• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.197-207
• /
• 2007

Purpose: This study was carried out to deveop nursing costs and to substantiate the application of appropriate activity-based nursing costs for the current clinical nurse specialists. Method: The study sample was a group of 8 home health care team of the tirtiary Hospital in Korea. The data was collected from September 2003 through December 2004. The statistical analysis was done by SPSS PC 11.0 program and calculated mean and the standard deviation. In Lee(2003)'s nursing activity analysis, nursing activities were classified into two major classification, 19 domains and 70 activities. Each activities was calculated using its work validity, physical effort, psychological effort, stress as a intensity, and the necessary time. The simple work costs was calculated the work wage per minute and the necessary time. The work load intensity was calculated using the work wage per minute and the necessary time work load intensity/100. Results: In this study, the work wage was 283 won per minute. The work validity ranged from 2.71-4.00. The highest simple work cost/work load intensity cost was 12,735won/47,374won for research activity, 10,700won/27,499won for bedsore care, and 9,727won/35,114won for deathbed care. The lowest simple work cost/work load intensity cost was 2,123won/2,038won for intramuscular injection, 2,210won/2,166won for hypodermic injection, and 2,210won/1,547won for a application of medicine(or ointment or cream). Conclusions: It revealed that the nursing cost should be considered validity, physical effort, psychological effort, stress as a intensity, and necessary time. Therefore, It is necessary to calculate nursing cost systematically based on activities.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.35-43
• /
• 2004

The purpose of this study is to redesign a letter sorting station and to present the optimal work-space through the ergonomic analysis of the sorting station for reducing the 'Work-Related MusculoSkeletal Disorders(WMSDs)'. We surveyed the work environment in terms of the reason causing WMSDs. According to the survey results, Deltoid on the arm, Trapezius on the shoulder and Erector Spinae on the waist are most frequent attacking parts. Accordingly, We classified sorting stations by the horizontal work-space(Level 1, Level 2, Level 3) and the vertical work space(Level 1, Level 2) based on the criteria of ergonomic optimal work-space. In addition we improved the sorting station through investigation and analysis of the work-load regard the each defined work-space. In order to analyze the effect of the horizontal and vertical work-space, subjects carried out simulated sorting tasks. Each level(Level 1, Level 2, Level3) of the horizontal work-space is significant regarding each muscles(the shoulder, arm and waist), and each level(Level 1, Level 2) of the vertical work-space is significant regarding the arm and waist, but not shoulder. Finally, we founded the difference of work-load according to the work-spaces. Then, it is necessary to improve the work-space causing the high work-load(Level 3 of the horizontal work-space). Then, this study presented the specification of a sorting station which is suitable to the korean body size, and constructed the 3D shaped model of the stations by the ergonomic analysis.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.75-83
• /
• 2016

Nursing staffing is of major interest in hospital management, however, no practical method has been developed. The present study proposed a mathematical model based on the patient classification system for nursing staffing optimization. A few characteristic parameters possibly determined experimentally and/or empirically were introduced followed by systematic calculation of the required number of nurses. An essential concept of the model is the unit work load defined as the amount of nursing work performed on single patient per unit time, where the work load is defined as the number of nursing staffs multiplied by the working hours. The unit work load was considered to vary with the patient classification level as well as the working time during a day, both of which were represented by corresponding parameter values. The number of patients for each class and the number of working hours were multiplied to the unit work load, and added up to obtain the total required work load. As the next step, the averaged number of hours that a nurse could provide per day was formulated considering the degree of nursing practice experience into 3 levels. Finally, the appropriate number of nursing staffs was calculated as the total work load divided by the average working hours per nurse. The present technique has a great advantage that the number of nursing staffs to fulfill the required work load is systematically calculated once the characteristic parameters are appropriately determined, leading to instant and fast evaluation. A practical PC program was also developed to apply the present model to nursing practice.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.335-346
• /
• 2020

Background: Nursing service is a nonroutine work with an excessive physical load and diverse tasks. This study derived representative common tasks based on the frequently occurring tasks with a high physical load in the nursing workers' daily work and developed indicators to evaluate the work risk by reflecting the characteristics of nonroutine work. Methods: Common tasks were classified through the following stages: literature review, first focus group interview (FGI) with experts, first classification of common tasks, second FGI with hospital health managers, a survey of nursing service workers, and the final classification of common tasks for each task type. To develop an objective risk index for physical load assessment, we investigated the frequency and duration of the derived common tasks via survey. Results: Nursing common tasks were categorized into six task types and 56 subtasks. To evaluate the risks of various tasks in nonroutine works, three frequencies and three working time levels were defined by examining the task frequency and working hours. Exposure time was defined to reflect the characteristics of a nonroutine job. The final risk assessment was the product of the exposure time level and job intensity level. From this, four risk action levels were derived. Conclusion: This study has the advantage of solving the problem of focusing on some tasks in evaluating the physical load. It was meaningful in that a new risk assessment index based on exposure time was proposed based on the development of an evaluation scale for frequency and time by reflecting the characteristics of nonroutine work.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.174-180
• /
• 1999

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of carrying postures and weight of load carried one time on a worker when carrying heavy loads. Six male students participated in this study to perform a manual materials carrying task as subjects. To make comparison of work loads with physical work capacity, maximal oxygen uptake measurement tests were performed with submaximal test. The average oxygen consumption for the tasks of this study was 27.59~31.93% $VO_2$max. The results showed that the weight of load carried one time affects on working heart rate and oxygen consumption($VO_2$). It was found that the workload was significantly lower when handling a 20kg load at a frequency rate of 3times/min than when handling a 40kg load at a frequency rate of 1.5 times/min. There was no difference between carrying postures. It is concluded from the results of this study that the workload can be reduced by controlling conditions of a manual materials handling task.

