Psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Stanford Presenteeism Scale in a nurse population.

Presenteeism, which refers to going to work despite being ill, has been associated with loss of work productivity, decreased quality of care, and an increased risk of health problems. The prevalence of presenteeism is particularly high among nurses; therefore, a reliable and valid tool is needed to assess presenteeism. This study aimed to translate the Stanford Presenteeism Scale (SPS) and to examine its psychometric properties in a Korean nurse population. A methodological study was performed in January 2023. The original SPS-6 (English-language) was translated and adapted to the Korean language using a committee approach translation, cognitive interviews, and content validation with a review panel of experts. An online survey was completed by 608 Korean nurses. The internal consistency, item-to-total correlation, construct validity, concurrent validity, and discriminant validity were examined as psychometric properties of the Korean version of the SPS. The final version of the K-SPS consists of four items shortened from the original six items. Cronbach's alpha of the K-SPS-4 was 0.74, indicating adequate reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a one-factor solution with a good fit. There was a positive correlation between the K-SPS-4 and the Work Limitations Questionnaire. Discriminant validity was evidenced by the positive correlation of the K-SPS-4 with job satisfaction and the negative correlation with job stress. The K-SPS-4 has acceptable psychometric properties, supporting the feasibility of its use in assessing the level of presenteeism among Korean nurses. The validated K-SPS-4 can provide a basis for developing intervention programs to enhance productivity and promote health among nurses in clinical settings.

Barcode and radio frequency identification utilization varied across Korean hospitals.

Barcodes and radio frequency identification (RFID) are increasingly used in health care to improve patient safety. However, studies on their utilization in clinical settings are limited. This study aimed to comprehensively examine the utilization status of barcodes and RFID in Korean hospitals, recognize the effects and obstacles associated with utilization, and explore the measures to expand the applications of barcodes and RFID. A self-reported online survey was conducted in tertiary hospitals, general hospitals, hospitals, and nursing hospitals in the Republic of Korea. The survey questionnaire comprised questions on barcodes and RFID utilization status, the effect of barcodes and RFID utilization, measures to expand the utilization of barcodes and RFID, and information on respondents' demographics and hospitals. A representative from each of 23 tertiary hospitals, 101 general hospitals, 232 hospitals, and 214 nursing hospitals completed the survey (total response rate 17%). The data were analysed using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test to determine the differences in responses based on the type and characteristics of hospitals. The tertiary hospitals had the highest utilizations of both RFID and barcodes (n = 10, 43.5%), whereas the nursing hospitals had the lowest (n = 96, 55.1%). Barcodes and RFID were most commonly used in the visits and security management domains. However, the use of barcodes and RFID in medication dispensing and administration safety was low, despite its value in improving patient safety. The hospitals recognized the positive effect of utilization of barcodes and RFID, reporting the highest frequency for the prevention of patient safety incidents (n = 79, 85.9%). Nevertheless, the cost of barcodes and RFID facility investments (n = 128, 90.3%) appeared to be the greatest obstacle to the introduction of barcodes and RFID. Hence, barcodes and RFID facility investment support (n = 133, 95.5%) were given the highest priority among the measures to expand barcode and RFID utilization in health care. The utilization of barcodes and RFID varied across the type and domain of hospitals in the Republic of Korea. Hospitals recognized the positive effects of barcode and RFID utilization. Nonetheless, all hospitals were concerned about the cost of investment and maintenance of barcode and RFID facilities as the main obstacles to utilization. Therefore, a support plan must be developed for the cost of barcodes and RFID facility investments to expand barcode and RFID utilization in health care.

What are the key factors influencing newly graduated nurses' preference for choosing their workplace? A best-worst scaling approach.

