• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.256-261
• /
• 2016

Radiation therapy is an effective modality to alleviate cancer-related symptoms. To deliver radiation accurately, it is essential to secure stability of the treatment position in patients during each treatment time. However, some patients could be less cooperative due to their psychoemotional issues. We present two cases of terminal-stage cancer patients who were initially unable to lie still on the treatment table before simulation. A relaxation technique was taught to them on the bed, and they could relax and undergo radiation therapy with effective symptom relief.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.156-165
• /
• 2019

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify subjective attitudes towards terminal patients in nursing students who had clinical practice. The types of subjective attitude were classified by applying Q methodology. According to those types, basic reference data for the development of educational programs were provided. Methods: Thirty-four final Q samples were selected, and Q classification with a nine-point scale was performed with P samples of 43 nursing students. A key factor analysis was conducted with the collected data using the PC QUANAL program. Results: Nursing students' attitudes towards terminal patients were grouped into three types. The total variable was 49.96%. Students with Type 1 ("wish for life-sustaining medical treatment") thought that terminal patients accurately understood their medical condition and wanted to prolong their lives. Others with Type 2 ("need for service and support") believed that a multidisciplinary nursing system needs to be established to help terminal patients prepare for death. Students with Type 3 ("awareness and acceptance of death") thought that terminal patients wanted to die with dignity at a hospice unit. Conclusion: This study analyzed various types of attitude towards terminal patients, as perceived by nursing students with clinical training experience. Development of educational programs for each attitude type analyzed in this study could contribute to systematic training programs for nursing students caring for terminal patients.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.17-39
• /
• 2017

This study aimed to review Korean-written and English-written studies on music interventions for family caregivers of patients in medical settings. Electronic databases were searched for studies published through 2016, using the keywords of music intervention, family caregivers, and specified settings. A total of 43 studies, five Korean-written and 38 English-written studies, were selected. The results showed that caregivers were the sole participants in five studies (family-only), and caregivers and patients co-participated in 38 studies (family-patient). While diversified types of family participation were included in the English-written studies dating back to the late 1980s, the Korean-written studies were the only ones to include patients as co-participants with their caregivers. Studies with family-only participation tended to be conducted in palliative care units and usually included the spouses of the patients. Meanwhile, studies with family-patient participation tended to be conducted in NICU or cancer units and usually included the parents of the patients. Furthermore, studies with family-only participation tended to apply passive music activities, and those with family-patient participation tended to use active music activities. The results of this study present baseline data on how family-centered care can be included in music interventions in medical settings in Korea, suggesting future studies to systematically analyze music interventions for family caregivers in terms of diversified patient- and caregiver-related factors.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.20 no.10
• /
• pp.243-249
• /
• 2019

This study examined the patient's advantage and respect self-decision to protect human dignity and values, who are on the pathway of the hospice palliative care and death process. The study subjects were the elderly who had signed the advance medical directives at C Christian religious facilities in S region. The survey period was started on July 1st, 2019 and lasted for ten days. The study resulted in four topics and eight sub-topics on the motivation for preparing advanced medical directives. The four topics were 'for children', 'fear of pain', 'want to clear my life', 'felt the necessity', and the sub-topics were 'don't want to make a burden to children', 'don't want to make a worry of medical expenses', 'fear of pain', 'have experience of taking caring of painful death process', 'relaxed mind', 'importance of self-decision', 'have known it before but now decided', and 'it is the new information and decided'. This research is meaningful in that it can form the basis for improving well-dying education programs for the good death of the elderly and supplementing effective systems for preparing advance medical directives.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.45-51
• /
• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the factors surrounding burnout of nurses caring for cancer patients. Methods: The sample of this study was conveniently selected among nurses who had hospice care experiences working in General Hospitals located in Seoul. This study was conducted by a self-administered questionnaire. Two hundred forty four questionnaires were retrieved and the response rate was 81.3%. The period of data collection was from February 25th to March 5th in 1994. Mean, standard deviation, T-test ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis were performed for statistical analysis. Results: The data showed that respondents reported to have burnout as many as 2.71 out of a 5.0 score. Bivariate analyses indicated that those who had hospice education reported to have a lower burnout than those without hospice education. Multivariate regression analyses revealed factors associated with burnout the nurses have had. They include being a Christian, higher job satisfaction, and experiences of hospice education. Hospice education reducing burnout for the nurses was observed by hierarchial multiple regression analyses, after controlling out the effect of coping methods, sociodemographic characteristics, job satisfaction, and job-related stresses on experience of burnout. This observation was not hue for physical and psychological burnout but for burnout in general and emotional one. But this was not confirmed among the nurses with type A personality. Conclusion: The findings of this study have a weakness in generalizability due to the sampling methodology used in this study. However, for the better hospice care further research with a probability sampling method are necessary.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.278-288
• /
• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze types of shared medical decision making by health professionals in a decision making position. Methods: The Q-methodology was used. Q sample was constructed with a total of 35 Q-statements that were offered with a 9-point rating scale. The statements were structured to generate answers that would form a shape of a normal distribution. Answers to Q sample were analyzed using a QUANL PC program. Results: Four types of shared medical decision making were identified. Type I is patient-centered decision making, Type II is physician-centered, Type III is health professional-centered and Type IV is patient-family-centered. Conclusion: Study results indicate that it is recommended to develop an education program based on the four types of shared medical decision making so that health professionals can be provided with different approaches according to their decision making style.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.211-221
• /
• 2016

