• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.251-262
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• 2020

Purpose: This study attempts to provide basic data for establishing and implementing an advanced directive (AD) system that helps identify dignified death attitudes and reduces death anxiety of the preliminary, through preparation of an AD. Methods: Data were collected from 135 preliminary elderly aged 55 to 64 years, recruited from health centers and welfare facilities. All data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0. Results: Overall scores of the participants were 2.26±0.64 for death anxiety scale, and 3.16±0.44 for dignified death attitude. Scores of individuals who prepared an AD were determined to be 2.19±0.64 for death anxiety, and 3.34±0.44 for dignity of death. The difference in scores obtained for dignified death attitude was significantly higher for the group that signed an AD, as compared to the group with no AD (F=14.81, p<0.001). Conclusions: Results of this study reveal that preliminary elderly who sign an AD have a higher dignified death attitude score as compared to subjects who do not sign an AD. Additionally, the former group of participants desire a dignified end to their life. This indicates a necessity to promote public campaigns for ADs, and to develop educational programs that assist the elderly to prepare for a dignified death and make autonomous decisions.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.64-76
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• 2022

Purpose : This study aimed to verify the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the nurses' attitude scale toward advance directives of patients. Methods : We translated and back-translated the original tool consisting of 20 questions and tested and verified its content validity. Questions for which its content validity has been verified, a preliminary investigation was conducted among 20 nurses working in ICU, followed by the actual investigation. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0 for Windows and Mac and AMOS version 24.0. To verify the validity, an item analysis was conducted for all 398 samples, and then an exploratory factor analysis for 200 samples that were randomly selected, followed by a confirmatory factor analysis for the remaining 198 samples. Results : Korean version of advance directives attitude scale (K-ADAS) consisting of 14 questions - 7 questions on 'patient rights,' 4 questions on 'role of a nurse,' and 3 questions on 'ethical judgment' - was verified its validity and reliability. Conclusion : In this study, the validity and reliability of the K-ADAS have been verified. We expect the verified tool to be useful in various fields that measuring the nurses' attitude toward advance directives of patients.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.263-305
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• 2009

Is it lawful to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment applied to a patient in a terminal condition or permanent unconscious condition? In Korea, there are no such laws or regulations which control affairs related to the withholding or withdrawal life-support treatment and active euthanasia as the Natural Death Act or the Death with Dignity Act in the U. S. A. And in addition there has had no precedent of Supreme Court. Recently Supreme Court has pronounced a historical judgment on a terminal care case. The court allowed the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from a patient in a permanent unconscious state. Fundamentally the court judged that the continuation of that medical treatment would infringe dignity and value of a patient as a human being. And the court required some legal grounds to consider such withdrawal or withholding of medical care lawful. The legal grounds are as follow. First, the patient is in a incurable and irreversible condition and already entered a stage of death. Second, the patient executed a directive, in advance, directing the withholding or withdrawal of life-support treatment in a incurable and irreversible condition or in a terminal condition. Otherwise, at least, the patient's will would be presumed through his/her character, view of value, philosophy, religious faith and career etc. I regard if a patient is in a incurable and irreversible condition or in a terminal condition, the medical contract between a patient and a doctor would be terminated because of the actual impossibility of achievement of it's purpose. So I think the discontinuation of life-sustaining care would be legally allowed without depending on the patient's own will.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1197-1211
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• 2010