INTRODUCTION: The literature cites many factors that influence a nurse's decision when choosing their workplace. However, it is unclear which attributes matter the most to newly graduated nurses. The study aimed to identify the relative importance of workplace preference attributes among newly graduated nurses. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: We conducted an online survey and data were collected in June 2022. A total of 1111 newly graduated nurses in South Korea participated. The study employed best-worst scaling to quantify the relative importance of nine workplace preferences and also included questions about participants' willingness to pay for each workplace preferences. The relationships between the relative importance of the workplace attribute and the willingness to pay were determined using a quadrant analysis. RESULTS: The order according to the relative importance of workplace preferences is as follows: salary, working conditions, organizational climate, welfare program, hospital location, hospital level, hospital reputation, professional development, and the chance of promotion. The most important factor, salary, was 16.67 times more important than the least important factor, the chance of promotion, in terms of choosing workplace. In addition, working conditions and organizational climate were recognized as high economic value indicators. CONCLUSION: Newly graduated nurses nominated better salaries, working conditions, and organizational climate as having a more important role in choosing their workplace. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The findings of this study have important implications for institutions and administrators in recruiting and retaining newly graduated nurses.

A systematic review and pooled prevalence of symptoms among childhood and adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To systematically review the existing literature reporting symptoms in childhood and adolescent and young adult cancer survivors and to meta-analyse the pooled prevalence of symptoms. BACKGROUND: Cancer survivors experience various symptoms caused by cancer treatments and their late effects. These symptoms are associated with adverse health outcomes. However, estimates of symptom prevalence vary largely, and no comprehensive review of symptoms has been conducted for childhood and adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. DESIGN: A systematic review. METHODS: This systematic review is registered in PROSPERO registry and was performed following the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus and CINAHL were searched up to July 2021. Three investigators assessed the eligibility of studies, extracted data and performed quality assessment. The pooled prevalence of symptoms was calculated using a random-effect model. Subgroup analysis was conducted to identify heterogeneity. RESULTS: Sixty-one studies were used to synthesise symptom prevalence, involving 114,184 participants. There were 24 physical symptoms and 10 psychological symptoms reported in two or more studies. The most studied physical symptoms were fatigue and sleep disturbance, and the most studied psychological symptoms were anxiety and depression. Among physical symptoms, drowsiness had the highest prevalence, followed by dry mouth and fatigue. Among psychological symptoms, worry and nervousness had the highest prevalence, followed by difficulty concentrating. CONCLUSIONS: Physical and psychological symptoms are common in the target population. This review provides an up-to-date overview of symptom prevalence, identifying areas for future research. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Education about possible symptoms related to cancer and its treatment should be given while in treatment. Symptoms should also be monitored throughout the survivorship period. Nurses have a critical role in identifying and making referrals for psychological symptoms as well as promoting preventative strategies that enhance well-being.

Overtime and alertness of rotating-shift nurses: An observational study using ecological momentary assessment.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the effect of overtime on alertness at work among rotating-shift nurses in South Korea and to investigate whether these effects of overtime vary across the different types of shifts. BACKGROUND: Nurse overtime is prevalent in healthcare settings to manage nursing shortages and staffing needs; however, it negatively affects patient and nurse outcomes. Furthermore, little attention has been paid to the effects of previous overtime shifts and overtime for consecutive shifts on alertness during work. DESIGN: A prospective observational study was employed. The study followed STROBE checklist for observational studies. METHODS: Data were collected between June 2019 and February 2020 from 82 nurses who worked in acute care hospitals. An ecological momentary assessment was used to capture real-time data of overtime and alertness. Alertness scores were estimated using the sleep/wake data measured by an actigraph. Mixed-effect models were employed to investigate the association between overtime and alertness. RESULTS: A majority of the shift nurses worked overtime. Episodes of a decline in alertness scores to the level of increased accident or serious error risk (alertness score ≤80) were most frequently seen during night shifts (98.9%), followed by day (59.8%) and evening shifts (10.1%). Previous-day overtime hours and consecutive overtime days were associated with decreased alertness scores during work. A significantly positive correlation was observed between alertness scores ≤80 and previous-day overtime hours and consecutive overtime days in all shifts. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings indicate that a majority of nurses who work overtime experience decreased alertness while on duty. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Policy development at the government, organisational and unit level is needed to guarantee adequate rest for shift nurses by adjusting work schedules and assignments and limiting overtime.

