• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.501-512
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was done to develop a nursing competency scale according to a clinical ladder system for intensive care nurses. Methods: Index of content validation was done by 20 clinical experts and 80 nurses in Intensive Care Units (ICU). Results: The process and results of study are as follows. First, 12 nursing competencies were used in the establishment of the clinical ladder system (Jang, 2000). Second, the first draft of the competency lists was developed. It was based on the clinical nurses' behavioral indicators of nursing competency by Jang (2000), and was modified and supplemented through various literature reviews including competency standards for specialist intensive care nurses in Australia and consultation with 2 clinical nurses with over 10 years experience in the ICU. Third, the draft was examined by 20 clinical experts for content validity. Finally, the final draft was analysed using clinical validity where 20 nurses in each ladder participated. The final number of items was fixed at 309. Conclusion: The tool represents expected nursing competency of nurses working in ICU. Intensive care nurses can recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and identify directions for their professional growth by analysing results of their competency evaluation using this tool.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.60-69
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• 2006

Purpose: This study was to explore the clinical competence according to clinical ladder of operating room nurses. Method: The subjects were 125 the operating room nurses working at five university hospitals in four city. The instrument to measure the clinical competency and clinical performance of OR nurses was developed by researcher. It consisted of 12 domains of clinical competence and 23 items of clinical performance. Results: Clinical competence and clinical performance of OR nurses group devided into 4 groups by clinical ladder such as 0-12month, 13-36 mon. 37-84 mon. over 85 month were significantly different. More experienced nurses performed higher level of clinical performance and competency in 23 items and 12 domains. Conclusion: It will be needed to add concrete behavioral patterns and behavioral indicators of nursing competencies, per stage of the clinical ladder, by repetitive studies on nurses of various hospitals and to confirm the validity.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.130-140
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• 1999

This study was designated to investigate communication barriers of nurses in clinical settings. This study was done in 2 phases, first content analysis on descriptions of 50 nurses in three general hospitals and 40 nursing students on communication barriers for nurses in clinical settings, and second a survey to investigate the factors related to communication barriers and the relation between the nurse's characteristics and the extent of communication barriers in clinical settings from two nurses educators, 13 nursing students who experienced clinical practice and 71 nurses in 11 general hospitals. The results are as follows : 1. Through content analysis, 11 properties of communication barriers for nurses in clinical settings were identified. These were inappropriate communication style as a nurse, lack of professionalism, in appropriate control of emotions, lack of knowledge about the clincal setting, the lack of preparation about content of communication, the problem in trust relation, differences in priorities in needs, uncontroleable situation for nurses, inappropriate nurses' perception about patients, conflict with medical team and inadequate systematic support were identified and grouped in to four categories, communicator, message, feed-back and communication context. 2. The four factors in communication barriers for nurses in the clinical setting were identified and named as ambiguity in the nurses' position, lack of confidence, difference in perspectives with patients and in-adequate nurse-patient relationship. 3. There was a significant difference(F=5.31, P=0.0022, F=3.62, P=0.0316, F=2.80, P=0.067, F=9.01, P=0.0003) among the groups according to work place in rating the extent of the communication barrier in the clinical setting and in the four factors, the nurses working in the psychiatric patient unit rated the communication barrier in the clinical setting lowest among the groups. There was a significant negative correlation between the length of the nurses's carrier and the extent of communication barrier in three factors, ambiguity in the nurses' position, lack of confidence and inadequate nurse-patient relationship.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.459-471
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• 2009

Introduction: Critical thinking involves identifying problem(s), assessing resources, and generating possible solutions and allows clinical nurses to decide which solution is the most reasonable under the given circumstances, taking into consideration the "hat ifs" and how they will affect the end result. This research was conducted to further understanding and identification of subjective factors in critical thinking in clinical nurses. Methods: The research design was a Q-Methodological Approach. Q-population was formulated from a non-structured questionnaire and interviews from 17 experienced clinical nurses. Thirty selected Q-statements were sorted by 30 experienced clinical nurses. Results: Four factors for critical thinking were identified: (1) Deductive reasoning based on causal relation, (2) Construction of an effective model based on patients' responses, (3) Formulating categories based on priorities for effective interventions, and (4) Judging validity of the situational significance on clinical performances. Conclusion: Critical thinking is an attitude and reasoning process. From this study, the frame of reference for clinical nurses in formulating critical thinking within the context of clinical settings is identified and indicates the way nurses utilize thinking skills when they care for patients and areas that need further exploration as nurses and faculty develop education systems to advance clinical performance competency.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.840-850
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was done to investigate the relationship between critical thinking disposition and clinical competence among nurses in general hospitals. Methods: This study was a descriptive-correlational study with a convenience sample of 560 nurses from 5 general hospitals. The data were collected by self-administered questionnaires. Critical thinking disposition was measured using the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale for Nursing Students. Clinical competence was measured using the Standardized Nurse Performance Appraisal Tool. Results: The mean score for critical thinking disposition and clinical competence was 3.37 and 4.10 respectively on a 5 point scale. A statistically significant correlation was found between critical thinking disposition and clinical competence. A regression model explained 72.8% of clinical competence. Prudence is the most significant predictor of clinical competence ($R^2=.728$). Conclusion: Study findings suggest that nurses with a higher level of critical thinking disposition would have a higher level of clinical competence. Furthermore, prudence might be the most important predictor of clinical competence. In order to strengthen clinical competence in nurses, the development and enhancement of critical thinking should be emphasized at the college level and nurses should be encouraged to make a clinical decision with greater prudence.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.925-932
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between depression, perceived stress, fatigue and anger in clinical nurses. Method: A descriptive survey was conducted using a convenient sample. Data was collected by questionnaires from four hundred clinical nurses who worked at a university hospital. Radloff's CES-D for depression, Cohen, Kamarck & Mermelstein's Perceived Stress Scale, VAS for Fatigue, and Spielberger's STAXI for anger were used. The data was analyzed using the pearson correlation coefficient, students' t-test, ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression with SPSS/WIN 12.0. Result: The depression of clinical nurses showed a significantly positive correlation to perceived stress(r=.360, p=.000), mental fatigue(r=.471, p=.000), physical fatigue(r=.350, p=.000), trait anger(r=.370, p=.000), anger-in expression(r=.231, p=.000), and anger-control expression(r=.120, p=.016). There was a negative correlation between depression and age(r=-.146, p=.003). The mean score of depression of nurses, 26, was a very high score and 40.8% of clinical nurses were included in a depression group. The main significant predictors influencing depression of clinical nurses were mental fatigue, trail anger, perceived stress, anger-in expression, and state anger, which explained about 32.7%. Conclusion: These results indicate that clinical nurses with a high degree of perceived stress, mental fatigue and anger-in expression are likely to be depressed.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.428-436
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• 2010

