• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.52-61
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• 2015

Objectives: Because recently hospital had to faced with financial hardship, we have to have more effective hospital management. The purpose of this study was to reduce loss costs of the hospital through the systematic management of medical supplies and increase operational efficiency. Methods: The team was composed of outpatient nursing staff, medical record administrator, nurses in medical insurance, medical computer center, dermatologists for this study. We surveyed for 114 people including outpatient nursing staff, nurse aids, medical assistant, physician assistant. Pre-survey period was 2013.03.11 ~ 03.30(2 weeks), and post-survey period was 2013.09.03 ~ 09.17(2 weeks). Result: We improved this way through the computational improvement, conservation campaigns, inventory management, staff training, replaced by low-cost medical supplies. The finding of this study were as follows: Comparing before and after the activity of outpatient nursing staff's degree of knowledge, performance, economic consciousness, the degree of knowledge, performance was increased, but there was no significant change in economic consciousness. Performance of Married person is higher than the unmarried, In addition, the high-position people were more the degree of knowleage, economic consciousness. After activity, correlation of goods and treatment, examinations is increasing, but statistically there was no mean. Conclusion: This study revealed that knowledge in a short period of activity, but also can improve, perform the same change in behavior is not easy. This one shows the intensive training required to sustained and systematic behavioral changes, such as changes in behavior, perform rituals to help the economy. Expensive medical supplies to replace a similar effect as the cost of materials just to have a lot of cost savings. Therefore, more medical supplies change is necessary to develop alternative treatment and cost cutting.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.155-163
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• 2005

The purpose of this exploratory study was to assess work performance of dental hygienists and identify factors influencing their work performance. A questionnaire was administered to 87 dental hygienists working dental clinics based in Ulsan during the period from June 2005 through July 2005. A total of 77 questionnaires were collected and used for analysis. SPSS 11.5 program was employed for statistical analysis. All data were expressed in terms of numbers, percentage and mean score. The results of the study are summarized as follows: 1. There was a significantly positive correlation between age and the level of work performance in the Scientific competency group and Esthetical competency group. 2. Unmarried dental hygienists demonstrated better work performance than married dental hygienists in Scientific, Esthetical and Personal competency groups, showing a statistically significant difference. 3. By education level, those with junior college degree had better work performance than those who are attending or graduated from college in the four groups. By workplace, those who were working at non-general hospitals demonstrated a higher level of performance in the three groups except the Ethical group, but the difference was not statistically significant. 4. A significantly positive relationship was observed between monthly pay and work performance in the Scientific, Personal and Esthetical competency groups. 5. A positive relationship was observed between work experience and performance in the Scientific competency group. But there was no difference between work experience and performance in the other three groups. 6. By working environment, those who were working with assistant nurses showed a higher level of performance than those working without assistant nurses in the Scientific competency group, and the difference was statistically significant.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.583-595
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• 2014

Hospitals in Korea have been increasingly using physician assistants (PA) as an alternative way of dealing with the shortage of residents. However, some incidents of a Physician's Assistant practicing beyond their legal scope require closer examination of the current PA's roles and functions. This study is a web-based survey designed towards targeting physician assistants in Korea (KPA) who practice delegated tasks under a physician's license. Currently, there are 2,125 KPAs working in 141 general hospitals and medical centers. Data from 704 nurses from who responded to the questionnaire were analyzed with descriptive statistics using the SPSS 12.0 program. Their mean age is 32.5 years with 8-10 years of clinical experiences, with males being more likely to be a PA. Despite of KPAs providing medical services and performing invasive procedures, only 13% of KPAs are licensed APNs (advanced practice nurse). KPAs have a low job satisfaction due to a lack of rewards and the necessity for providing illegal practices, and are experiencing identity confusion. The current KPA system is a transitional product of the change from the hierarchial structure to a more collaborative relationship between the medical and nursing departments. Providing adequate education and training, establishing protocols with legal protection, and developing professional independent scope of care are recommended to deliver safe and efficient medical services.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.31-45
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• 2003