Alertness during working hours among eight-hour rotating-shift nurses: An observational study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify the patterns of the decline in the alertness of rotating-shift nurses during working hours across different shift types (day, evening, and night) using an objective measure. DESIGN: An observational study using ReadiBand wrist actigraphs was conducted. METHODS: Data were collected from June 2019 to February 2020. Participants were rotating-shift nurses (N = 82) who provided direct nursing care for patients in acute care hospitals in South Korea. Nurses wore actigraphs continuously for 14 days on their non-dominant hand to identify sleep-wake cycles and predict their alertness scores hourly. All participants completed a sleep diary. FINDINGS: Nurses working during night shifts had lower average alertness scores (mean = 77.12) than nurses working during day (mean = 79.05) and evening (mean = 91.21). Overall, alertness showed a declining trend and the specific patterns of decline differed across shifts. Participants with alertness scores less than 70 or 80 demonstrated a significant decline in alertness across all shifts. CONCLUSIONS: Distinct patterns of decline in alertness per nursing shift were revealed. Each shift feature should be considered when developing interventions to increase nurses' alertness, promote high-quality care provision, and ensure patient safety. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The implementation of interventions to increase alertness among shift nurses is needed at the organizational level, and the cooperation of nursing managers and administrators is required.

Frailty index and gender-specific mortality in Korean adults: Findings from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (2006-2018).

AIMS: To examine the predictive ability of the frailty index in estimating gender-specific mortality in a population of Korean adults. DESIGN: A descriptive and prospective longitudinal design. METHODS: Data were used from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging conducted from 2006 through 2018. A total of 10,254 adults aged 45-98 years at baseline were included. A 41-item deficit accumulation frailty index was measured, based on multi-domain assessment such as self-rating of health, physical condition, mental status, cognitive function, activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living and chronic conditions. We categorized the frailty index into robust (≤0.10), prefrail (0.10-0.25) and frail (≥0.25). Cox's proportional hazards regression analysis was employed to determine the association between the frailty index and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: A total of 4705 individuals (45.9%) were categorized as robust, 4178 (40.7%) as prefrail and 1371 (13.4%) as frail. The frailty index increased with age, and females were found to have a higher frailty index than males. The survival probabilities were significantly lower in older adults (aged ≥65) compared with adults and significantly lower in males compared with females. Compared with the robust group, the risk of mortality in the prefrail and frail groups was 1.37 and 2.57 times higher, respectively. The association between frailty status and all-cause mortality was similar in adults and older adults, while the hazard ratios were higher in frail group of males than that of females. CONCLUSION: The frailty index had a predictive ability for all-cause mortality with respect to age and sex. IMPACT: Using a frailty index among community-dwelling adults could be beneficial to support healthcare providers in early detection of individuals with frailty and facilitate the development of more effective interventions for reducing mortality.

Effect of sleep on alertness at work among fixed night shift nurses: A prospective observational study.

AIMS: To identify patterns of declining alertness at work among fixed night shift nurses using an objective measure and to determine the effect of sleep parameters on the decline in alertness at work. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. METHODS: Data were collected from 65 fixed night shift nurses who provided direct nursing care for patients in Korean hospitals between September 2020 and March 2021. Participants wore an actigraph for 14 days on their non-dominant hand to measure sleep parameters and predict their hourly alertness scores. They completed an online survey to provide their demographic information. Mixed-effect models were employed to determine the association between sleep parameters and the decline in alertness. RESULTS: The alertness scores of fixed night shift nurses constantly dropped every working hour. Scores dropped below 20% after 4 h from the beginning of the shift and below 30% after 6 h. Increased minutes in bed, minutes asleep and sleep efficiency reduced the risk of decreased alertness scores below 70. Increased sleep latency was associated with an increased risk of alertness scores dropping below 70. CONCLUSION: The alertness of fixed night shift nurses drops steeply during regular hours and remains low during overtime. Sleep parameters contribute to the decline in alertness at work among fixed night shift nurses. IMPACT: This study identified patterns of decline in alertness among fixed night shift nurses and the contributing factors for this decline, using an objective measure. The findings have important implications for the development of future interventions to improve the sleep hygiene of fixed night shift nurses to enhance their alertness at work.

