• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.87-98
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• 2023

Purpose : This descriptive survey investigated the effects of clinical nurses' critical reflection competency, professional pride, and person-centered care practices on patient safety management activities. Methods : The participants were 183 clinical nurses working at a tertiary hospital in South Korea. The questionnaires consisted of the Critical Reflection Competency Scale for Clinical Nurses Professional Pride the Person-Centered Nursing Assessment Tool and Patient Safety Management Activities. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Tukey's HSD, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression using SPSS 29.0. Results : The mean score for patient safety management activities was 4.65±0.34 out of 5. There were significant differences in patient safety management activities according to age (F=3.90, p =.010), education level (t=-2.56, p =.013), total work experience (F=3.87, p =.010), and the number of healthcare accreditation system experiences (F=5.22, p =.006). Patient safety management activities were positively correlated with critical reflection competency (r=.337, p <.001), professional pride (r=.271, p <.001), and person-centered care practices (r=.399, p <.001). The results indicated that person-centered care practices affected patient safety management activities (𝛽=.358, p <.001) with the explanatory power of 22.5%. Conclusion : To improve clinical nurses' patient safety management activities, it is necessary to develop participatory educational programs that can integrate skills and attitudes based on conceptual knowledge of person-centered care. Intervention studies are needed to test the effect of person-centered care on patient safety when applied in clinical practice.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.109-122
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• 2023

Purpose : This study aims to explore nursing activities after the decision to discontinue life-sustaining treatment, awareness of a good death, and perception of life-sustaining treatment decisions among nurses in intensive care units (ICUs) at tertiary general hospitals. Methods : Participants were 173 nurses working in two tertiary general hospitals. The data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using an independent t-test, paired t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé's test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results : Participants were 173 nurses working in two tertiary hospitals. The nursing activity increase was the greatest in the spiritual domain, and the physical domain was where the activities decreased the most. There were significant associations between Awareness of good death (Clinical) and Perception of life-sustaining treatment decision(r=.26, p <.001), Awareness of good death (Closure) and Perception of life-sustaining treatment decision(r=.36, p <.001), and Awareness of good death (Personal control) and Perception of life-sustaining treatment decision(r=.49, p <.001). Conclusion : Based on the results, systematic education programs and job training are required to improve the awareness regarding good death and perception of life-sustaining treatment decision for nurses in ICUs where discontinuing life-sustaining treatment decisions are made.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 2023

Purpose : This study explores the professional status of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) in Korea, who, despite being legally certified, face instability in their professional standing, including their scope of practice and compensation. Method : The study uses Flexner's professional characteristics as a framework to analyze and project the future trajectory of Korean APNs. Results : First, to ensure social accountability, professional bodies need to establish uniform nursing policies related to job roles, and healthcare institutions must adhere to these policies. Second, nursing leaders should spearhead the creation of nursing knowledge essential for the profession's advancement, aiming to establish it as the foundation for nursing practice through a consensus process within the nursing community. Third, the curriculum for APNs should enhance the quantitative and qualitative aspects of practice in response to societal needs. Fourth, professional bodies should formulate consistent nursing policies based on a thorough analysis of the healthcare environment and legal considerations, and guide their implementation in clinical practice through a consensus process within the nursing community. Lastly, guidelines should be established for professional standards suitable for the Korean context. Conclusion : Based on this review, it is recommended that all APNs adhere to the professional standards set by their respective organizations, actively participate in personal quality improvement initiatives, and fulfill their duties and roles as members of these professional bodies. Furthermore, these organizations should devise practical strategies to solidify the APN system and should spearhead a systematic consensus process that garners the agreement of all members within the nursing community.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.343-352
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• 2000

Backgrounds : Respiratory care for patients in intensive care units (ICUs) has been performed mainly by nurses in Korea. However, the current status of respiratory care in the Korea ICUs is not well known. Respiratory care and the methods of delivery in ICUs were surveyed. Method : A confidential questionnaire was distributed to the head nurses working the ICUs at 117 hospitals in Korea. One hundred hospitals returned the questionnaires, for a response rate of 85%. The hospitals were divided into three groups : Main university hospitals (MUH), university associated hospitals (UAH), and general hospitals (GH) Result : Eighteen units of 66 units in MUH and 35 units of 58 units in GH were organized as a general ICUs. The percentage of ICUs with full-time doctors was 47.1%. The nurses usually delivered respiratory care spending from 1 to 4 h during their 8 h of working time. Although the respondents felt that respiratory care should be delivered by trained respiratory therapists, these therapists were not found at the hospitals. Most of the units performed percussion, tracheal suctioning, and positional changes. However, vibration and IPPB were less frequently performed in GH. Among oxygen supply apparatus, venturi mask and T-piece were not frequently used in GH. GH applied a noninvasive ventilator mode less frequently than MUH and UAH. The percentage of Swan-Ganz catheter monitoring was only 21.4% in GH. Conclusion : Respiratory care for patients in the Korean ICUs was provided by nurses on the whole. In addition, there were many differences in the level of respiratory care according to the type of hospital. To overcome the current problems revealed, an effective in-hospital training program for the development of full-time respiratory care therapists should be established urgently in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.26-36
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• 2021

Purpose : This study aimed to present the incidence of pressure ulcers and identify different associated factors according to the time of occurrence of pressure ulcers in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods : The participants were 313 patients who reported pressure ulcers among 2,908 patients in ICUs at a large tertiary hospital in Gyeonggi-do. Among them, 220 patients (70.3%) had a pressure ulcer before admission, and 93 patients (29.7%) reported newly developed pressure ulcers after admission to the ICU. Data were collected between August 2018 and April 2019. Along with the time of occurrence and characteristics of pressure ulcers, diverse associated factors were gathered through electronic medical records. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and 𝑥²-tests. Results : Different risk factors associated with pressure ulcers in ICU patients according to the time of occurrence were main diagnosis, score of acute physiology and chronic health evaluation, score of Richmond agitation sedation scale, level of consciousness, administered sedatives, use of a ventilator, insertion of a feeding tube, and the duration of fasting period. Conclusion : Based on the results of this study, healthcare providers, especially ICU nurses, should try to detect early signs and symptoms of pressure ulcers, taking into account the derived factors associated with pressure ulcers in ICU patients. Practical intervention programs and strategies considering the factors associated with pressure ulcers must be developed to prevent and alleviate such ulcers in ICU patients in the future.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.35-49
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• 2019

Purpose : This study aimed to propose a common scope of practice (SOP) for 13 specialties of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) in Korea. Methods : The first draft of a common SOP was extracted from domestic and international laws with a literature review by 17 experts from the Korean Association of Advanced Practice Nurses (KAAPN). Then, the common SOP was finalized after comparing the activities of APNs in clinical settings. Results : A total of 70 duties were identified and six categories were suggested for the common SOP. The SOP proposed by the KAAPN featured the following: 1) identification of and discrimination between health problems; 2) prescription and implementation of diagnostic tests; 3) treatment of injuries and diseases while implementing measures to prevent exacerbation; 4) prescription of medicinal products in line with 1) to 3); 5) referral and consultation; and 6) education and counseling. It was then confirmed that the proposed six categories in the common SOP reflected all the duties performed by APNs in clinical practice, including all 40 activities. Conclusion : The results of this study can be used as evidence for the legalization of a common SOP for APNs. Given the increasing multidisciplinary team approach adopted in Korean hospitals, it may be desirable to establish a broader SOP to reflect the diverse duties of APNs.