• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2004

Purpose: A quantitative descriptive study aimed to identify the relationships between spiritual well-being and perception attitudes of death in nursing students. Methods: A survey was conducted and 175 data were collected. Collected data were computed and analyzed using SPSS10.0 for Win. 1) Descriptive statistics were used to identify demographic data, and 2) both t-test and ANOVA statistics were used to figure out the relationships between spiritual well-being /or perception attitudes of death and demographic data of the participants. 3) Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to identify the relationships between the two main variables. Results: 1) The mean of spiritual well-being score of the participants was $50.9943{\pm}10.7235$. Significant relationships between religion /or doing economic activity and spiritual well-being were found. 2) The mean of perception attitudes of death was $20.4914{\pm}2.6280$. There were significant relationships between gender /or age and perception attitudes of death among participants. 3) A strong positive relationship between spiritual well-being and perception attitudes of death of participants was also found(r=.261, P=.000). Conclusion: The study results shows that spiritual well-being of nursing students as caregivers of terminal patients is important when the perception of death of terminal patients is considered. Previous studies indicate that caregivers' perception attitudes impact on those of terminal patients. Therefore, it is suggested that not only perception attitudes of death and spiritual well-being in terminal patients, but also those of caregivers are importantly required to consider in educational programs in relation to spiritual care of terminal patients.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2003

Purpose : This study was conducted to develop primary assessment tools to evaluate the relationship between symptom prevalence and symptom distress in cancer patients of Korea. Methods : A total of 196 patients diagnosed with cancer admitted in 5 general hospitals from January, 6 to January, 20 in 2003, were entered into the study. These patients were asked to complete the MSAS (Memorial symptom assessment scale). We classified these answers into prevalence and distress and then scored them according to grade and frequency. Results : The five most prevalent symptoms were lack of energy (82.1%), dry mouth (73.5%), pain (73.5%), itching (72.4%), and feeling drowsy (68.9%). Among 24 common prevalent symptoms, the ten most distress the symptoms were dry mouth (2.11), itching (2.07), pain (2.03), lack of energy (1.98), difficulty sleeping (1.96), worrying (1.94), "I don't look like myself" (1.91), constipation (1.88), and difficulty concentration (1.76). Conclusion : These 10 symptoms had high prevalence and distress in cancer patients of Korea. We suggest these symptoms to be applied in developing the primary assessment tool in cancer patients.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2003

This paper addresses the minor differences in the description of pain in Korean language in order to develop a standarized cancer pain aneument tool for Korean adults, Korean Caancer Pain Assessement Tool. The subtle differences in the meaning of expressions used cannot be translated into English and therefore we omiltted the English abstract.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2001

Background : Many analgesics are used to relieve the pain of various causes. Among these, $Myprodol^{(R)}$, a combination analgesic with codeine, ibuprofen and paracetamol, was recently used as a new analgesics. This study was performed to survey the kinds of diseases, side effects and pain relief effect of $Myprodol^{(R)}$ in clincal practice. Methods : This retrograde study surveyed the medical records of 183 patients treated with $Myprodol^{(R)}$ at Pain Clinic, Pusan National University Hospital. From medical records, the disease entities, the pain characteristics, duration of $Myprodol^{(R)}$ medication, the analgesic effect and side effects were evaluated. Results : $Myprodol^{(R)}$ is used in the treatment of cancer pain (64.3%) and non-cancer pain (35.7%). Among side effects of $Myprodol^{(R)}$ medication, nausea with vomiting, constipation and generalized edema were common in cancer pain, but epigatric pain was common in non cancer pain. $Myprodol^{(R)}$ was more effective in non cancer pain than cancer pain. Conclusions: $Myprodol^{(R)}$ was used in cancer and non-cancer pain patients. In cancer pain patients, $Myprodol^{(R)}$ was effective in early cancer pain but, not effective in advanced cancer. $Myprodol^{(R)}$ was also used and effective in non-malignant benign chest pain, lumbago, post-operative pain.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.208-218
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• 2015

Purpose: Although a Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order is widely in use, it is one of the challenging issues in end-of-life care. This study was conducted to investigate attitudes toward DNR according to education and clinical experience. Methods: Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising 30 items in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, Korea. Results: Participants were 238 nurses and 72 physicians. Most participants (99%) agreed to the necessity of DNR for reasons such as dignified death (52%), irreversible medical condition (23%) and patients' autonomy in decision making (19%). Among all, 33% participants had received education about DNR and 87% had DNR experience. According to participants' clinical DNR experience, their attitudes toward DNR significantly differed in terms of the necessity of DNR, timing of the DNR consent and post-DNR treatments including antibiotics. However, when participants were grouped by the level of DNR education, no significant difference was observed except in the timing of the DNR consent. Conclusion: This study suggests that the attitudes toward DNR were more affected by clinical experience of DNR rather than education. Therefore, DNR education programs should involve clinical settings.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.196-207
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• 2015

