• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.7-17
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• 2024

Purpose: This study is to present basic data and standards for calculating the space composition and area required when planning a neonatal intensive care unit. Methods: Review domestic and foreign facility standards and regulations related to the current neonatal intensive care unit, select a regional neonatal intensive care center designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare as a case hospital, and organize a space program for the construction plan of the neonatal intensive care unit through analysis of characteristics such as facility size and function composition. Results and Implications: The size, facility area, and detailed room composition characteristics of the neonatal intensive care unit in Korea were confirmed, and essential rooms and appropriate areas were derived when planning the construction of the neonatal intensive care unit. Korea's legal facility standards related to neonatal intensive care units are lower than the actual hospital status and overseas standards, and the facility standards of the medical law need to be improved.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.339-353
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• 2021

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the educational needs for practicing neonatal intensive care among Korean nursing students. Methods: An explorative, sequential, mixed-methods design was used. Qualitative content analysis was conducted of in-depth interviews of six nursing students, five clinical practice faculty members, and five nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit. The results of a survey of 174 nursing students were analyzed quantitatively. Results: Nursing students, clinical practice faculty members, and nurses wanted opportunities for direct nursing practice and education in school during neonatal intensive care practice. In terms of specific educational content, nursing students expressed the highest observation-related educational needs for communication with medical team members, and they expressed the highest practice-related educational needs for operating medical equipment used for neonatal intensive care. The nursing students' needs with regard to the method of practice education were highest for orientation from the head nurses. Conclusion: Communication and operating medical equipment were found to be areas with high educational needs for practicing neonatal intensive care among Korean nursing students. Further research is needed to develop an educational framework and setting for practicing neonatal intensive care that would meet their needs.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.5-14
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• 2022

Purpose: Neonatal nurses are expected to have clinical competency to provide qualified and safe care for high-risk infants. An educational intervention to enhance nurses' clinical competence is often a priority in the nursing field. This study was conducted to explore nurses' perceived importance and performance confidence of nursing care activities in neonatal intensive care units. Methods: One hundred forty-one neonatal nurses from seven hospitals across South Korea participated in the online survey study. The scale of neonatal nursing care activity consisted of 8 subdomains including professional practice (assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention, evaluation, education, research, and leadership). The Importance-Performance Matrix was used to analyze the importance of and confident performance in each of the nursing subdomains. Results: Both importance and performance confidence increased as nurses' age (p=.042 and p<.001) and clinical experience (p=.004 and p<.001). Participants scored relatively higher in importance and performance confidence in the professional practice subdomains (assessment, intervention, evaluation), but scored lower in the education and research subdomains. Conclusion: To provide evidence-based nursing care for high-risk infants in neonatal intensive care units, educational interventions should be developed to support nurses based on the findings of the research.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.313-325
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• 2014

Purpose: This study aimed to develop the protocol of kangaroo care for premature infants and to evaluate its effects including physiologic responses of premature infants, their parents'anxiety, and neonatal nurses'perception regarding the kangaroo care. Methods: Kangaroo care protocol was developed through a literature review and validation of an expert group. The developed kangaroo care protocol was tested with 27 preterm infants, 24 parents, and 60 nurses in one neonatal intensive care unit in S hospital. Data were collected from December 2012 to February 2013 and analyzed by descriptive statistics and t-test using the SPSS/Win statistical program. Results: Physiologic responses including heart rate, respiration rate, oxygen saturation, body temperature among premature infants received the kangaroo care were maintained within normal limit. The anxiety levels of the parents who provided kangaroo care for their infants were significantly decreased as it was compared before and after care (t=3.43, p=.002). There were no significant differences in nurses'perceptions about kangaroo care before and after the application of the protocol. Conclusion: The developed kangaroo care protocol is proved to be effective and can be used safely in nursing practice.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.481-488
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• 2011