Factors influencing quality of life among childhood cancer survivors in Korea: A quantile regression approach.

Cancer treatment in childhood may negatively affect survivors' quality of life. In this study, we aimed to determine the contributing factors for health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in survivors of childhood cancer in Korea using quantile regression analysis. This study was a secondary analysis. Data were collected from 130 childhood cancer survivors (CCS) from November 2018 to July 2019. Participants completed the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II, and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (physical component summary [PCS] and mental component summary [MCS]). Quantile and multiple linear regressions were used to analyze the factors contributing to HRQOL. The quantile and linear regression models revealed different results on the contributing factors to HRQOL in CCS. Mean PCS and MCS scores were 78.55 (SD = 15.08) and 64.02 (SD = 18.00), respectively. Symptoms (e.g., difficulty concentrating, worrying, pain, and lack of energy), physical activity, spiritual growth, interpersonal relationships, stress management, depression, and anxiety were significant influencing factors in some PCS quantiles, while symptoms, spiritual growth, interpersonal relationships, depression, and stress were significant influencing factors in some MCS quantiles. The findings of this study showed specific contributing factors in CCS with different levels of HRQOL. There is a need for targeted interventions related to risk reduction and stratification for CCS with different HRQOL levels. Symptom management strategies, early detection programs for CCS with psychological distress, and clinical and counseling interventions for CCS with poor HRQOL need to be developed.

Predicting multicultural adolescents' depression in South Korea: Roles of ego-resilience and social support.

PURPOSE: Depressive symptoms among adolescents are a major concern for increased risk of adverse health condition outcomes later in life. Specifically, previous studies have reported that multicultural adolescents experience more depressive symptoms than non-multicultural ones. Using the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey, this study examined the relationships between ego-resilience, social support, and depression among multicultural adolescents in South Korea, as well as the moderating effect of social support on the association between ego-resilience and depression. DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 1500 multicultural adolescents were included in the analyses, where generalized estimating equation models were employed. RESULTS: Depression scores increased slightly from 2012 to 2015. Higher levels of ego-resilience, family support, and friend support were associated with lower levels of depression, while teacher support was not a significant predictor. The moderating effect of friends and family support on the association between ego-resilience and depression was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: To reduce the level of depression among multicultural adolescents, future research should develop interventions that enhance ego-resilience ability, as well as necessary social systems that strengthen family and friend support. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Supportive interventions, such as enhancing ego-resilience to reduce depression should be provided to multicultural adolescents. It is recommended to include family and friends to develop effective intervention programs for multicultural adolescents who are suffering from depression.

Work schedule characteristics associated with sleep disturbance among healthcare professionals in Europe and South Korea: a report from two cross-sectional surveys.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals worldwide are prone to sleep disturbance. Such sleep disturbance is associated with lower patient safety and quality of care. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the prevalence of sleep disturbance and determine the effect of work schedule characteristics on sleep disturbance among healthcare professionals in Europe and South Korea. METHODS: We used the sixth European Working Conditions Survey and the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey for analyses. The study included 2285 healthcare professionals aged 18-65 years. Work schedule characteristics included shift work, night work, working hours per week, long work hours (i.e., more than 10 hours per shift), quick return to work, having to come to work on short notice, and changes in work schedules. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of sleep disturbance was 37.7%. The multivariate logistic regression model indicated that long work hours, quick return to, having to come to work on short notice, and changes in work schedules were significant factors associated with sleep disturbance among healthcare professionals. CONCLUSION: The findings revealed that several work schedule-related factors were associated with sleep disturbances in healthcare professionals in Europe and Korea. Institutions and policymakers should implement strategies and policies to reduce the unpredictability of work schedules to ensure an adequate rest period between shifts and to reduce sleep disturbances.

