Hospital Nurses In South Korea Research Articles

Korean Hospital Nurses’ Experiences with COVID-19: A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Findings

During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital nurses in South Korea cared for patients amid their own anxiety and fear of infection, armed with a sense of professional duty and overcoming all odds to end the country’s infectious disease pandemic. This study aims to provide a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies examining the perceptions and experiences of nurses who cared for patients in dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in South Korea. Electronic databases, including RISS, KISS, KMbase, NDSL, KoreaMed, DBpia, PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane, were searched for research published until 2023. The study included research using qualitative approaches. These were reviewed and analyzed using a thematic synthesis approach. The quality of the studies was ascertained using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklist for qualitative research. Ultimately, 13 studies involving 219 nurses were included in the final review. Six major themes and thirteen subthemes emerged. The six topics are: “The crisis of a pandemic that suddenly appeared”, “Challenges in nursing patients with infectious diseases”, “A struggle in an unknown time due to a prolonged infectious disease”, “Ethical dilemmas in the face of infectious diseases”, “Duality of the social support system”, and “Professional growth for nurses regarding infectious diseases”. During the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic, nurses were able to overcome difficult situations through their interactions with patients, sense of professional mission, and commitment to nursing. Most importantly, they persevered through their collaboration and closeness with fellow nurses, despite confusion about their professional identity, the ethical dilemmas they faced in patient care, and dual attitudes regarding their social support system. To prepare for future infectious disease outbreaks, a multifaceted support system should be established to enable nurses to have positive interactions with their families, colleagues, and patients, which are central to their resilience.

Effects of perceived spiritual management, work engagement, and organizational commitment on job satisfaction among clinical nurses: the mediating role of perceived spiritual management

BackgroundSpirituality in the workplace has a positive impact on organizations. It strengthens employees’ well-being and their quality of life. It also gives work a sense of purpose and meaning and creates a sense of interconnectedness.MethodsThis study is a descriptive cross-sectional survey which intends to determine how job satisfaction is impacted by spiritual management, work engagement, and organizational commitment from the perspective of clinical nurses. Responses to self-administered questionnaires were collected from 230 hospital nurses in South Korea from July to August, 2022.ResultsJob satisfaction was positively correlated with perceived spiritual management (r = .662), job commitment (r = .514), and organizational commitment (r = .587). Perceived spiritual management had the highest correlation with job satisfaction, followed by organizational commitment and job commitment. To determine the effect of these factors on clinical nurses’ job satisfaction, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis-in other words, a method that controls the entry order of a series of independent variables-was conducted. Model 4 ultimately explained 58.4% of job satisfaction (R2 = 0.584; F = 44.563; p < .001), with an additional 2.5 explained variance. Among the control variables in Model 4, only marital status (β = 0.173) was positively significant; perceived spiritual management (β = 0.388), work engagement (β = 0.208) and organizational commitment (β = 0.225) were all found to have significant positive effects on job satisfaction. The mediation analysis showed that perceived spiritual management had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between work engagement, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction.ConclusionThe results of this study confirm that job satisfaction for nurses requires not only individual predispositions, but also active changes in management strategies, such as spirituality management at the hospital’s organizational level.