Purpose: Dignity therapy is a very effective intervention to improve the dignity of end-stage patients. A concept analysis by Walker and Avant (2005) was adopted to define, describe, and delimitate the concept of dignity therapy. Methods: Nursing literature in the National Digital Science Links (NDSL) and Medline database were searched for the definitions of "dignity" and "dignity therapy". Definitions, uses, and defining attributes of dignity therapy were identified; model and contrary cases were developed; and antecedents, consequences, and empirical references were determined. Results: Through dignity therapy patients and their families share their stories, and that in turn improves the quality of life and death. Five attributes were identified: higher quality of life and death, therapeutic conversation, respect of human dignity and worth, expressing thoughts about life and death and systematic process. Conclusion: Patients at the end of their lives feel more comfortable about death. Hospice care providers should try to protect dignity of patients in their care. The attributes of the dignity therapy clarified in this study should be applied for terminally ill patients to improve their quality of life and death.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.223-231
• /
• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore how nurses' attitude toward dignified death and moral sensitivity affect their end-of-life care performance. Methods: Study participants were 172 nurses who work at university hospitals in a metropolitan city in Korea. Data were collected from June 20 through August 13, 2012 using the Dignified Death Scale, Moral Sensitivity Scale, and End-of-Life Care Performance Scale. Data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 19.0 program. Results: Factors affecting nurses' end-of-life care performance included moral sensitivity, dignified death and education level. Conclusion: Moral sensitivity, dignified death and education level should be considered when developing an educational program for nurses' end-of-life care performance.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.115-123
• /
• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify how nursing students' awareness of biomedical ethics and ethical values affect their attitudes towards a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order. Methods: This cross-sectional correlation study was conducted with 275 nursing students enrolled at two universities in North Chungcheong Province and North Gyeongsang Province of South Korea. Data were collected in April 2017 using a self-reported questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression with the SPSS/WIN 23.0 program. Results: The students' attitudes towards DNR were positively correlated with attitudes that seek ethical values but negatively correlated with their biomedical ethics awareness. The explained variance for attitudes towards DNR was 20%, which was significant (F=13.01, P<0.001). Conclusion: These findings suggest that nursing students' biomedical ethics awareness and ethical values were associated with their attitudes towards DNR. Curriculum organization and various educational programs should be developed and applied to help nursing students develop ethical values and awareness of biomedical ethics.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.212-217
• /
• 2011

Purpose: Since 2005, the Ministry of Health & Welfare has provided financial support to promote palliative care for terminal cancer patients. We analyzed how palliative care facilities used the funding between 2006 and 2010. Methods: Frequency analysis was conducted by the item of expenditure based on fiscal reports of the palliative care facilities. Linear regression analysis was performed to examine a trend over time. Kruskal-Wallis test and Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to compare expenditure items, the number of provision of financial support and type of palliative care units. Results: About a half of the fund was spent to pay care givers salary, improve facilities and purchase equipment regardless of the year, the number of financial support provided or facility type. By year, the operation cost for palliative care program and the education cost for health care workers have significantly increased in linear regression analysis (P<0.01). However, the amount of financial support for the low income group has decreased over years (P=0.024). This trend was affected by evaluation criteria and weight. Conclusion: The government aid for palliative care units has been used to improve facilities and equipment. Moreover, desirable changes were noted such as a higher portion of expenses for program operation and care giver training to enhance the quality of care. However, the evaluation criteria need to be adjusted to prevent any further decrease in the support provided to the low income group.