This study is designed to produce basic data on the nursing intervention between infants and mothers after discharge from hospitals. This research is carried by investigating the nursing intervention during their after-delivery staying in the hospitals located in Pusan. The object of this study includes the neonatal wards of 51 hospitals. Data collection was carried from the 3rd of September, 2001 to the 4th of October in the same year. Tools for measurement using in this research is the nursing checklist designed by these researchers. The data were analyzed by using SPSS and the output was produced in frequency and percentage considering general characteristics and nursing activities. On the course of investigation, it was revealed that the average number of items checked are as follows; total beds in one hospital came up to 360.1, the beds in each newborn infant ward came up to 36.1, in each ward the numbers of incubators came up to 9.2 and intensive care unit to 1.7. In each ward 8.4 nurses and 2.9 nurse aids were working at that time. In each hospital, secure of air way, physical examination, eye care, umbilical cord care, maintenance of body temperature, identification of infant, nutritive condition, safety and danger management, infection management, mother-infantile interaction, medical assistant to doctor, medication and discharge education were comparatively well done. But, in case of emotional, social and cognitive aspect of nursing activities through interactions between newborn infants and nurses as substitutes are not reached to the adequate level. In the end, this study hereby suggests that further investigation on the device to facilitate the interaction between newborn infant and nurse as a nursing intervention of high quality.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.129-137
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• 2008

Purpose: To examine the effects on skin injury, pain, and anxiety when nurses and children simultaneous wash their hands before IV injections. Method: A nonequivalent control group, non-synchronized design study was used with 61 children. For a month and a half, children in the experimental group(30) following hand-washing guidelines, washed their hands with nurses before IV insertion. Anxiety and pain were observed and recorded during IV insertion using the Anxiety Reaction Scale and FACES pain scale. After 48-72 hours on IV therapy with an arm-board, skin condition was checked by a research assistant according to guidelines for assessing skin injury developed by the researcher. t-test, ${\chi}^2$-test, Pearson correlation, and Kendall's tau b were used to analyze data with the SPSS program. Results: Children who washed their hands with the nurse before IV insertion showed less pain (p =.021) and skin injury (p <.001) compared to the control group. Conclusion: This finding suggests that simultaneous hand washing by nurse and child before IV injection has a strong effect on skin injury caused by arm-boards used to maintain IV therapy as well as on pain during IV insertion. This program demonstrates an effective intervention to prevent skin injuries in children on IV therapy.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.65-76
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• 2013

Purpose: To identify an associations between health care workers' uniforms and health care-associated infection. Methods: Electronic databases, including Ovid-Medline, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, EMBASE, KMbase, and KoreaMed, were searched. The search terms included doctor, nurse, health care worker/staff/assistant, clothing, (white) gown, uniform, (neck)tie, and attire. Only papers published in English and Korean were included. Results: 16 studies were selected from 1,900 references screened. All of the studies were non-comparative studies except for one. Four were conducted with doctors, six with nurses, one with health care workers including physiotherapists and one for medical staff plus visitors in a neonatal intensive care unit. Doctors more frequently changed their uniforms than neckties; therefore, the degree of contamination was more serious in neckties. The cuff zone was more likely to be heavily contaminated than other areas of long-sleeve gowns. Coats become contaminated quickly once worn, and colony counts reached a similar level within the first few hours after wearing them. Wearing a plastic apron or protective clothing did not prevent the bacterial contamination of nurses' uniforms, and the best way to decrease the contamination was changing to newly laundered uniforms before starting every duty. Conclusion: Healthcare workers' uniforms are a potential source of health care-associated infection although there was no robust evidence. The government must establish standards for laundering of uniforms or a requirement for institutions to provide a laundering service for healthcare workers' uniforms.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.109-117
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to identify the effect of a self-exercise program on low back pain, abdominal-back muscle strength and waist flexibility in hospital nurses. Method: An experimental research design was employed. 43 subjects (20 in the experimental group and 23 in the control group) who worked in a general hospital in W city agreed to participate in this study. The intervention had 6 sessions with self-exercise program including flexion and extension demonstrated by a trained research assistant. A Visual Analog Scale was used to measure the subjective pain severity. Abdominal-back muscle strength was measured with a back strength dynamometer, while waist flexibility was gauged by the standing of the subject's upper body. Analysis included descriptive statistics, $x^2$ test, t-test and ANOVA. Result: The experimental group exhibited significantly decreased low back pain, an increase in abdominal-back muscle strength, and increased waist flexibility after 6 sessions. The experimental group were not significantly increased in abdominal-back muscle strength than the control group. Conclusion: These results suggest that further research is needed to replicate for verification of clinical validity with the methodological rigors, and to utilize the self-exercise program for care and prevention of low back pain.