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to describe events resulting in perceived hurts in nursing, and to identify factors influencing forgiveness in clinical nurses. Methods: The study was a descriptive correlation design. From May to July, 2009, the researcher used interviews to collect data from 148 clinical nurses from five hospitals in D city. Results: Clinical nurses received perceived hurt from peer-nurses, care-givers, and doctors, and the reasons for the perceived hurts were blame, neglect, and valuation. Levels of forgiveness in clinical nurses were different according to who caused the perceived hurt, the degree of the perceived hurt, and endeavors to resolve the perceived hurts. Levels of forgiveness in clinical nurses were negatively correlated with age, degree of perceived hurt, and degree of anger expression, and positively correlated with degree of self-esteem. The strongest predictors of forgiveness in clinical nurses were degree of anger expression, age, and degree of hurt. Conclusion: The findings of the study suggest that nursing staff should be able to identify reasons for perceived hurt in clinical nurses and provide a forgiveness program for each nursing situation.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.582-592
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to offer the baseline data for developing a systematic and high quality of clinical practice guideline by exploring how nurses utilize clinical guidelines and what they need for. Method: This study has been done with 242 nurses of a university hospital in Daegu using a self-administered questionnaire. The instrument used in this study was developed by researchers based on the results of the previous studies. Data analysis was done with SPSS 11.0 Program. Results: Nurses felt that clinical guidelines were not sufficiently disseminated to update their clinical knowledge education. Nurses showed the strong demand for developing clinical practice guidelines with the newest and systematic evidence. However, a relatively low number of nurses knew evidence-based nursing and evidence-based clinical guidelines. Conclusion: It is necessary to develop an educational program for evidence-based nursing and an evidence-based nursing clinical practice guideline for nurses and to explore the strategies for development and dissemination of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to solve the urgent and frequent clinical problems.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.274-281
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the correlation between level of professional autonomy and clinical decision making abilities in clinical nurses, and to provide basic information for promoting competency nurses in making independent decisions. Method: Data were collected from July 1 to July 18, 2008, and participants were 202 clinical nurses in general hospitals. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics: frequency and percentage and Pearson correlation coefficients with the SPSS WIN 14.0 program. Results: The professional autonomy index for the nurses was 159.63 points. The clinical decision making ability index was 119.79 points. The most highly ranked factor in clinical decision making was search for information and unbiased assimilation of new information. There was a statistically significant difference in professional autonomy according to age, clinical experience, and type of duty. Relation between level of professional autonomy and clinical decision making showed a positive correlation. Conclusion: As a results show a significant correlation between professional autonomy and clinical decision making in clinical nurses, improvement in professional autonomy of clinical nurses, would be promoted through continuous support and training.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.892-902
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was done to identify participation by home healthcare nurses in clinical decision making and factors influencing clinical decision making. Methods: A descriptive survey was used to collect data from 68 home healthcare nurses in 22 hospital-based home healthcare services in Korea. To investigate participation, the researcher developed 3 scenarios through interviews with 5 home healthcare nurses. A self-report questionnaire composed of tools for characteristics, factors of clinical decision making, and participation was used. Results: Participation was relatively high, but significantly lower in the design phase (F=3.51, p=.032). Competency in clinical decision making (r=.45, p<.001), perception of the decision maker role (r=.47, p<.001), and perception of the utility of clinical practice guidelines (r=.25, p=.043) were significantly correlated with participation. Competency in clinical decision making (Odds ratio [OR]=41.79, p=.007) and perception of the decision maker role (OR=15.09, p=.007) were significant factors predicting participation in clinical decision making by home healthcare nurses. Conclusion: In order to encourage participation in clinical decision making, education programs should be provided to home healthcare nurses. Official clinical practice guidelines should be used to support home healthcare nurses’ participation in clinical decision making in cases where they can identify and solve the patient health problems.