Global prevalence of presenteeism in the nursing workforce: A meta-analysis of 28 studies from 14 countries.

AIMS: This study aimed to estimate the overall presenteeism prevalence in the nursing workforce. BACKGROUND: Nurses are more prone to presenteeism, which is associated with adverse outcomes for both nurses and patients. However, comprehensive information on the global prevalence of presenteeism in nursing workforce is lacking. EVALUATION: Seven databases were systematically searched without year or language restrictions in July 2021. Studies that reported the prevalence rate of presenteeism among nurses were included. A meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model. KEY ISSUES: A total of 28 studies from 14 countries were included. The overall pooled estimate of presenteeism prevalence among nursing workforce was 49.2% (95% CI: 0.411, 0.574). Subgroup analyses showed that the prevalence of presenteeism was higher when the reporting time frame was >1 month and <1 year compared with ≤1 month or ≥1 year. CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis showed the substantial prevalence of presenteeism in the nursing workforce with variations across different reporting time frames. IMPLICATION FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The findings can be used to support nurse managers, administrators and policymakers in recognizing the prevalence of presenteeism and developing relevant prevention strategies against presenteeism among global nursing workforce.

Work schedule characteristics and occupational fatigue/recovery among rotating-shift nurses: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS: To determine the effects of work schedule characteristics on occupational fatigue and recovery among rotating-shift nurses in South Korea. BACKGROUND: Understanding the effects of work schedule characteristics on occupational fatigue is important to prevent adverse nurse outcomes and to ensure patient safety. METHODS: This study used secondary data analysis with a cross-sectional design. Data were collected on 436 rotating-shift nurses in 2018. Nurses' occupational fatigue and recovery were measured using the Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion/Recovery Scale. We used quantile regression models. RESULTS: The scores for acute and chronic fatigue and intershift recovery were 70.40, 73.39, and 29.82, respectively. Overtime hours, number of night shifts, number of consecutive days off, and breaks were significant influential factors in some quantiles of acute fatigue, chronic fatigue, and intershift recovery, while total working hours was only associated with chronic fatigue in the 25th quantile. CONCLUSIONS: The quantile and linear regression models revealed different results for work schedule factors that affect occupational fatigue and intershift recovery among rotating-shift nurses. IMPLICATION FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: These findings have important implications for developing targeted strategies and policies to reduce occupational fatigue and improve intershift recovery for rotating-shift nurses with different levels of occupational fatigue and recovery.

Effects of Work Environments and Occupational Fatigue on Care Left Undone in Rotating Shift Nurses.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the effects of work environments and occupational fatigue on care left undone in rotating shift nurses, and to identify the indirect (mediation) effect of work environments on care left undone through nurses' occupational fatigue in South Korean acute care hospitals. DESIGN: This study employed a cross-sectional design using an online survey to collect data from 488 rotating shift nurses of acute care hospitals in Korea between November and December 2018. METHODS: A mobile schedule management application for shift nurses was used to advertise the study and to send a link to the online survey. The survey included questions on the nurses' work environment characteristics, care left undone activities, and the Korean version of the Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion/Recovery scale. Poisson regression was used to explore the relationships among work environments, occupational fatigue, and care left undone. Hayes' Model 4 and a bootstrapping analysis were used to identify the mediating effect of occupational fatigue on the relationship between work environments and care left undone. FINDINGS: The average number of tasks left undone was 3.45 (SD = 2.19). The higher the acute and chronic fatigue levels noted among nurses, the higher were the occurrences of care left undone. Conversely, the higher the intershift recovery level, the lower were the occurrences of care left undone. The results showed a positive relationship between care left undone and overtime hours and the number of patients per nurse. Moreover, nurses' occupational fatigue mediated the relationship between work environments and care left undone. Night shifts per month and the number of consecutive days off had an indirect effect on care left undone through occupational fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of occupational fatigue and poor intershift recovery among nurses can lead to care left undone. Nurses' occupational fatigue mediates the effect of work environment on care left undone. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: It is crucial for healthcare administrators and leaders to develop policies and mandatory regulations to facilitate better working conditions for nurses, consequently reducing their occupational fatigue and decreasing the occurrence of care left undone in acute care hospitals.

