• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.24-35
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• 2020

Purpose : This study aimed to determine whether the Korean Patient Classification System for Neonatal Care Nurses (KPCSN) properly measures neonatal intensive care needs and to compare the scale's results with those of the Workload Management System for Critical Care Nurses (WMSCN). Methods : Data were collected from the medical records of 157 patients who were admitted to the NICU of a university hospital, in D city. Two types of patient classification systems were applied to investigate the total points and distributions to investigate the total points and distributions by categories and compare relationships and classification groups between two scales. Finally, the score distribution among the classification groups was analyzed when the KPCSN was applied. Results : Scores on the KPCSN for the feeding, monitoring, and measure categories were 19.16±15.40, 16.88±3.52, and 9.13±4.78, respectively. Classification group distribution of the KPCSN was as follows : 1.9% for the first group, 24.2% for the second group, 58% for the third group, and 15.9% for the fourth group. The classification group distribution of the WMSCN was as follows: 35.7% for the third group, 61.1% for the fourth group, and 3.2% for the fifth group. Finally, the scores by categories were analyzed according to KPCSN classification group, and the characteristics of the patients' nursing needs were identified for each classification group. Conclusion : Results of this study indicate that the KPCSN effectively measures feeding needs, which account for many nursing activities in neonatal intensive care. Comparisons between the KPCSN and WMSCN classification group scores and distribution ratios verified the correlation and significance of nursing requirements.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2017

Purpose: This study aimed to estimate the appropriate nurse staffing ratio in intensive care units (ICUs) by measuring nursing workload based on patient's severity and needs, using the Korean Patient Classification System for critical care nurses. Methods: The data were collected from January 18 to February 29, 2016 using a standardized checklist by observation or self-report. During the study period, 723 patients were included to be categorized from I to IV using the patient classification system. Measurement of total nursing workload on a shift was calculated in terms of hours based on the time and motion method by using tools for surveying nursing activities. The nursing activities were categorized as direct nursing care, indirect nursing care, and personal time. Total of 127 cases were included in measuring direct nursing time and 18 nurses participated in measuring indirect and personal time. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Two patients were classified into Class I (11.1%), 5 into Class II (27.8%), 9 into Class III (50%), and two into Class IV (11.1%). The amount of direct nursing care required for Class IV (513.7 min) was significantly more than that required for Class I (135.4 min). Direct and indirect nursing care was provided more often during the day shift as compared to the evening or night shifts. These findings provided the rationale for determining the appropriate ratio for nursing staff per shift based on the nursing workload in each shift. Conclusions: An appropriate ratio of nurse staffing should be ensured in ICUs to re-arrange the workload of nurses to help them provide essential direct care for patients.

• Acute and Critical Care
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.230-237
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• 2018

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) is closely associated with health outcomes, including mortality in critically ill patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU). However, research regarding this issue is lacking, especially in countries where the National Health Insurance System is mainly responsible for health care. This study aimed to investigate how the SES of ICU patients in South Korea is associated with mortality. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study of adult patients aged ${\geq}20$ years admitted to ICU. Associations between SES-related factors recorded at the time of ICU admission and 30-day and 1-year mortalities were analyzed using univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses. Results: A total of 6,008 patients were included. Of these, 394 (6.6%) died within 30 days of ICU admission, and 1,125 (18.7%) died within 1 year. Multivariable Cox regression analysis found no significant associations between 30-day mortality after ICU admission and SES factors (P>0.05). However, occupation was significantly associated with 1-year mortality after ICU admission. Conclusions: Our study shows that 30-day mortality after ICU admission is not associated with SES in the National Health Insurance coverage setting. However, occupation was associated with 1-year mortality after ICU admission.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.81-85
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• 2008

This paper addressed real-time urine monitoring device for intensive care patients. The device was developed to detect and count each urine drop using optical sensor and calculate the current urine output volume and its hourly rate. In experiment, the water volume scale of drainage bottle was observed and compared with the count of the device so that the volume of each drop was found to vary with the dropping rate per minute. From this measurement, the relationship equation was derived to estimate the total water volume from the drop rate (correlation coefficient : r= 0.99). The developed device could be applied to count patient's urine drop successfully. Therefore, this device can be used to monitor intensive care patient's urine status in real-time.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.1-11
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• 2021

Purpose : The aim of this study was to propose appropriate nurse staffing of adult intensive care units considering patients' nursing care needs according to the Workload Management System for Critical Care Nurses (WMSCN). Methods : In a cross-sectional survey conducted in September 2017, 1,786 patients' WMSCN scores, surveys from 2,145 nurses, and administrative data from 118 units in 41 hospitals were analyzed. The means (standard deviations) of the aforementioned scores and nursing hours per patient day were presented. Nurse-to-patient ratios and nurse-to bed ratios for staffing to meet patients' nursing care needs were calculated. Results : The mean WMSCN scores were 109.50±17.17 in tertiary hospitals and 96.38±19.26 in general hospitals. Nursing hours per patient day were 12.47±2.80 in tertiary hospitals and 11.01±2.45 in general hospitals. Nursing hours per patient day correlated with WMSCN scores. Nurse-to-bed ratios required for the provision of ICU nursing care ranged from 1: 0.36 to 1: 0.48. Conclusion : Our findings provide evidence that current ICU nurse staffing is insufficient for meeting patients' nursing care needs. We suggest adjusting the legal standards for adequate nurse staffing considering these needs.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.251-263
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• 2012

