• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.14-25
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship of fatigue and depression in patients with hemato-malignancy receiving chemotherapy. Methods: The data were collected from December 2005 to November 2006. Study objects were recruited from 4 university hospital in B and U city. Fatigue and depression were measured using the Cancer Fatigue Scale and the Revised Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale, respectively. Results: 1) The mean score of fatigue was $64.64{\pm}21.58$. The mean score of depression was $41.28{\pm}7.62$. 2) The fatigue score was significantly different with age, employment status, and present pain. 3) The depression score was signigicant different by the payment, diet, and present pain. 4) There was a moderate positive correlation between depression and fatigue. Conclusions: Patients with hemato-malignancy receiving chemotherapy experience in fatigue. Decrease in fatigue are associated with decreases in depression. Therefore, nurses must provide planned nursing intervention to reduce fatigue and depression in patients with hemato-malignancy.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.136-145
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• 2005

Purpose: To investigate the degree and relationship of the quality of life(QOL) and family burden in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients(HSCTr) at admission and discharge to isolation unit. Method: Data were obtained by interviewing from 60 HSCTr and 50 of their primary caregivers' and were analyzed by SAS program. Result: The degree of quality of life in pre and post HSCTr was significantly lower in the group who had physical discomfort compared with those who had no physical discomfort. The mean score of quality of life in pre HSCTr was significantly lower compared with in post HSCTr. Objective burden of family was higher than subjective one. Conclusion: QOL in HSCTr showed lower in the group of who had medical history, physical discomfort, no hope for cure and more than 5 weeks of length of stay. On the basis of these results, it is necessary to develop nursing intervention and to apply nursing care for improving their quality of life.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.199-209
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the meaning of prayer in Christian patients with breast cancer. Methods: Data collection and analysis were conducted by the Colaizzi analysis of phenomenological method. Data were collected by in-depth interviewing the participants and by further follow-up observations. Sixteen patients participated in this study. Results: The significant statements (188), formulated meanings (42), themes (38), clusters of theme (10), and categories (5) were emerged. The 5 categories were as follows: communication with God, healing and peace, spiritual growth, distrust in prayer, and method of prayer. Conclusion: Further studies need to consider the period of faith, comparison between christian and other religions, and length of diagnosis. A better understanding of the meaning of prayer will lead to a more comprehensive view of the spiritual care for patients with breast cancer, and can lead to guidelines for assessment and intervention to reduce suffering from cancer.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine understanding of chemotherapy of cancer patients after they received individual education on it and their execution of self-care for symptoms. Methods: Thirty-two participants who received individual education on chemotherapy from nurses specializing in education for cancer patients when they started to take chemotherapy were asked to complete the questionnaire on their understanding in education and execution of self-care. Results: Understanding on chemotherapy education of the participants recorded 4.30 on a scale of one to five with five the highest. Regarding self-care for symptoms, all participants carried out one or more methods of self-care except for one person each for vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. Conclusion: This study showed that cancer patients who received individual education on chemotherapy performed self-care for their symptoms.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.52-59
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate perceived family support and quality of life in patients with cancer. Method: Data were collected from 83 cancer patients in the 3 cities of Korea. Family support was measured using the Tae's Family Support Scale and quality of life was measured using Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G). Results: The mean scores of family support and quality of life were 30.48 and 53.04 respectively. Family support was significantly different according to marital status, education level, income, living together, helper, type of treatment, and weight change. Quality of life was significantly different according to the purpose of treatment, weight change, performance status, exercise, and sleep. There was a positive correlation between family support and quality of life (r=0.499, p<0.000). Conclusion: The study results underscore the importance of family support in improving the quality of life of patients with cancer.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.132-138
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the performance status and quality of life (QOL) of patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) according to period of survival. Methods: Participants consists of 83 HSCT patients who were being treated regularly at out-patient clinic in two general hospitals in D city. Data were collected using questionnaires that were modified by Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplabtation (FACT-BMT) scale and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG). Results: The unrelated HSCT group's survival period was significantly worse than related HSCT group and autologous HSCT group. Performance status of the group with more than 3 years survival was significantly higher than that of the group with less than a year survival. The mean score of total QOL of HSCT patients was 2.69 out of 4. Total QOL was not significantly different among period of survival less than 1 year, 1-3 years, and more than 3 years. But BMT QOL was shown that the group with more than 3 years survival was higher than the groups with less than a year survival. Conclusion: Performance status and BMT QOL of the group with less than 1 year survival was significantly lowered than the groups with more than 3 years survival.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2006