This research was concucted to present a model of advance directives(AD) when a patient, who is in consciousness, shows a preference for an end of life care as an act of preparing for an uncertain situation that may arise in the forseeable future. The subjects of the research are 383 doctors/nurese and adults, who live in six cities and provinces, to investigate the status of AD, attitude regarding a meaningless life-prolonging treatment, and moreover, an understanding of and a preference for AD. The research was done by the well-structured questionnaire. Also, SPSS 14.0 is used to analyse the collected data, focused on frequency analysis, avearage and standard deviation, X2 test. As the results of the study, the most of the surveyed doctors/nurese knew DNR orders and AD and a few of them used DNR orders and AD practically. Also, the result shows that there is a negative conception of meaningless life-prolonging treatment among the responents, in addition, most of them agreed upon the idea of introducing AD to Korea, filling it out and making it legally effective. As a method of making AD out, the respondents wanted to use a form that mixed living will with an Power of Attorney in a document. Also, considering the appropriate time, respondents prefered when they are diagnosed with terminal illness. At the moment, the introductory model for AD, which is suitable for the Korean culture and current situation is presented based on the result of this research. In the future, other researches should deal with specific measures that can lead to a social consensus to adopt AD in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe nursing students' perception of well-dying and knowledge for Advanced Directives. Methods: Nursing students from one university were selected for the research and a survey was carried out during March and April, 2019. A total of 133 nursing students participated in this study. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, $x^2$ test with SPSS statistics 21.0. Results: According to the results, the mean score for perception of well dying was $3.00{\pm}0.31$, and knowledge for Advance Directives was $9.05{\pm}2.20$. Perception of well-dying was significantly different by grade group. Knowledge for Advance Directives was significantly different by pre-education experience. Conclusion: In order to improve the nursing students' knowledge for advanced directives, it is necessary to develop education program and provide them through the total school years.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.227-234
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was done to analyze how a death preparation education program have the effects on awareness of hospice palliative care and withdrawing life sustaining treatment in older adults. Methods: This study employed a non-equivalent control group design among quasi-experimental designs. The experimental group was comprised with 35 adults and the control group with 40 adults. The death preparation program consisted of five two-hour sessions and was administered once a week for five straight weeks. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ${\chi}^2$ test, Fisher's exact test, and ANCOVA using SPSS version 18.0. Results: The mean age of the participants was 66.2 years. A significant difference between the experimental and control groups was observed in withdrawing life sustaining treatment (F=3.380, P=0.040). However, no significant difference was found in awareness of hospice palliative care (F=0.163, P=0.850). Conclusion: The study results indicate that death preparation training could positively affect people's awareness of withdrawing life sustaining treatment. More studies should be conducted to explore effects of death preparation education for all ages and help people better understand hospice palliative care.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.204-214
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed conducted to investigate biomedical ethics awareness and attitudes toward dignified death and advance directives among nursing students. Methods: Data were collected through structured questionnaires from 222 nursing students with clinical practice experience, from November 7 to 23, 2015. Data were analyzed by independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Pearson's correlation coefficients using SPSS WIN 22.0. Results: The scores for biomedical ethics awareness and attitudes toward dignified death were 2.89 and 3.15, respectively. Regarding attitudes toward advance directives (ADs), most students agreed with writing ADs. The main reason given for writing ADs is "I want to receive my treatment of choice." As for the range and explanation method for ADs, 45.7% of participants responded, "do not know well." Regarding willingness toward life sustaining treatment, "only pain control, no life sustaining treatment" was indicated by 83.4% and, "all information about symptoms and prognosis" by 91.9% of participants. For willingness to write ADs, 70.0% of participants responded "yes." Conclusion: Curriculum for nursing ethics should be included in clinical training courses to improve related courses and provide an opportunity to deal with practical problems, such as biomedical ethics, death with dignity, and ADs.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was aimed to analyze how social workers understand the rights for elderly patient and family caregiver to make end-of-life (EOL) care decisions and their roles the decision making process. Methods: The study employed a quantitative research method of collecting data from a structured questionnaire that was filled out by 334 social workers at long-term care facilities. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, mean differences, correlation between variables, using SPSS 20.0 program. Results: The mean score for the understanding the rights to an EOL care decision was $3.46{\pm}0.69$ and of their own roles $3.48{\pm}0.84$. The level of understanding significantly differed by social workers' experience of assisting a process to make an EOL care decision such as advance directives and life sustaining treatment, work experience, and the number of beds. Positive correlation was observed between the level of understanding of the rights for EOL care decisions and of social workers' roles (Pearson r=0.329, P<0.001). Conclusion: This study proposes development of an education program for social workers and devising standards for the EOL care decision making process to protect elderly patients, family caregivers as well as social workers in a long term care facility.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.20-32
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to develop a feasible form of a Korean version of advance directives (K-AD). Methods: Sixteen adults participated in this study: 10 aged 20~50 years and nine aged 65 years or older. Using a draft version of the K-AD, cognitive interview was conducted on the participants to establish a culturally acceptable form of advance directives whose directions can be understood and responded accordingly by the general population. Results: Cognitive interviews revealed areas of concerns for the draft version of K-AD: lack of instructions or clarity for technical and medical terms, context complexity and inadequate response categories. The draft version was revised by rewording, offering examples and rearranging the context. Editorial style was added with appropriate uses of bold fonts, bullet-points and underlines to facilitate interviewees' cognitive responses. Conclusion: Study results feasibility of the revised version of the K-AD. Further study should be performed with a larger number of participants to develop a K-AD with an acceptable level of reliability and validity.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.86-96
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of study was to provide basic data for developing interventions that could help middle-aged adults prepare for dignified death in the future by examining their attitudes toward death and advance directives (AD), and knowledge of AD. Methods: Data were collected through a survey of 211 middle-aged adults from January 28 to February 28, 2019, in a city located in Gangwon Province. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson's correlation coefficient and stepwise linear regression were utilized using SPSS/WINdows 21.0. Results: The average score of the participants' attitudes toward death and AD, and knowledge of AD was 91.82±10.89, 15.53±4.27, 46.00±9.45, respectively. There were positive correlations between attitudes toward dignified death and attitudes toward AD, and knowledge of AD. Factors that influence attitudes toward AD were shown in the order of attitudes toward dignified death, knowledge of AD, and intentions to write AD (Adjusted R²=.24). Conclusion: For the dignified death in the future, it is necessary to provide middle-aged adults with an opportunity to think about the need of AD. In addition, extensive education and promotion of AD are required to correct the misunderstanding of AD.