• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.478-486
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• 2010

Purpose: To explore nurses' compliance with standards for critical care nursing practice in intensive care units (ICUs) and to provide basic data for high quality of critical care nursing. Method: A total of 616 participants from 61 ICUs which are graded from 1 to 7 throughout the nation were surveyed. Data were collected from February 9 to February 27, 2009 using a questionnaire consisting of 58 questions including 50 nursing activities as indicators. Results: The rate of ICU nurses' compliance with standards for critical care nursing practice was high. As for individual standards, compliance with the standard of assessment was the highest, followed by implementation, diagnosis, and planning in that order. There were differences in compliance according to nurses' ICU experience, work place (unit), and ICU grade. A shortage of manpower was considered as a main cause for noncompliance. Conclusion: The present compliance rate with standards for critical care nursing practice by ICU nurses was identified. Therefore, compliance rate can be used to promote quality of critical care nursing and development of educational programs for ICU nurses.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.51-62
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• 2017

Purpose: This study aimed to understand the essence of experiences of patients and family members during flexible visiting in an intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: This is a qualitative study using interviews with open ended questions. We used Colaizzi's method of phenomenological interpretation. Results: Flexible visiting in the ICU impacted the patients and their families in various ways. The following categories were extracted from the patients' experiences with flexible visiting: 1) the opportunity to feel the presence of the family and 2) the burden of unrestricted visiting. The following categories were extracted from the families' experiences with flexible visiting: 1) psychological comfort by convenience 2) being aware of health care professionals and critical care nursing in the intensive care unit, and 3) double trouble. Conclusions: These results showed that flexible visiting in the ICU affected the patients and their families positively and negatively. Therefore, nursing staff need to design psychological and social interventions that address the needs of patients and their families.

• Acute and Critical Care
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.282-285
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• 2018

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.214-223
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• 2017

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the factors influencing the competence in intensive and critical care nursing of senior nursing students. Methods: A descriptive survey was used to examine the factors that influence competence in intensive and critical care nursing. The data were collected using self-administered questionnaires; 237 senior nursing students were asked about general characteristics, critical thinking, communication competence, self-esteem, self-resilience, and self-leadership. Results: Multiple regression analysis indicated that self-leadership, self-esteem, and confidence in intensive care unit practice predicted the competence in intensive and critical care nursing (37.8% of explanatory power). Critical thinking, communication competence, and self-resilience were not shown to be significant predictors of, but were positively correlated with, the competence in intensive and critical care nursing. Conclusion: Based on the results, it is suggested that self-leadership, self-esteem, and confidence in intensive care unit practice should be considered in nursing education in order to improve nursing students' level of competence in intensive and critical care nursing.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2014

Purpose: In Korea, about 30,000 people die in intensive care units annually. However, their quality of life at the end-of-life seems very low. The purpose of this study was to describe palliative care models that could be applied in intensive care units and examine nurses' roles in the models. Methods: A conventional literature review was performed focusing on palliative care in intensive care units and nursing roles in the approaches identified. Results: There are two different models regarding the implementation of palliative care approaches in the intensive care unit. Those are the consultative model and the integrative model. Each model has advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, an appropriate model must be chosen according to the setting. Nurses' roles could vary depending on the setting. Conclusion: Palliative care in the intensive care unit is important to improve patients' quality of life. Moreover, nursing roles are important in providing comprehensive palliative care in intensive care units.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.46-66
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• 2018