Purpose: The present study explored the effects of education for safe handling of cytotoxic drugs on knowledge and practice in nurses. Method: Data were collected using a single group with pre and posttest design from 59 nurses at medical and surgical wards in C university hospital from April to June 2005. Questionnaires on the knowledge and practice of the guidelines for safe handling of cytotoxic drugs were asked to complete before and after the education. Result: The education improved nurses' knowledge and practice of the guidelines for safe handling of cytotoxic drugs. The knowledge and practice had a significant positive correlation. Conclusion: These findings show that the education for safe handling of cytotoxic drugs improved the knowledge and practice of nurses. As the knowledge of the guidelines for safe handling of cytotoxic drugs makes a positive association with the practice, it is thought to be required to enhance the education program for nurses.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.3-10
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• 2005

Back ground: Nurses now occupy one third of all hospital human resources. Therefore, efficient management of nursing manpower is getting more important. While it is very clear that nursing workload requirement analysis and patient severity classification should be done first for the efficient allocation of nursing workforce, these processes have been conducted manually with ad hoc rule. Purposes: This study was tried to make a predict model for patient classification according to nursing need. We tried to find the easier and faster method to classify nursing patients that can help efficient management of nursing manpower. Methods: The nursing patient classifications data of the hospitalized cancer patients in one of the biggest cancer center in Korea during 2003.1.1-2003.12.31 were assessed by trained nurses. This study developed a prediction model and analyzing nursing needs by data mining techniques. Patients were classified by three different data mining techniques, (Logistic regression, Decision tree and Neural network) and the results were assessed. Results: The data set was created using 165,073 records of 2,228 patients classification database. Main explaining variables were as follows in 3 different data mining techniques. 1) Logistic regression : age, month and section. 2) Decision tree : section, month, age and tumor. 3) Neural network : section, diagnosis, age, sex, metastasis, hospital days and month. Among these three techniques, neural network showed the best prediction power in ROC curve verification. As the result of the patient classification prediction model developed by neural network based on nurse needs, the prediction accuracy was 84.06%. Conclusion: The patient classification prediction model was developed and tested in this study using real patients data. The result can be employed for more accurate calculation of required nursing staff and effective use of labor force.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.5-16
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of oncology ward nurses toward cancer pain management and to find ways to improve the educational program for nurses. Method: A total of 209 nurses working at the oncology ward of three hospitals in Seoul and a Gyenggi Province. The survey instrument used was the 32-item scale for evaluating nurses knowledge and attitudes originally developed by McCaffery and Ferrell'(1990), that was by Kim'(1997). Result: In terms of the nurses knowledge of pain management, the result showed that the nurses scored an average of 67.8 out of 100 for phamacokinetics of opioids, 84.8 for classification of analgesics, 60.1 for pain assessment, and 70.7 for drug administration. 18.2% of the nurses hesitate to inject the narcotic agent because of concerns regarding the drug's potential side effects. there was significant difference in the knowledge of pain management according to the general characteristics of pain in terms of the nurses age(p=.001), position (p=.016), years of experiences(p=.002), experience of cancer pain education(p=.001). Conclusion: The also showed that nurses working at cancer ward lack knowledge. It is important to provide intensive education to nurses about cancer pain management.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4931-4933
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• 2013

Reiki is a form of energy therapy in which the therapist, with or without light touch, is believed to access universal energy sources that can strengthen the body's ability to heal itself, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain and stress. There is currently no licensing for Reiki nor, given its apparent low risk, is there likely to be. Reiki appears to be generally safe, and serious adverse effects have not been reported. So in this article provides coverage of how to use Reiki in oncology services.