• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.534-541
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was done to examine the actual state of influenza vaccination among pregnant women and factors affecting vaccination rate. Methods: Data were collected using self-report questionnaires. Participants were pregnant women who participated in a prenatal education program at an acute care hospital in 2013. Data collected from 218 pregnant women were analyzed using the SPSS 18.0 Program. Results: Only 48.6% of the pregnant women had received vaccination when the influenza was prevalent. Statistically significant factors affecting the influenza vaccination rate among pregnant women were vaccination experience in the previous year, knowledge and attitude about vaccination, and gestation period. Conclusion: Results indicate that the influenza vaccination rate among pregnant women is lower than that of elders, healthcare workers, and patients with chronic diseases, who have been considered to be the mandatory vaccination recipients. Therefore, it is necessary to develop programs and policies which provide information including safety of vaccines for pregnant women and to induce positive attitudes towards vaccination for these women, in order to ultimately improve the vaccination rate.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was conducted to describe core competencies and identify factors affecting core competencies among infection control nurses (ICN). Methods: Infection control nurses from hospital with more than 200 beds comprised the sample. Questionnaires were sent to the sample via e-mail. One hundred and three questionnaires were returned. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression via SPSS/WIN 21.0. Results: The core competency level of healthcare workers area was the highest that of the education and research was the lowest. There were significant differences in core competencies related to demographics such as age, clinical carrier, infection control carrier, position, academic degree, infection control specialist license, hospital location, and hospital type. The explained variances for the core competency were 38.3% and the contributing factors to core competencies were infection control carrier and infection control specialist license. Conclusion: It showed various levels of core competencies depending on infection control nurses' demographics and hospital traits, therefore consistent management efforts for the licensing and career path of infection control would be required.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.39-66
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• 2016

There is growing evidence that professional work is changing as a result of the application of information technology (IT). However, the impact of information technology on professional work has produced mixed results. Our paper considers the source of these mixed results through a greater analytical attention paid to the nature of professional work. Defined as work involving expertise expressed through abstract and formalized knowledge as well as extensive working knowledge, the professional work logic assumes the greatest autonomy and discretion for workers in collectively controlling work characteristics-division of labor and its permanence, control over education, and control over new entrants and the monitoring and disciplining of existing members. The impact of IT on professional work will be difficult to control and predict without considering the assumptions and tensions within and across the three major types of work logics (Professional, Market and Bureaucratic). Using healthcare as an example, the paper provides various propositions for researching the initiation and effects of ICT design through these three work logics. These propositions illustrate the active role that IS researchers can take in researching an important economic and work-related topic, professional work, and in understanding how ICT affects work-related expertise.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.45-50
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• 2020

Occupational therapists (OTs) interface patients much longer than other healthcare workers and, thus, are likely to experience a high level of stress because of work, physical fatigue, lack of professional knowledge and skills, and problematic relationships with patients, etc. This study examined the quality of the lives of OTs and the workplace which is an influential factor. This study recruited 200 OTs and used a professional quality of life scale. We found that, only 27.0% experience high levels of compassion satisfaction (CS) and 80.5% and 74.5% experience high or average levels of burnout (BO) and secondary traumatic stress (STS) of compassion fatigue (CF), respectively. We discovered that CS was higher in temporary employees; and CF was higher in females, subjects in their 30s; and those working at general hospitals. Also, BO was higher in those with one to five years of clinical experience and regular employees. Last, STS was higher in the group without stable income. This study verified that clinical experience is a critical factor that reduces BO, and excessive workload outside of treatment lowers the professional quality of life. This suggests that work environment and regulations related to OTs must be improved to increase CS and reduce CF.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2015

Purpose: This observational study was aimed to determine the influence of the Hawthorne effect on the adherence to hand hygiene (HH) among healthcare workers (HCWs) in South Korea. Methods: HCWs were monitored in 2 periods regarding adherence to HH when there were indications for HH. In first period, HCWs recognized that their behavior of hand hygiene being observed (overt observation), and did not recognize in second period (covert observation). Results: The overall difference in HH rate between two periods was 45.0% point (77.8% vs 32.8%). There were significant differences between profession but in nurse aids. The differences in HH rate between two periods were 46.1% point in nurses, 29.9% point in physicians, 64.0% in radiologists, 62.5% point in laboratory technicians, 36.4% point in physio-therapist, and 1.0% point in nurse aids. The Hawthorne effect on the adherence to HH lasted more than 3 months. Conclusion: The Hawthorne effect markedly influence on the adherence to HH regardless of profession except nurse aids. Therefore, Hawthorne effect can be useful tool to improve and sustain the adherence to HH among HCWs in South Korea.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.23-34
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• 2018