The effectiveness of digital self-management interventions on health outcomes among childhood cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: The study aimed to review the evidence about existing digital interventions for childhood cancer survivors and examine their effectiveness on health outcomes. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycArticles, SCOPUS and PQDT Global databases were searched, and the date last searched was 16 September 2019. REVIEW METHODS: This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines. Randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials, as well as before-and-after studies, were included. The main outcomes were health-related quality of life and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Two authors independently reviewed included studies and assessed methodological quality. Meta-analysis was conducted using statistical software STATA 16.0. RESULTS: Out of the eight eligible studies, four were included in the meta-analysis. The digital self-management interventions were not effective on health-related quality of life and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Additionally, the digital self-management interventions increased the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity over time but was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of digital self-management interventions in improving health outcomes among childhood cancer survivors. Future randomized controlled trials should be conducted from multiple locations and should include objective measures and means to encourage interaction with health care providers. IMPACT: Digital interventions are increasingly implemented to improve health outcomes among childhood cancer survivors, but their results are inconsistent. Well-designed digital interventions may be beneficial for this population over time. The recommendations proposed in the current review may be useful for developing digital interventions and designing related studies in the future, thereby reducing late effects and improving healthy behaviours among this population.

Sleep, fatigue and alertness during working hours among rotating-shift nurses in Korea: An observational study.

AIMS: To determine the effects of sleep parameters and fatigue on the decline in alertness of nurses across shifts. BACKGROUND: Shift work can lead to nurse fatigue owing to insufficient sleep and inadequate recovery time between shifts. Nurse fatigue has adverse effects on alertness and can affect provision of quality care. METHODS: An observational study using wrist actigraphs was conducted from 2019 to 2020. Participants were 82 rotating-shift nurses who provided direct nursing care in acute hospitals in South Korea. They wore actigraphs for 14 days to measure sleep parameters and predict hourly alertness and reported subjective fatigue before and after every shift. RESULTS: Nurses demonstrated shorter sleep hours, lower sleep efficiency and longer sleep latency before night shifts compared with other shifts. Fatigue was the highest before day shifts. Sleep parameters and fatigue significantly affected the steep decline in alertness in participants with alertness scores below 70. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep parameters and fatigue level contributed to the differences in decline in alertness across shifts. IMPLICATION FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Findings inform nurse managers, administrators to develop interventions to reduce fatigue, improve sleep quantity and quality and increase alertness among rotating-shift nurses. Management, institutional and individual factors should be considered when developing interventions.

Symptom clusters in childhood cancer survivors in Korea: A latent class analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the occurrence of late symptom effects among childhood cancer survivors (CCS), generate subgroups using a latent class analysis and determine whether the subgroups differ in demographic and health-related characteristics and health-promoting lifestyle. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 130 adult CCS in Korea. The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale was used to perform a latent class analysis based on symptom occurrence to generate subgroups. RESULTS: Difficulty in concentration, lack of energy, worrying, drowsiness, irritability, pain, difficulty in sleeping, nervousness, sadness and dry mouth appeared in more than 50% of the CCS. The three symptom subgroups identified were "all high" (46.2%), "high physical moderate psych" (26.9%) and "moderate physical low psych" (26.9%). The percentage of non-smokers was the highest in the moderate physical low psych subgroup (85.7%; p = .009), and the percentage of heavy alcohol consumption was the highest in the high physical moderate psych subgroup (31.4%; p = .013). Spiritual growth scores and interpersonal relationship scores were statistically different between subgroups (F = 3.35, p = .038; F = 7.55, p = .001 respectively). CONCLUSION: The results could guide the development of intervention programmes to strengthen spiritual growth and interpersonal relationships and facilitate further examination of the causal relationship between smoking and drinking and late symptoms of CCS.

