• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2017

Purpose: This study aimed to provide basic data of nursing student's knowledge and attitudes towards the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Methods: Nursing students from two universities in J province participated in this study. The descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffe test and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used to analyse the data. Results: The nursing students' knowledge of the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment was 7.42 out of 16. The participants' attitude toward the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment was 50.03 out of 95 which was 2.64 in its mean rating. Regarding their knowledge of the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, nursing students whose family members experienced the life-sustaining treatment had significantly higher knowledge than those students whose not (p<.001). Those participants who support patients or their families' right to decide the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment had positive attitude toward the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (p=.007). In addition, the knowledge of and attitude toward the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment showed significant correlations (r=.639, p<.001). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that systematic and professional education is needed for nursing students to equip positive attitude toward the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment in nursing practice.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.36-45
• /
• 2021

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between Knowledge of Life-sustaining Treatment Plans and Attitudes toward Withdrawal of Life-sustaining Treatment among nursing college students, and attempted to identify the mediating effect of Role Perception on Life-sustaining Treatment in that relationship. It is hoped that the findings will ultimately contribute to the development of active nursing strategies. Methods: The participants were 142 nursing college students in the third and fourth years of study who had experienced clinical practice at two universities in cities Y and C. Data were collected from November 1 to 30, 2019. For data analysis, SPSS for Windows version 22.0 was used to calculate descriptive statistics, the t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. To analyze the mediating effect, the Baron and Kenny bootstrapping method was used. Results: Attitudes toward Withdrawal of Life-sustaining Treatment of nursing college students had a significant positive correlation with Knowledge of Life-sustaining Treatment Plans (r=0.34, P<0.001) and Role Perception on Life-sustaining Treatment (r=0.44, P<0.001). Role Perception on Life-sustaining Treatment partially mediated the relationship between Knowledge of Life-sustaining Treatment Plans and Attitudes toward Withdrawal of Life-sustaining Treatment (95% CI, 0.446~1.055). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, improving nursing college students' Role Perception on Life-sustaining Treatment could be used as a coping strategy to establish positive Attitudes toward Withdrawal of Life-sustaining Treatment.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
• /
• v.23 no.12
• /
• pp.171-177
• /
• 2018

Purpose : This study is conducted to research the attitude of social workers toward withdrawing life sustaining treatment and compare and analyze the different types of their attitudes. Methods : Research design of this study is Q methodology approach. The study population is 23 social workers. Q sample to investigate the attitude of social workers toward withdrawing life sustaining treatment included 30 statements. After listening to the purpose and method of the study, the 23 social workers agreed to fill out a survey asking sociodemographic information and have been forced to be distributed in 9 scale Q-sample. Results : The collected data was processed through QUANL PC program, sorted into 3 types as followings. The first type was 'the pursuit of quality of life' that the quality of life is more important than the length of life, the second 'choosing to withdraw life sustaining treatment' that they want to write or encourage family to write advanced directive, the third 'withholding life sustaining treatment' regardless of the cost. Conclusion : In conclusion, the social workers attitudes toward withdrawing life sustaining treatment were grouped as three different types, the first type was 'the pursuit of quality of life', the second 'choosing to withdraw life sustaining treatment', the third 'withholding life sustaining treatment'.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.289-298
• /
• 2022

Purpose: Nursing stress on life-sustaining treatment of nurses is a significant contributing factor to nursing care performance and patient care outcomes. We need to investigate the factors associated with nursing stress on life-sustaining treatment in hospital settings. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the relationship of role perception of life-sustaining treatment and good death perception with nursing stress on life-sustaining treatment among nurses in hospital settings. Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, we recruited nurses at a hospital located in a metropolitan city in Korea. The nurses completed structured questionnaire questions which were composed of well-validated questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical multiple regression model were utilized for data analysis. Results: A total of 205 nurses participated in the study (female 93.2%; aged 20~29 years 63.0%; single status 78.5%). In the hierarchical multiple regression model, there was a significant positive relationship between role perception of life-sustaining treatment and nursing stress on life-sustaining treatment (β=.27, p<.001). Higher education level and working at a ward setting were also significantly related to nursing stress on life-sustaining treatment (β=.13, p<.046 for education level; β=.22, p=.001 for work setting). However, there was no relationship between good death perception and nursing stress on life-sustaining treatment. Conclusion: Education programs to reduce nursing stress on life-sustaining treatment are needed to develop for nurses who have higher role perception of life-sustaining treatment with higher education level working at ward settings in hospitals.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.112-125
• /
• 2023

