• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.50-61
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• 2024

Purpose : The aim of this study was to investigate sleep parameters and architecture in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) on the day of abdominal surgery. Methods : A total of ten patients who underwent laparotomy under general anesthesia at the hepatopancreatobiliary surgery department of a general hospital in Busan, South Korea participated in this observational study. We measured total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE), wake after sleep onset (WASO), and sleep stages on their first night in the ICU using the WatchPAT300. Furthermore, we used nonparametric statistics to examine differences in postoperative sleep based on sedative administration. Results : The Median (IQR) TST for the participants was 399.50(263.80) minutes; the SE was 75.1 (30.4)%; the WASO rate was 27.8(30.6)%; and the WASO frequency was 5.50(8.50) times. Patients' rapid eye movement (REM) sleep time was 114.31(87.88) minutes, with 55.8(11.9)% of N1, 18.2(5.3)% of N2, and 24.8 (11.7)% of N3 sleep stages. The sedation group had a longer TST (Z=-2.619, p =.008), higher SE (Z=-2.611, p =.008), lower WASO rate (Z=-2.611, p =.008), smaller number of WASOs (Z=-2.627, p =.008), and longer REM sleep (Z=-2.617, p =.008) compared to the non-sedation group. Conclusion : We observed a high rate of light sleep and awakenings during sleep in patients admitted to the ICU after surgery. Moreover, non-sedated patients lacked either deep or REM sleep. Sleep-improving interventions are needed for non-sedated surgical patients who are admitted to the ICU.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.60-72
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• 2020

Purpose : The aims of this study was to provide basic data to enhance the professional self-concept of nurses in intensive care unit and identify the relationship between job stress, working bullying, self-efficacy and professional self-concept and identify the factors influencing professional self-concept in intensive care unit nurses. Methods : This study was conducted from June to August, 2018 at five general hospitals over 500 beds. Structured questionnaire were completed by 120 nurses who had agreed to understand and participate in the study. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS win 24.0 program. Results : Factors affecting the professional self-concept of the subjects were self-efficacy, working bullying, unsatisfaction and satisfaction of nursing job satisfaction, age. The explanatory power of these variables on professional self-concept was 55.1%. Conclusion : The self-efficacy, working bullying, nursing job satisfaction, and age of the intensive care unit nurses were identified as the major factors influencing the professional self-concept. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and apply an educational program to improve self-efficacy and nursing job satisfaction and reduce working bullying, which are influencing factors of professional self-concept of intensive care unit nurse.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.267-275
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• 2014

Purpose: The practice of enteral nutrition with gastric residual volumes (GRVs) as a clinical indicator is poorly standardized in intensive care units. This study aims to summarize the results from studies that evaluated the clinical outcomes related to the GRVs. Methods: This systematic review study analyzed 11 studies consisting of four randomized controlled trials, one non-randomized controlled trial, and six observational studies. Results: No consistent relationship between GRV thresholds and clinical outcomes was observed. Higher GRVs were not consistently correlated with clinical outcomes such as higher gastrointestinal complications, aspiration pneumonia, or mortality. Higher GRVs significantly generate complications more often. Findings show that a single GRV more than 200 mL or two consecutive GRVs more than 150 mL should raise concern about negative consequences. Conclusion: Critical care nurses need to monitor GRVs closely during their practice of enteral nutrition. For critically ill patients receiving enteral nutrition, a GRV threshold of 200 ml would be a desirable limit to provide safe and adequate nutrition with a conservative approach.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.34-43
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• 2012