Variation between hospitals and reviewers in detection of adverse events identified through medical record review in Korea.

OBJECTIVES: This study utilized the method of medical record review to determine characteristics of adverse events that occurred in the inpatient units of hospitals in Korea as well as the variations in adverse events between institutions. DESIGN: A two-stage retrospective medical record review was conducted. The first stage was a nurse review, where two nurses reviewed medical records of discharged patients to determine if screening criteria had been met. In the second stage, two physicians independently reviewed medical records of patients identified in the first stage, to determine whether an adverse event had occurred. SETTING: Inpatient units of six hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Medical records of 2 596 patients randomly selected were reviewed in the first stage review. INTERVENTION(S): N/A. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 277 patients (10.7%) were confirmed to have had one or more adverse event(s), and a total of 336 adverse events were identified. Physician reviewers agreed about whether an adverse event had occurred for 141 patients (5.4%). The incidence rate of adverse events was at least 1.3% and a maximum of 19.4% for each hospital. Most preventability scores were less than four points (non-preventable), and there were large variations between reviewers and institutions. CONCLUSIONS: Given the level of variation in the identified adverse events, further studies that include more medical institutions in their investigations are needed, and a third-party committee should be involved to address the reliability issues regarding the occurrence and characteristics of the adverse events.

Association between nurses' breaks, missed nursing care and patient safety in Korean hospitals.

AIMS: To examine the relationship between breaks and patient safety in Korean hospitals and determine the mediating effect of missed nursing care on this relationship. BACKGROUND: Breaks during working hours can affect patient safety; however, few studies have examined the relationship between breaks and patient safety in hospitals and their findings were conflicting. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 399 nurses in Korean hospitals. Multiple linear regression was used to explore the association between breaks, missed nursing care and patient safety. Model 4 of Hayes's (2018) and bootstrapping analysis were employed to identify the mediating effect of missed nursing care. RESULTS: Average break time per shift was about 15 min; most participants had breaks of less than 30 min. Missed nursing care was a complete mediator of the relationship between breaks and patient safety. CONCLUSION: Break length has an indirect effect on patient safety, medication errors and falls with injury through missed nursing care. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: More discussion is needed to develop policy and mandatory regulations to ensure sufficient breaks and adequate nurse staffing to reduce missed nursing care and enhance patient safety.

Psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion Recovery Scale in a nurse population.

Most nurses in Korea work rotating shifts, an important contributor to fatigue. The Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion Recovery (OFER) Scale assesses work-related fatigue among nurses. In this study, we aimed to translate and culturally adapt the Korean version of this scale (OFER-K) with nurses working rotating shifts in Korea. Instrument adaptation was performed using committee-based translation, cognitive interviewing, and expert panel interviewing. Criterion validity, convergent validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were examined as psychometric properties of the OFER-K. An online survey was completed by 331 nurses; 107 of these nurses completed a second survey after 1 month to assess test-retest reliability. The overall Cronbach's alpha was 0.88. The correlation between participants' initial and retest responses for the total scale was 0.64 (p < .001). The chronic fatigue subscale was stable over time, t(106) = -1.76, p = .08. Criterion and convergent validity were supported by correlations between the OFER-K scale and the Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit using a three-factor model. The findings of this study showed that the OFER-K scale is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing chronic fatigue, acute fatigue, and inter-shift recovery in Korean nurses. Future research using this scale may lead to a better understanding of the antecedents and consequences of nurse fatigue and could provide important information to nurse researchers, administrators, and policymakers for developing interventions to reduce nurse fatigue.