Purpose: This study investigated knowledge, attitudes, and nursing stress related to life-sustaining treatment among oncology nurses. Methods: A descriptive study design was used. Data were collected through a survey from April 1 to May 31, 2022. The participants were 132 nurses working in the oncology ward of a tertiary hospital in Seoul. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 25.0 program with descriptive statics, the independent t-test, analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: The average scores for knowledge, attitudes, and nursing stress related to life-sustaining treatment were 14.42, 3.29, and 3.96, respectively. Significant differences in knowledge about life-sustaining treatment were observed based on clinical experience (P=0.029) and education about life-sustaining treatment (P=0.044). Attitudes toward life-sustaining treatment varied significantly with education about life-sustaining treatment (P=0.014), while stress levels differed significantly across working units (P=0.004). A positive correlation was found between the dilemma of extending or stopping life-sustaining treatment (a subdomain of nursing stress) and attitudes toward life-sustaining treatment (r=0.260, P=0.003). Conclusion: There was no significant correlation between the nursing stress experienced by oncology nurses and their knowledge and attitudes toward life-sustaining treatment. However, a more positive experience with life-sustaining treatment education was associated with higher stress levels related to the dilemma of extending or stopping life-sustaining treatment. Therefore, it is crucial to develop strategies to manage this dilemma and reduce stress in the field.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.114-125
• /
• 2020

Purpose: This descriptive study investigated the effects of nurses' knowledge of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, death anxiety, and perceptions of hospice care on their attitudes toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Methods: Data were collected from 262 nurses at tertiary hospitals, general hospitals, or primary hospitals in Busan, Korea, and statistically analyzed using the t-test, analysis of variance, the Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical regression analysis. Results: The participants' scores were 3.68±0.45 (out of 5) for attitudes toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, 0.65±0.15 (out of 1) for knowledge of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, 2.61±0.26 (out of 4) for death anxiety, and 4.06±0.43 (out of 5) for perceptions of hospice care. Furthermore, knowledge of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and perceptions of hospice care showed positive correlations with attitudes toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, while death anxiety showed a negative correlation. The most significant factors influencing attitudes toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment were perceptions of hospice care, followed by having experienced caring for patients who withdrew life-sustaining treatment, death anxiety, having a spouse, and ethical values, and the overall explanatory power was 43.0%. Conclusion: This study showed that perceptions of hospice were an important factor influencing nurses' attitudes toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and validate educational intervention programs that can improve perceptions of hospice care.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.109-122
• /
• 2023

Purpose : This study aims to explore nursing activities after the decision to discontinue life-sustaining treatment, awareness of a good death, and perception of life-sustaining treatment decisions among nurses in intensive care units (ICUs) at tertiary general hospitals. Methods : Participants were 173 nurses working in two tertiary general hospitals. The data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using an independent t-test, paired t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé's test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results : Participants were 173 nurses working in two tertiary hospitals. The nursing activity increase was the greatest in the spiritual domain, and the physical domain was where the activities decreased the most. There were significant associations between Awareness of good death (Clinical) and Perception of life-sustaining treatment decision(r=.26, p <.001), Awareness of good death (Closure) and Perception of life-sustaining treatment decision(r=.36, p <.001), and Awareness of good death (Personal control) and Perception of life-sustaining treatment decision(r=.49, p <.001). Conclusion : Based on the results, systematic education programs and job training are required to improve the awareness regarding good death and perception of life-sustaining treatment decision for nurses in ICUs where discontinuing life-sustaining treatment decisions are made.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.167-180
• /
• 2018

