hospitals. Methods: Participants included 437 nurses from university hospitals located in C city, Gyeongnam. Data were collected from January 8 to 19, 2018, using self-report questionnaires. Data were analyzed using the t-test, analysis of variance, Scheffe's test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression, with the SPSS/22.0 program. A mediation analysis was performed according to the Baron and Kenny, and bootstrapping methods. Results: There were significant relationships between grit and job involvement (r=.40, p<.001), grit and turnover intention (r=-.29, p<.001), and turnover intention and job involvement (r=-.52, p<.001). Job involvement showed partial mediating effects in the relationship between grit and turnover intention. Conclusion: Grit increased job involvement and lowered turnover intention. Therefore, to reduce nurses' turnover intention, it is necessary to develop a program and strategies to increase their grit.

Purpose: Patient-centered care is a widely utilized concept in nursing and health care. However, the key components of patient-centered nursing have not yet been reported. Moreover, previous studies on patient-centered care have mostly focused on components of nursing rather than organizational factors. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of influential factors of patient-centered care is required. Methods: The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical model based on person-centered care theory, and the relevant literature and to test the developed model with covariance structure analysis in order to determine the causal paths among the variables. Results: The model fit indices for the hypothetical model were suitable for the recommended level (goodness of fit index=.87, standardized root mean residual=.01, root mean square error of approximation=.06, Tucker-Lewis index=.90, comparative fit index=.92, parsimonious normed fit index=.75). In this study, five of the six paths established in the initial hypothetical model were supported. The variables of teamwork, self-leadership, and empathy accounted for 56.4% of hospital nurses' patient-centered care. Among these, empathy was the strongest predictor of patient-centered care. Conclusion: These results suggest that it is necessary to use strategies to improve self-leadership and empathy. In addition to enhancing the personal factors of nurses, nursing organizations should strive for effective multidisciplinary cooperation with active support for patient-centered care and openness to change.

Purpose: The purpose of this study to develop a fringed fall prevention program based on King's goal attainment theory and education. This study is applied to the personal, interpersonal, and social systems of fall high-risk patients to test its effects. Methods: This study was a nonequivalent control group pre- and post-test design. There were 52 fall high-risk patients in the experimental group and 45 in the control group. The experimental group received six sessions, with the group sessions lasting 60 minutes and the individual sessions lasting 20~30 minutes. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, an ${\chi}^2-test$, a paired sample t-test, and a Wilcoxon signed-ranks test utilizing IBM SPSS software. Results: For the 3-month intervention period, the fall prevention program was found to be particularly effective for patients in the experimental group (from 3.38 to 1.69 per 1000 patient days; p=.044), as opposed to the control group (from 1.94 to 1.49 per 1000 patient days; p=.300). For the 6-month follow up period, the fall prevention program was again found to be effective for patients in the experimental group (from 3.26 to 0.76 per 1000 patient days; p=.049) compared to the control group (from 1.98 to 1.01 per 1000 patient days; p=.368). Conclusion: These results indicate that the fringed fall prevention program is very effective in reducing falls, not only during the intervention period, but also after the intervention period has ended. We can therefore recommend this program for use concerning fall high-risk patients in long-term care hospitals.

Purpose: To investigate the differences in postoperative sore throat and hoarseness by adjustment of endotracheal tube cuff pressure (CP) during nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) and air anesthesia. Methods: A one-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Data were collected from August 8 to October 19, 2017 and analyzed using the independent t-test and repeated measures ANOVA. Eighty-four participants were enrolled and divided into three groups: 28 in the Control Group (CP adjusted every 30 minutes using $N_2O$), 28 in Experimental Group 1 (CP adjusted every 10 minutes using $N_2O$), and 28 in Experimental Group 2 (non-adjusted CP using air), all of whom underwent urologic, gynecologic, and orthopedic surgeries at the G University hospital. Sore throat was assessed using a numeric rating scale; hoarseness was evaluate using the Stout classification at 1, 6, and 24 hours after surgery. Results: Scores for sore throat and hoarseness were significantly different between the groups at each measurement time, and scores were consistently higher in the control group. During subsequent measurements, sore throat and hoarseness scores were significantly lower at 6 hours. Cuff pressure changed significantly using air anesthesia (${\chi}^2=10.41$, p=.015) up to 2 hours after induction. Severe sore throat and hoarseness was observed for up to 6 hours after surgery. Conclusion: Cuff pressure adjustment at short time intervals would be helpful in reducing postoperative sore throat and hoarseness. Nursing intervention focused on prevention of sore throat and hoarseness should be required up to 6 hours postoperatively in patients undergoing endotracheal intubation.