Trend Analysis of Studies on Nurses related to COVID-19 in Korea

본 연구는 국내 간호사를 대상으로 COVID-19 관련한 연구의 동향을 파악하기 위한 것으로 근거기반 간호인력 관리를 위한 기초자료를 제공하고자 시도되었다. 문헌고찰 연구로 국내 6개 데이터베이스를 기반으로‘간호’ AND ‘COVID or 코로나’를 검색어로 하고, 검색기간은 시작시점 제한 없이 2021년 6월 17일까지로 하였다, 총 182편의 자료 중 본 연구의 요건을 충족한 24편의 연구를 최종 분석하였다. 전체 논문의 83.3%가 질적 연구이었고, 대상자의 83.3%는 일반 간호사이었다. COVID-19 환자 간호를 경험한 간호사만을 연구 대상자로 하여 진행된 논문이 41%이었고, 9편(37.5%)의 연구만이 COVID-19 감염관리 교육을 받았는지 조사하였고 교육을 받은 간호사는 37.5%이었다. 양적 연구에서 가장 많이 다루어진 개념은 직무 스트레스(25.0%)와 피로(25.0%)였고, 다양한 윤리적 개념들이 다루어졌다. 예측요인을 규명하는 연구의 종속변수 중 가장 많은 개념은 간호의도이었다. 본 결과를 통해 간호사들의 COVID-19 관련 특성 조사가 미흡하였고 간호사들의 경험을 규명하기 위한 질적 연구가 더 필요함을 알 수 있었다.The purpose of this study was to explore and identify the trends in COVID-19 related studies with hospital nurses in South Korea, and to provide basic data for providing the evidence for nursing staff management on COVID-19. This study used a systematic review methodology to analyse the included studies. Six databases (RISS, KCI, KISS, e-article, DBpia and NAL) were searched and search terms were ‘nursing’ and (‘corona’ or ‘COVID’) in Korean language. The start time of the paper s publication year was not limited and included the entire paper published until 17 June 2021. 182 papers were screened. Based on inclusion criteria, this literature review included twenty four studies. 83.3% of research design were identified as quantitative research. 83.8% of the studies’ subjects were staff nurses. The study, in which all of the subjects participated in caring of COVID-19 patients, accounted for 41% of the papers. 37.5% of the studies dealt with the education of COVID-19 infection control. The most frequently dealt with concepts were job stress(25.0%) and fatigue(25.0%) in quantitative studies and many concepts related to nursing ethics tended to be addressed. Nursing intention has been most frequently dealt with dependent variable of predictive studies. The findings from this review was showed that the investigation of COVID-19 related characteristics with hospital nurses was insufficient and qualitative research will be needed to explore the living experiences of nurses.

A meta-analysis on predictors of turnover intention of hospital nurses in South Korea (2000-2020).

AimsTo identify the predictors of Registered Nurses’ turnover intention and analyse the effect sizes.DesignA systematic review and meta‐analysis of previous research, conducted to comprehensively identify the predictors of turnover intention.MethodsIn total, 417 studies from 1 January 2000 to 30 April 2020 that investigated predictors of turnover intention of South Korean nurses were reviewed. The data were analysed using the R statistical package. Network graphs were used to analyse the relationships among turnover predictors, and meta‐analysis was performed to determine the effect sizes of the correlations.ResultsThis review analysed common predictors identified in previous studies. Burnout (0.541), emotional exhaustion (0.511), job stress (0.390) and career plateau (0.386) showed positive effect sizes, while organizational commitment (−0.540), person−organizational fit (−0.521), career commitment (−0.508), work engagement (−0.503), job satisfaction (−0.491) and job embeddedness (−0.483) showed negative effect sizes.

Depression and physical health as serial mediators between interpersonal problems and binge-eating behavior among hospital nurses in South Korea

This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between depression, physical health, interpersonal problems, and binge-eating behavior among South Korean nurses. Self-report questionnaires were answered by 187 nurses from five hospitals. Mediating roles of depression and physical health between interpersonal problems and binge-eating behavior were examined using mediation analyses with bootstrapping. Total and direct effects of interpersonal problems on binge-eating behavior were significant. Indirect effects of path through depression and physical health as mediators, and through single mediation of physical health were significant, while indirect effects through depression were not. Thus, physical health affects nurses' vulnerability to interpersonal problems and binge-eating behavior.