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to systematically review the instruments utilized to assess physical impairment in post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors. Method : Online databases searched were MEDLINE, Cochrane, CINAHL, and Embase. Studies that met the following criteria were included: 1) the study population exclusively had experience with ICU admission; 2) the study assessed pulmonary, neuromuscular, and physical functions; and 3) the study was published in English language journals after 2007. Results : A total of 56 instruments (2 pulmonary, 25 neuromuscular, 29 physical function) from 94 studies were reviewed. They were classified into self-report, observation, and measurement according to the type of assessment. No instrument measured all 3 areas of physical impairment. Five instruments were originally developed for the ICU patients. The most frequently applied instruments were the Medical Research Council and the 36-item Short Form Survey (physical component summary), which were used in 23 studies each. Only 13.8% of reviewed studies reported the reliability or validity of the instruments. Conclusion : Our results suggest that the appropriateness of instruments assessing physical impairment in PICS cannot be guaranteed. Despite the multidimensional concept of physical disabilities, most studies measured only one area, and studies that reported psychometric properties were limited. Accordingly, we propose to develop a unique and multifaceted instrument for ICU survivors.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.79-88
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• 2010

Optimal nutrition serves to maintain normal organ function and to preserve body energy stores to guarantee survival during times of shortage of food. Adequate nutrition of intensive care unit (ICU) patients improves outcome, while malnutrition is strongly associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates among critically ill patients. Previously published researches showed that trials of nutritional support in critical illness rarely fulfill basic quality requirements. Nutrition support plays a vital role in the prevention and treatment of nutritional deficiencies in at-risk, critically ill patients. This paper reviewed the challenges in determining critically ill patients' nutrition requirements including nutrition assessment, determination of caloric requirements then providing them with adequate nutrition support while in the ICU with the guidelines published by Society of Critical Care Medicine and American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Nutrition support can be effectively enhanced by using the guidelines.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.14-26
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• 2022

Purpose : This study aimed to understand and describe the nurses' experiences caring for severe COVID-19 patients at isolation room with negative pressure in South Korea. Methods : Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews from February 16 to March 31, 2021 with 11 nurses who had been caring for severe COVID-19 patients at isolation room. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed according to Colaizzi's phenomenological analysis. Results : As a result, 5 theme clusters were extracted about nurses' experiences. The 5 theme clusters, "Adapting to unexpected adversity", "Accepting unresonable and heavy work", "Dulness and disconnection from the outside world", "Changing in perception of new infectious diseases", and "Pathetic isolated patients" emerged. Conclusion : The results of this study provided a deeper understanding of nurses struggling to care for COVID-19 severe patients. This study is expected to be useful in providing basic evidence for improving intensive care practices and for preparing policies in other infection disease situations.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.33-42
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the perception, barriers, and importance of delirium assessment of intensive care unit nurses utilizing a tool for delirium assessment. Methods: The subjects were 150 intensive care unit nurses who routinely use the CAM-ICU to screen delirium. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and ranking. Results: Most intensive care unit nurses had experience of education about delirium and delirium assessment, and had assessed over once in a shift. However, a small number of nurses recognized utilizing their assessment result and the effect on higher mortality and underdiagnosed and preventable problem. The first rank of barriers was being too busy to assess patients and the second was difficulty of interpreting intubated patients. The importance of delirium assessment was considered lower than assessing catheter placement and level of pain. Conclusion: The study identified intensive care unit nurses' use of a delirium assessment tool, and the perception, barriers, and importance of delirium assessment. Furthermore, it is necessary to develop education programs to improve the early recognition of delirium by intensive care unit nurses.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.71-86
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• 2023

Purpose : This study aims to investigate the status of delirium intervention in adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients and the perception of this delirium by medical staff. Methods : This retrospective study involves 185 patients, whereas, a descriptive survey is conducted with 197 medical staff members. Results : The delirium group includes 100 patients (54.1%). The incidence of delirium is 64.9% in the medical ICU, 65.9% in the surgical ICU, 42.4% in the neuro ICU, and 46.5% in the cardiac ICU. The percentages of delirium prevention intervention differs between the two groups: 65.0% in the delirium group and 95.3% in the non-delirium group. The medical staff recognize that delirium is a common problem in the ICU (100.0%) and requires active medical intervention (98.5%). Conclusion : The length of stay at the ICU is longer in the delirium group than in the non-delirium group. It is necessary to standardize delirium prevention and treatment protocols to be equally applicable to all ICU patients.