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the life-sustaining treatment choices and related factors among general hospital nurses. Data were collected from June 16 to June 29, 2015. The participants were 244 nurses from five general hospitals in D city. Methods: The data were analyzed using the SPSS 18.0 program, descriptive statistics, paired t-test and one-way ANOVA. Results: Significant differences were observed in the level of life-sustaining treatment choices for nurses to themselves and to their families except for pain control. More nurses declined life-sustaining treatment choices, but suggested their families receive it. The related factors of special life-sustaining treatment choices for nurses themselves and their families according to their general characteristics were age, marital status, education and religion. Conclusion: This study suggests that the related factors need to be considered in the education of nurses' or public health providers' Life-sustaining treatment choices.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.103-128
• /
• 2023

According to the current act of Decision-Marking in Life-Sustaining Medicine, the decision to withhold or discontinue life-sustaining treatment is primarily based on the wishes of a patient in the dying process. Decision-making regarding life-sustaining treatment for these patients is made by the patient, if he or she is conscious, directly expressing his/her intention for life-sustaining treatment in writing or verbally or by writing an advance medical directive and physician orders for life-sustaining treatment. It can be exercised. On the other hand, if the patient has not written an advance medical directive or physician orders for life-sustaining treatment, the patient's intention can be confirmed with a statement from the patient's family, or a decision to discontinue life-sustaining treatment can be made with the consent of all members of the patient's family. However, in the case of an unrelated patient who has no family or whose family is unknown, if an advance medical directive or physician orders for life-sustaining treatment are not written before hospitalization and a medical condition prevents the patient from expressing his or her opinion, the patient's will cannot be known and the patient cannot be informed. A situation arises where a decision must be made as to whether to continue or discontinue life-sustaining treatment. This study reviewed discussions and measures for unbefriended patients under the current law in order to suggest policy measures for deciding on life-sustaining treatment in the case of unbefriended patients. First, we looked at the application of the adult guardian system, but although an adult guardian can replace consent for medical treatment that infringes on the body, permission from the family court is required in cases where death may occur as a direct result of medical treatment. It cannot be said to be an appropriate solution for patients in the process of dying. Second, in accordance with Article 14 of the Life-Sustaining Treatment Decision Act, we looked at the deliberation of medical institution ethics committees on decisions to discontinue life-sustaining treatment for patients without family ties.Under the current law, the medical institution ethics committee cannot make decisions on discontinuation of life-sustaining treatment for unbefriended patients, so through revision, matters regarding decisions on discontinuation of life-sustaining treatment for unbefriended patients are reflected in Article 14 of the same Act or separate provisions for unbefriended patients are made. It is necessary to establish and amend new provisions. In addition, the medical institution ethics committee must make a decision on unbefriended patients, but if the medical institution cannot make such a decision, there is a need to revise the law so that the public ethics committee can make decisions, such as discontinuing life-sustaining treatment for unbefriended patients.

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.292-299
• /
• 2017

Purpose: This study was done to analyze nursing students' attitudes to life-sustaining treatment by measuring their awareness of biomedical ethics and resulting attitude toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Methods: This study was a descriptive research to assess the level of nursing students' awareness of biomedical ethics, attitude toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, and correlations between these variables. After the nursing students signed a consent form they were assessed. Data collection was done from September 1 to October 25, 2016, and analyzed using SPSS 23.0 WIM Program. Results: There was a negative correlation and significant difference between nursing students' awareness of biomedical ethics and attitude toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. There was a significant correlation among attitude toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and medical ethics, mortality ethics. Conclusion: The findings in the study indicate that it is necessary to provide nursing students with easy access to continuous education to help them establish an acceptable view of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.