South Korean Nurses' Experiences with Patient Care at a COVID-19-Designated Hospital: Growth after the Frontline Battle against an Infectious Disease Pandemic.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus that quickly spread worldwide, resulting in a global pandemic. Healthcare professionals coming into close contact with COVID-19 patients experience mental health issues, including stress, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and burnout. This study aimed to explore the experiences of COVID-19-designated hospital nurses in South Korea who provided care for patients based on their lived experiences. Eighteen nurses working in a COVID-19-designated hospital completed in-depth individual telephone interviews between July and September 2020, and the data were analyzed using Giorgi’s phenomenological methodology. The essential structure of the phenomenon was growth after the frontline battle against an infectious disease pandemic. Nine themes were identified: Pushed onto the Battlefield Without Any Preparation, Struggling on the Frontline, Altered Daily Life, Low Morale, Unexpectedly Long War, Ambivalence Toward Patients, Forces that Keep Me Going, Giving Meaning to My Work, and Taking Another Step in One’s Growth. The nurses who cared for patients with COVID-19 had both negative and positive experiences, including post-traumatic growth. These findings could be used as basic data for establishing hospital systems and policies to support frontline nurses coping with infectious disease control to increase their adaption and positive experiences.

The Relationship between Childhood Trauma, Eating Disorders, and Sleep Quality among Registered Hospital Nurses in South Korea.

This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between childhood trauma, eating disorders, and sleep quality among registered hospital nurses in South Korea. Self-report questionnaires were answered by 279 nurses from six general hospitals. Factors affecting sleep quality were analyzed with a linear regression analysis. The factors that influenced sleep quality included age, alcohol consumption, chronic disease, BMI, and emotional abuse in childhood trauma. Hospital nurses need to increase their sleep health knowledge to maintain a healthy lifestyle while working as a nurse. Therefore, hospital and nursing managers should consider strategies to prevent and intervene in the sleep quality threats attributed to the adverse childhood experiences of hospital nurses.

Association of Happiness and Nursing Work Environments with Job Crafting among Hospital Nurses in South Korea.

Nurses are key professionals in healthcare sectors, whose job attitude is closely associated with patient health outcomes and safety. Job crafting describes how workers shape their tasks to find a sense of meaning and value in their work. This study aimed to examine the associations of happiness at the individual level and nursing work environments at the organizational level with job crafting among hospital nurses in Korea. This cross-sectional study analyzed survey data from 220 nurses working in four Korean hospitals. Multiple linear regression modeling was used to examine associations among the study variables. Nurses who were satisfied with their lives were significantly more likely to exhibit higher levels of job crafting (B = 0.07, p < 0.001). Nursing work environments had no significant association with nurses’ job crafting. In comparison with nurses working in general units, operating room nurses were significantly less likely to craft their job (B = −0.35, p = 0.001). Organizational support should be established to improve nurses’ happiness and job crafting. Hospitals should provide various opportunities for education and training to strengthen job crafting.

A Literature Review of Research on Leadership of Korean Hospital Nurse

Purpose: This study was done to identify trends in leadership-related research by reviewing studies on hospital nurses in South Korea. Methods: The research was conducted from April 2 to 14, 2018 and search databases were RISS, KISS, DBpia, KM base, NAL, and NDSL. Search terms were "leadership’ and "nursing" in the Korean language, and total 141 papers were selected. Results: Analysis of the research on leadership showed that 96.4% of research methods were quantitative research, and 60.3% were predictive researches. For study settings, 46.2% were general hospitals, 96.5% were staff nurses. In the study of leadership variables, 60.3% were independent variables and recent leadership was used as a mediating variable (4.3%) and a moderating variable (2.8%). Among the leadership types, self-leadership (31.2%) was the most common, and the main variable related to leadership was job satisfaction (25.8%). Conclusion: These results provide useful data for deriving new research ideas about nursing leadership. Furthermore, this study has significance for providing the evidence for developing new leadership programs and policies in nursing organizations.

Associations Among Nursing Work Environment and Health-Promoting Behaviors of Nurses and Nursing Performance Quality: A Multilevel Modeling Approach.

