Soo Yeon Ahn

The job analysis of Korean nurses as a strategy to improve the Korean Nursing Licensing Examination

Purpose: This study aimed at characterizing Korean nurses’ occupational responsibilities to apply the results for improvement of the Korean Nursing Licensing Examination. Methods: First, the contents of nursing job were defined based on a focus group interview of 15 nurses. Developing a Curriculum (DACOM) method was used to examine those results and produce the questionnaire by 13 experts. After that, the questionnaire survey to 5,065 hospital nurses was done. Results: The occupational responsibilities of nurses were characterized as involving 8 duties, 49 tasks, and 303 task elements. Those 8 duties are nursing management and professional development, safety and infection control, the management of potential risk factors, basic nursing and caring, the maintenance of physiological integrity, medication and parenteral treatments, socio-psychological integrity, and the maintenance and improvement of health. Conclusion: The content of Korean Nursing Licensing Examination should be improved based on 8 duties and 49 tasks of the occupational responsibilities of Korean nurses.

The effects on health information education for the deaf

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects on health information education for the deaf. METHOD One group pre-test and post-test research design was applied to 46 deaf people. The instrument developed by research team was used for data collection. The questionnaire consisted of 91 items including demographics and 5 diseases, such as hypertension, cancer, diabetes, pulmonary tuberculosis, and hepatitis. RESULT The degrees of knowledge on 4 diseases, such as, hypertension, diabetes, pulmonary tuberculosis, and hepatitis were significantly improved. There was no educational effect on cancer even though the degree of knowledge during the pre-test was the highest. There were educational effects on 5 diseases by gender, but no effects by age and hearing/deaf status of parent. CONCLUSION This study was the first for the deaf in nursing. Further studies are needed for the deaf who have low education. Also, good educational materials using video and CD need to be developed.

Relevance of the test content of the Korean Nursing Licensing Examination to nursing job

Purpose: This study aimed at identifying if there is a relevance of content of the Korean Nursing Licensing Examination (KNLE) revised in 2014 to nursing job. It will be able to provide the validity of revised content of the KNLE. Methods: From October 13 to November 13, 2015, print version of 8 duties with 49-tasks, 155-job item questionnaires were distributed to 1,305 hospital nurses and 202 nursing faculties in Korea. Results were treated by descriptive statistics and comparison analysis. There were responses from 946 nurses or professors (72.5%). Results: The relevance of test content of KNLE to nursing job was shown to be valid with over 3 points out of 4 point Likert scale in all items: from 3.23 at lowest to 3.64 at top. Conclusion: Above results showed that the revised version of KNLE in 2014 was valid to test the nursing students’ knowledge for job performance.

Identifying Perceptions of Health Professionals Regarding Deathbed Visions and Spiritual Care in End-of-Life Care: A Delphi Consensus Study

The final hours before death can be the most significant time for the dying. Adequate preparation for death can help reduce patients’ fears. Research on end-of-life experiences suggests that deathbed visions are not uncommon, but many doctors and nurses find this a difficult subject to approach. A 2-round Delphi method was used to gain a reliable consensus on deathbed visions from experts in end-of-life care. A purposive sample of nurses (n = 18) and doctors (n = 13) was invited from across hospitals and nursing homes to participate in this study. In this Delphi evaluation, the health professionals’ perceptions of the deathbed visions experienced by patients were identified, as well as how these phenomena should be integrated into spiritual care. The research found that healthcare professionals who are experts in end-of-life care tend to remain at the end-of-life care setting while acknowledging human spirituality as part of a peaceful death. However, they tend to not make conclusions about how death visions should be classified. This Delphi study was an attempt to identify a consensus on spiritual care including deathbed visions in end-of-life care among healthcare professionals.