Purpose : This study develops a substantive theory on the recipients' experience of adapting to a permanent pacemaker. Method : The study used the grounded theory method developed by Strauss and Corbin (1998). The participants of the study were 13 adults who had received a permanent pacemaker during the previous year. The study addressed the research question "what is the experience of adaptation in people who had received permanent pacemakers?" From October 2016 to March 2017, data were collected from the participants through in-depth interviews. Results : The core category indicating the essence of the adaptation experience was shown to be "accepting the pacemaker as part of my body and living in line with it." Conclusions : In nursing practice, the results of this study will assist nurses in improving their communications with and developing guidelines or interventions for their clients who have received permanent pacemakers. In the field of nursing education, this study is expected to provide a framework to understand the experiences of future nurses and other healthcare workers working with permanent pacemaker recipients.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.121-139
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• 2010

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the health promotion activities of the elderly Korean aged 65 or older and to examine the related factors associated with the health promotion activities. Methods: Data were obtained from 2008 Social Statistics Survey of Korea National Statistical Office of 6,207 people aged 65 or older. We measured the socio-demographic characteristics, physical health status, social health status, and health promotion activities. Statistical analyses were employed through the $X^2$-test and Odds ratio using Logit Model. Results: In our study, health promotion activity practice rates were varied among the socio-demographic characteristics, physical and social health status. Our findings also support that better socio-demographic and physical health status explain the higher practice rates of health promotion activities. In addition, the higher social health status was associated with better practice rates of health promotion activities. Conclusion: We found that the health promotion activities of the elderly could be encouraged by better socio-demographic status and physical and social health status. To better accomplish the health promotion for the elderly in our community, policy-makers should need careful political deliberation for executing health promotion services considering the distinctions of programme and target groups.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.67-75
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• 2009

Objectives : To identify whether and how Korean people understand 'qi deficiency' and related symptoms. Methods : We developed a questionnaire based on the experts' comments and modification asking understanding of 'qi deficiency' and symptoms or situations related with it. Total 128 workers at community healthcare centres across the country completed the questionnaire. They were asked if they know the meaning of the word 'qi deficiency' and to give at least three symptoms or situations that they conceive are related with 'qi deficiency'. The responses were collected and descriptive and frequency analyses were performed. Results : Approximately 79.7% of responders answered that they understand the meaning of the word 'qi deficiency' and of them, 71.6% reported that they experience 'qi deficiency' sometimes or more. Regarding somatic or condition-related responses in qi deficiency, lack of power or energy (26.6%), tiredness or fatigue (22.2%), dizziness (7.2%) or sweating (6.3%) were the most frequently reported symptoms. They related symptoms such as loss of appetite (4.3%) or easily catching colds (2.4%) with qi deficiency. Factors described in traditional pattern recognition of qi deficiency were not exactly matched with the responses from this survey. Conclusions : Korean people have rather a broad concept of qi deficiency covering a range of symptoms and this should be taken into account in developing a deficiency assessment tool.

• Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.32-41
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• 2021

As the COVID-19 crisis continues, working environments and lifestyles have been changed unexpectedly, therefore the importance of mental health in the working environments has been highlighted. When the workers' mental health deteriorates, there will be personal losses but also human resources losses caused productivity decrements of the company or the organization. Many researchers have been tried to solve these issues with the help of ICT technologies such as wearable devices. Most wearable healthcare devices have been designed to detect the physiological status of users and collect the physical activities of users, and their applications are gradually expanding. Those devices may be good candidates to prevent loss of human resources from working environments especially under the COVID-19 situation by continuously monitoring mental health status in connection with mobile devices and managing the mental health on their own by combining mental well-being with support solutions. In this paper, the development trend of mental health measurement and mental well-being support technologies is analyzed, and development prospects are examined.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.82 no.1
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• pp.6-14
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• 2019

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by infection and represents a substantial global health burden. Recent epidemiological studies showed that sepsis mortality rates have decreased, but that the incidence has continued to increase. Although a mortality benefit from early-goal directed therapy (EGDT) in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock was reported in 2001, three subsequent multicenter randomized studies showed no benefits of EGDT versus usual care. Nonetheless, the early administration of antibiotics and intravenous fluids is considered crucial for the treatment of sepsis. In 2016, new sepsis definitions (Sepsis-3) were issued, in which organ failure was emphasized and use of the terms "systemic inflammatory response syndrome" and "severe sepsis" was discouraged. However, early detection of sepsis with timely, appropriate interventions increases the likelihood of survival for patients with sepsis. Also, performance improvement programs have been associated with a significant increase in compliance with the sepsis bundles and a reduction in mortality. To improve sepsis management and reduce its burden, in 2017, the World Health Assembly and World Health Organization adopted a resolution that urged governments and healthcare workers to implement appropriate measures to address sepsis. Sepsis should be considered a medical emergency, and increasing the level of awareness of sepsis is essential.