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.5
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• pp.20-31
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• 1998

The purpose of this study was to develop the framework of community-based home care nursing delivery system, and to examine the validity of it. For these, home care nursing study team of College of Nursing, Seoul National University has studied home care nursing system since September, 1996, and has operated home care center since August, 1997. This study has been supported by the Korean Sience Foundation. We organized Committee of rules, and Clinical specialist consultant group for more efficient running of the home care center. In nursing station, research assistant controlled general work, and 5 home care nurses were hired for home visiting. We developed the Standards for operations, that included criteria for clients, central supply system of nursing materials, central management of nursing care cost, advertisement, patient referral system, and so forth. In our center, 108 patients enrolled, and neurologic disorders including cerebrovascular accident, and cancer were the most prevailing diseases. We tried to overcome the limitations of hopital -based home care, and to provide more accessible, efficient, safe, and stable home care nursing. Therefore, we were referred clients from patients and families, public health care center, industries, as well as from hospitals. Meanwhile, we developed home care recording system and assessment-intervention algorithm for various diseases for quality control and standardization. Also, we did continuing education, and tried to detect problems and to find solutions by regular meeting between the committee of rules and home care nurses. As the results of this study, several limitations of operation were found. First, it was difficult to manage and communicate with the doctor in the emergency situation, Second, we spent too much time for trasnsportation, because only five nurses covered all areas of Seoul and nearby cities. Third, preparation for special care of home care nurses were lacked. Forth, criteria for termination of care and frequency of home visit were ambiguous. Fifth, some difficulties were found in retrospective payment system. And finally, interconnection with home care machinery company were needed. Strategies for solving these problems were suggested.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.384-395
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• 2013

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the nurse's image and role projected in media and perceived by elementary, middle and high school students. Methods: Data were collected from 544 students in J city, Korea during December 2010 to February 2011. The nurse's image was measured by the instrument developed by Yang (1998). Nursing experiences and nurse's role in media was measured by self-administered questionnaires with 8 questions. Statistical analysis was made with t-test and ANOVA using SPSS win 18.0. Result: The score on personal image was the highest, while the score on social image was the lowest. Elementary school students reported a positive image compared with middle and high school students. Male students had a more positive image than female students. Of various media, students had more experiences related to nurses from TV rather than internet sites, books and newspaper/magazines. Especially, the nurse's role on TV 'seemed to be an assistant of a doctor' was rated the highest by the students. Conclusion: It is necessary to develop a strategy to improve the social image of the nurse through TV by providing correct information on the nurse's role. For this purpose, it is required to consistently monitor and analyze the nurse's role shown in media.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.123-128
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• 2004

Purpose: In recent review of physician suicides] the relative risk of physicians is higher than the general population. The majority of physician suicide were by poisoning. The purpose of this study was to analyse the medical personnels with suicide by poisoning compared with the general population. Methods: We reviewed medical records of 15 medical related personnels with suicide by poisoning who visited the emergency medical centers of St. Mary's and Kangnam St. Mary's hospitals from March 1998 to Aug 2004. For the comparison with general population in analysis] the collected data was acquired from medical records of 677 intoxicated patients in St. Mary's Hospital during the same period. Results: Fifteen suicides of physicians (n=7), nurses (n=4), medical students (n=2), pharmacist (n=1) and medical assistant technician (n=1) was evaluated with regard to the method of poisoning. Preferred methods were ingestion of medications orally ($54\%$) and by infusion/injection ($46\%$). The results were compared with the general population group (n=677: oral ingestion of medications $98\%$, inhalation $1.6\%$). Intoxications by infusion/injection predominated more clearly in physicians than in the total collective. Conclusion: Comparing with the general population, the tendency to a method of suicidal poisoning being typical of the profession rises among physicians and related occupations with the degree of specialization, caused by increasing knowledge, easier access to appropriate drugs and methods.