• IE interfaces
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.218-225
• /
• 2004

This study aims to investigate effect of external load and motion repetitiveness on perceived discomfort. An experiment was performed for measuring discomfort scores at varying conditions, in which external load, motion repetitiveness and arm posture were employed as experimental variables. The arm posture was controlled by shoulder flexion and abduction, and by elbow flexion. Fifteen healthy college-age students without history of musculoskeletal disorders voluntarily participated in the experiment. The results showed that the effect of external load, motion repetitiveness and shoulder posture on discomfort were statistically significant, but that elbow posture did not significantly affect discomfort ratings. The effect of external load was much larger than that of any other variables, and that of repetitiveness was second only to external load. Discomfort scores significantly increased linearly as the levels of external load and motion repetitiveness increased. This implies that although they were not fully reflected in the existing posture classification scheme such as OWAS, RULA, etc., the effect of external load and motion repetitiveness should be taken into consideration for precisely quantifying work load in industry. Based on regression analysis, equivalent values of external load and motion repetitiveness in terms of discomfort scores were provided, which would be useful for better understanding the degree of their effect on work load.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2007.05a
• /
• pp.1744-1748
• /
• 2007

In this study, the Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) theory was combined with the instrumented indentation technique (IIT) to evaluate work of adhesion and modulus of elastomeric polymer. Indentation test was used to obtain the load-displacement data for contacts between Tungsten Carbide indenter and elastomeric polymer. And the JKR contact model, contrived to take viscoelastic effects of polymer into account, was applied to compensate the contact area and the elastic modulus which Hertzian contact model would underestimate and overestimate, respectively. Besides, we could obtain the thermodynamic work of adhesion by considering the surface energy in this contact model. In order to define the relation between JKR contact area and applied load without optical measuring of contact area, we used the relation between applied load and contact stiffness by examining the correlation between JKR contact area and stiffness through dimensional analysis with 14 kinds of elastomeric polymer. From this work, it could be demonstrated that the interfacial work of adhesion and elastic modulus of compliant polymer can be obtained from a simple instrumented indentation testing without area measurement, and provided as the main algorithm of compliant polymer characterization.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
• /
• v.23 no.57
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2000

The purpose of this paper is to propose a method of rest to reduce work load of night shift workers for night shift work. The experiment was carried out 10minutes preparing time, 45minutes first work, 10minutes first rest, 45minutes second work, 10minutes second rest between 2 and 4 o'clock that the lowest physiological function of workers. The methods of rest set up as four patterns (1) non-action rest (2) non-action rest + listening music (3) action rest + non-action rest, (4) action rest + non-action rest + listening music. For the measurements of experiment, heart rates(R-R interval), critical flicker fusion frequency(CFF), blood pressure, oral temperature, reaction time and error rates were considered as criteria for work performance. As a result, action rest + non-action rest and action rest + non-action rest + listening music were more effective to reduce work load additional work than non-action rest and non-action rest + listening music.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.289-297
• /
• 2004

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine factors affecting workers' physiological somatic complain using the Job Stress Model proposed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Method: Data were collected from the 1st to the 30th of December 1999. The subjects were 2.123 workers employed at 155 work sites. Collected date were analyzed through SAS/PC program. Result: According to individual characteristics, younger and women groups showed significantly higher physiological somatic complaint than elder men groups. By work condition, groups with higher physiological somatic complaint included workers of irregular shift work. Dark lighting, improper temperature in winter, improper ventilation, inappropriate humidity, unpleasant work environment and crowded work place were significantly related with physiological somatic complaint. By work-related factor, physiological somatic complaint was high in those with higher variance in work load, quantitative work load, role conflict, job burden, role ambiguity and future ambiguity. On the other hand, physiological somatic complaint was low in those with little underutilization of ability. As for the relationships between physiological somatic complaint and non-work related factors, physiological somatic complaint was high in workers who had a side job, were bringing up infants alone, cleaned the house alone, cared for the elderly and disabled persons, were studying, were volunteering at another organization, and were spending 5-10 hours in religious activities per week. Physiological somatic complain was in significantly negative correlations with overall social support, supervisory support and family support, but in significantly positive correlations with co-worker support. Conclusion: The main predictors of physiological somatic complain were gender, shift work pattern, overtime work, ventilation, role ambiguity, role conflict, future ambiguity, job control, variance in work load, overall social support, worker with side job, worker who cleans the house alone, worker who is studying. These predictors explained 19.10% of the total variance of physiological somatic complain.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.223-231
• /
• 2002

Recently, work-related musculoskeletal disorders(WMSDs) have rapidly increased and have been a major issue in the field of industrial safety. Of several physical risk factors for WMSDs, which include postures, vibration, repetitive work, speed or acceleration of movements, etc., awkward postures have been known as one of the major causes of WMSDs. For reducing the potential for injury as a result of postures, cost effective quantification of the magnitude for physical exposure to poor working postures is important and needed. To do this, several postural classification schemes have been developed and used in industrial sites. It is known that perceived discomfort for joint motions and muscle strength for females were much less than those for males. However, the existing postural classification schemes were developed without considering these gender effects. This study aims to develop a new postural classification scheme for female workers, based on the perceived discomfort for joint motions. The result showed that there was significant difference between the schemes for female and male. It was also found that when compared with OWAS, RULA and REBA, postural load was quantified more precisely with the developed scheme. It is recommended that different schemes according to gender of workers involved in work be used in order to accurately evaluate postural load of work postures.