Purpose: We comprehensively analyzed domestic studies on the effects of death preparation education in order to present objective data. Methods: Meta-analysis was conducted with a total of 22 master's and doctoral theses published between 2004 and 2014. Results: According to our analysis, the death preparation education had a mid-size effect. The effect size of a moderator variable was the greatest in infants and children, and the effect size was bigger in younger ages. The effect size was the greatest when education was given through a total of 10~15 sessions, twice a week, and less than 60 minutes per session. The effect variable and death-related variable showed a significant effect size, and sub-variables were equivalent to the death-related variable with a biggest effect size. Non-death related variables had a mid-level effect size and sub-variables were found to have the highest ego integrity. Conclusion: The significance of this study lies its systematic integration of advanced research on the effects of death preparation education through meta-analysis. By suggesting guidelines for the design of a death preparation education program, evidence-based basic data were proposed which will more likely strengthen intervention effects. Based on these results, more studies are needed to develop and extensively carry out a death preparation program which can meet needs of specific age groups from children to seniors.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.188-195
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• 2015

Purpose: We examined the effects of a well-dying program on nursing students in terms of death preparation, death recognition and perception of well-dying perception. Methods: The design of this study was quasi-experimental and non-synchronized with a non-equivalent control group. The study was conducted with nursing students: 32 in the experimental group and 36 in the control group. The well-dying program was consisted of five sessions: introduction, thinking about meaning of death, organizing things to do before dying, looking back on my life, and leaving a trail of my life. Descriptive analysis, t-test, ${\chi}^2$ test and ANCOVA were used with SPSS 18.0 program to analyze the data. Results: After attending the program, a difference was observed in death preparation of the experimental group (t=2.61, P=0.014). The death recognition (F=154.15, P<0.001) score of the experimental group was significantly higher than the control group. There was no significant difference between the groups in perception of well-dying (F=0.11, P=0.747). Conclusions: The well-dying program helped nursing students build positive death recognition. Therefore, this study is expected to contribute to development of a death education program for nursing students.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.204-211
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• 2011

Purpose: This study used a nonequivalent control group pre-post test design to analyze how a death preparation education program helps middle-aged adults deal with life and death anxiety. Methods: We studied 83 adults at the age of 40 to 65 years. An experimental group of 38 people participated in the death preparation education, and a control group of 45 people did not. The death preparation program comprising four sections was given for four hours per week, and the program ran for 11 weeks. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ${\chi}^2$ test, Fisher's exact test, and ANCOVA using SPSS version 17.0. Results: The death anxiety score of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.000). The quality of life did not show significant difference between the experimental and control groups (P=0.188). Conclusion: It was confirmed that the death preparation education program is effective in alleviating death anxiety. Although the program was confirmed as a necessity for the middle-aged adults, repeated observations with a wider range of experimental group is needed to collect objective and solid data. Death preparation education for middle-aged adults is expected to be more widely provided, starting from local health facilities.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.158-162
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• 2018

Breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) is one of the most intractable complications after surgery. Patients suffer from physical impairment, as well as psychological depression. Moreover, a recent study revealed that cellulitis significantly increased the risk of BCRL, and cellulitis has been suggested as a risk factor of BCRL development. We describe a patient treated with stellate ganglion blocks (SGBs) without steroid for relief of symptoms and reduction of the arm circumference of breast cancer-related infectious lymphedema in a month. We measured the arm circumference at four locations; 10 cm and 5 cm above and below the elbow crease, numeric rating scale (NRS) score, lymphedema and breast cancer questionnaire (LBCQ) score on every visit to the pain clinic. A serial decrease of the arm circumference and pain score were observed after second injection. In the middle of the process, cellulitis recurred, we performed successive SGBs to treat infectious lymphedema. The patient was satisfied with the relieved pain and swelling, especially with improved shoulder range of motion as it contributes to better quality of life. This case describes the effects of SGB for infectious BCRL patients. SGB could be an alternative or ancillary treatment for infectious BCRL patients.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.30-38
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• 2019

Purpose: This study analyzed a path through which factors influencing death anxiety in the community-dwelling elderly, assuming personal organismic factors and microsystemic factors based on the ecology model purported by Belsky (1980). Methods: This study was performed with 189 elderly people. Data were collected through a self-report questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the SPSS and AMOS programs. Results: The factors influencing death anxiety in the elderly were depression, family support, social network, and familism value, and the explanatory power of these variables was 22%. Death anxiety increased with higher depression, higher familism value, larger social network, and lower family support. Spiritual well-being and elderly discrimination experience had indirect effects on death anxiety, and these effects were mediated by depression. Conclusion: Depression, family support, social network, and familism value were found to influence death anxiety in the elderly, and the strongest effect came from depression. To reduce death anxiety in the elderly, it is important to improve their relationship with their family and friends. Moreover, support should be provided by establishing local systems, and intervention should be provided to alleviate depression.