Purpose: It was necessary for developing a neonatal classification system based on nursing needs and direct care time. This study was, thus, aimed at identifying nursing activities and measuring the standard nursing practice time for developing a neonatal patient classification system in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Methods: The study was taken place in 8 general hospitals located in Seoul and Kyungi province, South Korea from Dec, 2009 to Jan, 2010. By using 'the modified Workload Management System for critical care Nurses' (WMSN), nursing categories, activities, standard time, and task frequencies were measured with direct observation. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. Results: Neonatal nursing activities were categorized into 8 areas: vital signs (manual), monitoring, activity of daily living (ADL), feeding, medication, treatment and procedure, respiratory therapy, and education-emotional support. The most frequent and time-consuming area was an ADL, unlike that of adult patients. Conclusion: The findings of the study provide a foundation for developing a neonatal patient classification system in NICU. Further research is warranted to verify the reliability and validity of the instrument.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.47-58
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• 2014

Physiological signals provide important clues in the diagnosis and prediction of disease. Analyzing these signals is important in health and medicine. In particular, data preprocessing for physiological signal analysis is a vital issue because missing values, noise, and outliers may degrade the analysis performance. In this paper, we propose PhysioCover, a system that can recover missing values of physiological signals that were monitored in real time. PhysioCover integrates a gradual method and EM-based Principle Component Analysis (PCA). This approach can (1) more readily recover long- and short-term missing data than existing methods, such as traditional EM-based PCA, linear interpolation, 5-average and Missing Value Singular Value Decomposition (MSVD), (2) more effectively detect hidden variables than PCA and Independent component analysis (ICA), and (3) offer fast computation time through real-time processing. Experimental results with the physiological data of an intensive care unit show that the proposed method assigns more accurate missing values than previous methods.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.136-144
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• 2014

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to identify the perceived nursing needs and the differences by general characteristics of parents of infants in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and to provide useful evidences developing a new intervention for family-centered care in NICU. Methods: A convenience sample of 121 parents of infants in NICU was used and the participants asked to complete the Korean version of NICU Family Needs Inventory (NFNI) from April to May, 2014. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test and ANOVA. Results: The participants reported high average score in the perceived nursing needs. In subscales, needs for assurance rated highest score and needs for information, proximity, support, and comfort were followed. Mothers reported higher nursing needs score than fathers except the subscale of support. Conclusion: The findings suggest that nurses in NICU actively provide information about treatment, nursing, results of laboratory tests, and current status to give reassurance to parents. Not only providing informational support of parents of NICU infants, but also finding methods to contact to parents is necessary. In addition, nurses need to provide optimized intervention in current healthcare system and hospital environment.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.477-480
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• 2011

In order to care for an ill or injured child, it is crucial that every emergency department (ED) has a minimum set of personnel and resources because the majority of children are brought to the geographically nearest ED. In addition to adequate preparation for basic pediatric emergency care, a comprehensive, specialized healthcare system should be in place for a critically-ill or injured victim. Regionalization of healthcare means a system providing high-quality and cost-effective care for victims who present with alow frequency, but critical condition, such as multiple trauma or cardiac arrest. Within the pediatric field, neonatal intensive care and pediatric trauma care are good examples of regionalization. For successful regionalized pediatric emergency care, all aspects of a pediatric emergency system, from pre-hospital field to hospital care, should be categorized and coordinated. Efforts to set up the pediatric emergency care regionalization program based on a nationwide healthcare system are urgently needed in Korea.

• Acute and Critical Care
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.216-221
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• 2018

Background: In this study, we analyze the performance of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II, APACHE IV, Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) 3, and Mortality Probability Model $(MPM)_0$ III in order to determine which system best implements data related to the severity of medical intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: The present study was a retrospective investigation analyzing the discrimination and calibration of APACHE II, APACHE IV, SAPS 3, and $MPM_0$ III when used to evaluate medical ICU patients. Data were collected for 788 patients admitted to the ICU from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015. All patients were aged 18 years or older with ICU stays of at least 24 hours. The discrimination abilities of the three systems were evaluated using c-statistics, while calibration was evaluated by the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. A severity correction model was created using logistics regression analysis. Results: For the APACHE IV, SAPS 3, $MPM_0$ III, and APACHE II systems, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves was 0.745 for APACHE IV, resulting in the highest discrimination among all four scoring systems. The value was 0.729 for APACHE II, 0.700 for SAP 3, and 0.670 for $MPM_0$ III. All severity scoring systems showed good calibrations: APACHE II (chi-square, 12.540; P=0.129), APACHE IV (chi-square, 6.959; P=0.541), SAPS 3 (chi-square, 9.290; P=0.318), and $MPM_0$ III (chi-square, 11.128; P=0.133). Conclusions: APACHE IV provided the best discrimination and calibration abilities and was useful for quality assessment and predicting mortality in medical ICU patients.