In the current era of low-birth rate in Korea, it is important to improve our neonatal intensive care and to establish an integrative system including a regional care network adequate for both high-risk pregnancies and high-risk newborn infants. Therefore, official discussion for nation-wide augmentation, proper leveling, networking, and regionalization of neonatal and perinatal care is urgently needed. In this report, I describe the status of neonatal intensive care in Korea, as well as nationwide flow of transfer of high-risk newborn infants and pregnant women, and present a short review of the regionalization of neonatal and perinatal care in the Unites States and Japan. It is necessary not only to increase the number of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) beds, medical resources and manpower, but also to create a strong network system with appropriate leveling of NICUs and regionalization. A systematic approach toward perinatal care, that includes both high-risk pregnancies and newborns with continuous support from the government, is also needed, which can be spearheaded through the establishment of an integrative advisory board to propel systematic care forward.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.518-527
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of an educational intervention by evaluating neonatal emergency airway management knowledge, critical thinking disposition, problem-solving ability, and confidence in clinical performance after developing and operating a simulation-based neonatal emergency airway management education program for nurses in a neonatal intensive care unit. Methods: The participants were 30 nurses in a neonatal intensive care unit. Data were collected from June 6 to 15, 2018 and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22.0. Results: The results of the pretest and posttest for each educational group showed statistically significant improvements in neonatal emergency airway management knowledge, critical thinking, problem-solving ability, and confidence in clinical performance. Conclusion: The simulation-based neonatal emergency airway management training program was an effective educational program that enhanced neonatal emergency airway management knowledge, critical thinking disposition, problem-solving ability, and confidence in clinical performance among nurses in a neonatal intensive care unit. Therefore, it is suggested that the program described in this study can contribute to improving nursing quality by enhancing the ability of nurses to cope with emergencies in practice. It can also be used for education for new nurses and contribute to the development of nurses' practices.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.165-173
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the attitudes of nurses and physicians toward neonatal palliative care and identify the barriers to and facilitators of neonatal palliative care, with the goal of improving palliative care for infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the NICUs of seven general hospitals with 112 nurses and 52 physicians participating. Data were collected using the Neonatal Palliative Care Attitude Scale questionnaire. Results: Only 12.5% of nurses and 11.5% of physicians reported that they had sufficient education in neonatal palliative care. In contrast, 89.3% of the nurses and 84.6% of the physicians reported that they needed further education. The common facilitators for both nurses and physicians were: 1) agreement by all members of the department regarding the provision of palliative care and 2) informing parents about palliative care options. The common barriers for both nurses and physicians were: 1) policies or guidelines supporting palliative care were not available, 2) counseling was not available, 3) technological imperatives, and 4) parental demands for continuing life support. Insufficient resources, staff, and time were also identified as barriers for nurses, whereas these were not identified as barriers for physicians. Conclusion: It is necessary to develop hospital or national guidelines and educational programs on neonatal palliative care, and it is equally necessary to spread social awareness of the importance of neonatal palliative care.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2006

Purpose: This study was done to define nursing behavior in neonatal intensive care units so as to estimate resource-based relative value-. Method: Participating in this study were 292 nurses in neonatal intensive care units. The study surveyed physical and mental labor, stress and time involved in nursing work. Tool used in this study was a nursing labor per relative value tool. For analyzes, the relative value of each nursing behavior was calculated, where the mean value of the three components, labor intensity and component-by-component explanatory power were in percentage terms. Results: 1. Nursing behaviors in neonatal intensive care unit were classified and defined at three levels: 5 main domains, 17 mid-domains, and 42 small domains. 2. The per component explanatory power of intensity involved in nursing labor showed physical effort to be 32.45%, mental 32.86%, and stress 34.69%. 3. The reliability of nursing labor factors was very strong, Cronbach's alpha value of 0.96. Conclusion: In this research, which is a first in defining nursing behavior in neonatal intensive care units, individual nursing behavior were broken down using resource-based relative value for nursing cost, and each nursing behavior was successfully translated to a numerical value.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.229-236
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• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of fatherhood among fathers of high-risk neonates and their confidence regarding neonatal care. Methods: A study was conducted of 100 fathers whose neonates had been admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for at least 48 hours. Perceptions of fatherhood, neonatal characteristics, and fathers' confidence regarding neonatal care were measured using a self-reported questionnaire. The survey took approximately 10 minutes to complete and was completed anonymously. The factors that affected fathers' confidence regarding neonatal care were analyzed using multiple regression. Results: The scores for positive and negative perceptions of fatherhood were relatively high at 4.27 and 3.42 out of 5 points, respectively. A positive perception of fatherhood was found to influence fathers' confidence regarding neonatal care. Conclusion: NICU nurses should encourage fathers to effectively perform their parenting roles by implementing educational programs and interventions to promote positive perceptions of fatherhood and fathers' confidence regarding neonatal care after discharge.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.53-57
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• 2018

Even with the increasing number of high risk infants, neonatal care in Korea has undergone development with improved survival rate. This rapid improvement in the outcomes brought care quality in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to the surface. Quality improvement (QI) involves safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and patient-centered care. In this review, methods of QI are described with examples of NICU QI topics. Each NICU can voluntarily develop a QI project, but systematic supports are essential. As human and systemic resources in NICUs in Korea are insufficient, institutional and national supports are necessary to attain QI. Furthermore, collaborative neonatal network can provide a QI standard and evidence based-medicine, as well as QI research.