Purpose: This study is a descriptive correlational study to examine the effects of spousal supports and self-efficacy on adherent behavior and to describe nursing intervention programs for patients with percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods: The subjects for this study were 120 patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention in H hospital in B city > 6 months. The data was collected from June 1 to September 30, 2010. Spousal supports were measured by the Family Support questionnaire. Self-efficacy was measured by revised Self Efficacy questionnaire. Adherent behavior was measured by revised Adherence Behavior questionnaire. Results: A multiple regression analysis showed that the most significant predictor of adherent behavior was self-efficacy, followed by spousal support, whether the subjects do regular exercise and the type of diagnosis. Conclusion: Findings suggest that intervention focusing on self-efficacy and spousal support will be needed to improve the adherent behavior among patients with percutaneous coronary intervention.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.49-60
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore health care workers awareness and performance of standard precautions. Methods: Participants were 296 health care workers including nurses, physicians, and medical technicians. Awareness and performance of standard precautions were measured with 4-point Likert scales. The data were analyzed with t-tests and one-way ANOVA by using SPSS 18.0. Results: The mean scores of awareness were 3.72 in nurses, 3.62 in physicians, and 3.47 in medical technicians. There was a significant difference of awareness by occupational classification (F=12.39, p<.001). The mean scores of performance of standard precautions were 3.45 in nurses, 3.19 in physicians, and 3.23 in medical technicians. There was a significant difference of performance by occupational classification (F=10.98, p<.001). In addition, the score of performance of standard precautions was significantly lower than that of awareness (t=11.89, p<.001). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that awareness and performance of standard precautions were different by occupational classification. To improve performance of standard precautions in hospitals, it is necessary to provide a distinct infection control program by occupational classification.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.28-36
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the systematic breathing exercise program on recovery of patients with pneumothorax. Methods: An nonequivalent interrupted time-series control group posttest design was used. Participants were 40 inpatients (Experimental Group; 20, Control Group; 20) at the one University Hospital in U city. The systematic breathing exercise program including education on deep breathing exercise using incentive spirometry, Range of motion (ROM) exercise in shoulder joint, walking exercise and feedback were provided to the experimental group, while the control group carried out deep breathing exercise using incentive spirometry. The duration of chest tube insertion, duration of hospitalization, and frequency of analgesics use were measured. The data were analysed by a SPSS/WIN program. Results: The duration of chest tube insertion and duration of hospitalization in the experimental group were significantly shorter than the control group. However, there is no difference of the frequency of analgesics use between the experimental group and control group. Conclusion: The result showed that the systematic breathing exercise program was effective to improve recovery of patients with pneumothorax. This program can be applied in hospitals for patients with pneumothorax as one of the nursing intervention modalities.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2018

Purpose : This study aimed to develop an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the experiences of critical care nurses caring for dying patients. Method : Eleven critical care nurses with experience in caring for dying patients were recruited from four tertiary hospitals. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted between November 2016 and March 2017. The transcribed data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to identify major themes and sub-themes that represented the experiences of critical care nurses. Results : The following six themes, and twelve sub-themes, were identified: (1) the gap between expectation and reality, (2) a distorted meaning of death, (3) repeated emotional pain and stress, (4) finding a solution alone, (5) sublimation into mission and calling, and (6) integration into one's own life. Conclusion : This study found that critical care nurses experience various psychological difficulties while caring for dying patients, and they made efforts on their own to overcome them. These findings are expected to inform the development of specialized programs to support critical care nurses to tackle these challenges, create guidelines on caring for dying patients, and help promote death education.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.55-65
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the attributes, antecedents, and consequences of post-intensive care syndrome. Methods: The study was conducted in accordance with Walker and Avant's conceptual analysis process. We searched the Medline, ProQuest, Google scholar, NANET (Korean National Assembly Library), and RISS (Korean Education and Research Information Service) databases resulting in 29 studies for in-depth review. Results: The attributes of post-intensive care syndrome include (1) new or worsening impairment persisting after discharge, (2) physical impairment, (3) psychological impairment, (4) cognitive impairment, and (5) symptom experience. The antecedents of the concept include a critical condition that requires intensive care, stressful events, immobility, sedation, delirium, insomnia, frailty, and invasive procedures. The consequences of post-intensive care syndrome are increased dependency in activities of daily life, decreased social interaction, delayed return to previous occupation, decreased quality of life, familial post-intensive care syndrome, and readmission/death. Conclusion: The concept of post-intensive care syndrome has multifaceted and integrative features. Further research needs to be conducted to develop a measurement tool that reflects the attributes of the concept and to develop multidisciplinary interventions to prevent post-intensive care syndrome.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.43-54
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• 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the effects of education, using a relocation information guidebook, on the family caregivers of patients who were scheduled to be transferred from a neurosurgical intensive care unit to a general ward. Methods: They were divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 21) and a control group (n = 20). A relocation information guidebook was created based on a literature review and an interview with five family caregivers about how to satisfy their needs. The collected data were analyzed with a ${\chi}^2$ test, Fisher's exact test, paired t-test, and t-test. Results: The effect of education, using the relocation information guidebook, on the family caregivers of patients who were relocated to a general ward from the neurosurgical intensive care unit was not significant for relocation stress (t = 0.94p, = .352) or anxiety (t = 1.25, p = .217), but was significant for education satisfaction (t = -2.50, p = .017). Conclusion: There were no differences in relocation stress and anxiety scores between the control and experimental groups. However, several methodological issues were highlighted that must be considered in future research, including the timing and measurement of transfer anxiety, and the intervention itself.

• 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.