This study aimed to determine the relationships among the unit-level nursing work environment and individual-level health-promoting behaviors of hospital nurses in South Korea and their perceived nursing performance quality. This study used a cross-sectional design. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires from 432 nurses in 57 units at five hospitals in South Korea. Nursing performance quality, nursing work environment, and health-promoting behaviors were measured using the Six Dimension Scale of Nursing Performance, Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, and Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II, respectively. Nurses working in units with nurse managers who were characterized by better ability and by quality leadership, and who provided more support to nurses exhibited significantly greater health responsibility and physical activity. Nurses working with sufficient staffing and resources reported better stress management. Positive collegial nurse-physician relationships in units were significantly associated with more healthy eating among nurses. Nurses working in units with sufficient staffing and resources, and who had a higher level of spiritual growth and health responsibility, were more likely to perceive their nursing performance quality as being higher. To improve the quality of nursing practice, hospitals should focus on helping nurses maintain healthy lifestyles, as well as improving their working conditions in South Korea. Organizational support for adequate human resources and materials, mutual cooperation among nurses and physicians, and workplace health-promotion interventions for spiritual growth and health responsibility are needed. Organizational efforts to provide sufficient staffing and resources, boost the development of personal resources among nurses, and promote nurses' responsibility for their own health could be effective strategies for improving nursing performance quality and patient outcomes.

The effect of social capital on job satisfaction and quality of care among hospital nurses in South Korea.

To identify the level of social capital and its effect on job satisfaction and self-reported quality of care of nurses working in hospital settings in South Korea. There are few studies on social capital and its relationship to workplace outcomes in the nursing profession internationally. A cross-sectional, correlational design was adopted with a convenience sample of 432 nurses from two university-affiliated teaching hospitals in South Korea. Nurses' social capital was positively related to job satisfaction and self-reported quality of care. Social capital explained 50% and 24%, respectively, of the variance in job satisfaction and reported quality of care. By improving social capital, nurses' job satisfaction could be enhanced and result in better quality of care for patients. Strategies to improve social capital in nursing organisations are necessary to improve job satisfaction and the quality of care provided by nurses. Nurse managers and administrators should encourage nurse participation in organisational affairs and decision-making processes to improve social capital by developing a trusting work environment with shared values and support nurses who work with peers, superiors, and subordinates.

Factors associated with needlestick and sharp injuries among hospital nurses: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey

BackgroundThe current status of needlestick or sharp injuries of hospital nurses and factors associated with the injuries have not been systematically examined with representative registered nurse samples in South Korea. ObjectiveTo examine the incidence to needlestick or sharp injuries and identify the factors associated with such injuries among hospital nurses in South Korea. Design, settings and participantsA cross-sectional survey of hospital nurses in South Korea. Data were collected from 3079 registered nurses in 60 acute hospitals in South Korea by a stratified random sampling method based on the region and number of beds. MethodsThe dependent variable was the occurrence of needlestick or sharp injuries in the last year, and the independent variables were protective equipment, nurse characteristics, and hospital characteristics. This study employed logistic regression analysis with generalized estimating equation clustering by hospital to identify the factors associated with needlestick or sharp injuries. ResultsThe majority (70.4%) of the hospital nurses had experienced needlestick or sharp injuries in the previous year. The non-use of safety containers for disposal of sharps and needles, less working experience as a registered nurse, poor work environments in regards to staffing and resource adequacy, and high emotional exhaustion significantly increased risk for needlestick or sharp injuries. Working in perioperative units also significantly increased the risk for such injuries but working in intensive care units, psychiatry, and obstetrics wards showed a significantly lower risk than medical–surgical wards. ConclusionsThe occurrence of needlestick or sharp injuries of registered nurses was associated with organizational characteristics as well as protective equipment and nurse characteristics. Hospitals can prevent or reduce such injuries by establishing better work environments in terms of staffing and resource adequacy, minimizing emotional exhaustion, and retaining more experienced nurses. All hospitals should make safety-engineered equipment available to registered nurses. Hospitals as well as specific units showing higher risk for needlestick and sharp injuries should implement organizational strategies to prevent such injuries. It is also necessary to establish a monitoring system of needlestick and sharp injuries at a hospital level and a reporting system at the national level in South Korea.