Purpose: This study was done to present guidelines for deciding appropriate times for measuring blood pressure (BP) in patients with neurological disorders who had surgery due to brain damage. Method: It was a repeated measures-experimental research on time variants in BP after nursing care. SBP (Systolic BP) and DBP (Diastolic) were measured every 2 minutes up to 5 times using an EKG patient monitor. Measured data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and paired t-test. Results: For suctioning, there were significantly higher differences for SBP averages after 2 min. (138mmHg, p<0.01) and 4 min. (133mmHg, p<0.01) compared to before suctioning (120mmHg). For position change, there were significant differences in SBP averages after 2 min. (136mmHg, p<0.01) and 4 min. (130mmHg, p=0.01) compared to before changing position (121mmHg). For position change followed by suctioning there were significant differences in SBP averages after 2 min. (136mmHg, p<0.01), 4 min. (136mmHg, p<0.01) and 6 min. (125mmHg, p=0.003) compared to before the interventions (121mmHg). Conclusions: Results indicate that there are significant differences in SBP and DBP over time during nursing interventions, suggesting clinical measurement of BP after 6 min. or 8 min. be done for patients with neurological disorders in neurosurgery clinics.

Purpose: This study was done to identify the degree of appearance stress, ego-resilience, interpersonal relations, depression, and eating attitude and to investigate the main factors influencing eating attitude in women undergraduates. Methods: The research design was a descriptive survey design using a convenience sampling. Data were collected by self-report questionnaires from 238 women undergraduates. Data analyses were done using SPSS/WIN 18.0 program for descriptive statistics, t-test and multiple linear regression. Results: The mean score for eating attitude was 0.36. There were statistically significant differences in appearance stress and interpersonal relations according to type of eating attitude. Also, appearance stress, interpersonal relations, and depression were significant predictors explaining 39% of the variance in eating attitude. Conclusion: The results indicate that the factors influencing eating attitude should be considered when developing nursing interventions to change poor eating attitude for women undergraduates.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate diabetic knowledge, self-care behaviors, and HbA1c of patients with diabetic mellitus in public hospitals. Methods: Participants were 287 adult patients who had been diagnosed with diabetes in two public hospitals in Seoul. Collected data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation with the SPSS (PASW) 21.0 program. Results: For general characteristics of the participants, there were significant differences in the level of diabetic knowledge according to age (F=11.28, p<.001), educational level (F=11.07, p<.001), type of health insurance (F=9.38, p<.001), and monthly income (t=-4.58, p<.001) and in the self-care behaviors according to age (F=8.61, p<.001) and in HbA1c according to age (F=6.72, p=.001). As for disease related characteristics of the participants, significant differences were found for self-care behaviors according to education about diabetes (t=3.90, p<.001) and in HbA1c according to education about diabetes (t=3.26, p=.001) and current diabetic therapy methods (F=13.51, p<.001). The study results showed that there was no correlation between diabetic knowledge and self-care behavior, or between self-care behavior and HbA1c. Conclusion: Results indicate that when developing preliminary data on nursing intervention education programs on diabetes, increasing diabetic knowledge and self-care behaviors would help to improve blood glucose levels.

Purpose: This study was done to explore the predictors asssociated with Korean women smokers' intentions to quit smoking. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study including 3,578 women smokers. Data from the 2010 Community Health Survey conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were examined and analyzed using SPSS 21.0 for multiple logistic regression. Results: Of the women smokers 52.2% reported having an intention to quit smoking but only 3.9% had received education in smoking cessation. In the logistic analysis, factors associated with intention to quit smoking were age (Odds ratio and 95% [confidence interval]: 0.97 [0.96-0.98]), health-related quality of life (OR=2.39 [1.14-5.03]), perceived stress (OR=1.11 [1.00-1.22]), marital status (OR=0.93 [.86-1.00]), age of starting to smoke (OR=1.14 [1.04-1.24]), number of cigarettes per day (OR=0.84 [0.76-0.93]), exposure to smoking-quitting campaigns (OR=1.48 [1.22-1.80]), previous attempts at weight-control (OR=1.37 [1.15-1.63]), frequency of alcohol use (OR=1.16 [1.01-1.34]), hypercholesterolemia (OR=1.62 [1.18-2.24]), experiences of trying to quit smoking (OR=4.04 [3.45-4.73]), and regular medical check-up (OR=1.13 [1.03-1.43]). Conclusion: Identifying factors associated with the intentions to quit smoking provides possibilities for shaping effective policies and programs to increase smoking cessation among Korean women.

Purpose: This study was done to determine inpatient fall rates in an acute hospital setting and to explore risk factors and characteristics across clinical departments. Methods: The medical records and standardized fall reports of 416 patients admitted between January 1 and December 31, 2012 were reviewed. Descriptive statistics and statistical tests were used, including: t-test, ${\chi}^2$-test, ANOVA. Results: The total fall rate per 1,000 inpatient days was 0.49. Fall rate, fall risk factors and characteristics such as age, type of fallers and mean MFS (Morse Fall Scale) differed significantly among clinical departments. Conclusions: The analysis results show that the fall rates, fall risk factors and characteristics of acute hospital inpatient falls varied significantly across clinical departments. The findings of this study suggest that hospitals should consider differences in fall related characteristics across clinical departments when implementation fall prevention strategies and interventions.

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the relationship of self-resilience, academic self-concept and test anxiety in undergraduates. Method: The participants were 403 undergraduates in H, C University in G City, and K University in S City. Data were collected from March 1 to April 30, 2012, and analyzed using SPSS/WIN 18.0. Results: The mean score per item for self-resilience was 2.77. The mean academic self-concept score was 3.17 and the mean score for test anxiety was 2.38. Self-resilience showed a negative correlation with test anxiety (r=-.186, p<.001) and a positive correlation with academic self-concept (r=.312, p<.001). Academic self-concept showed a negative correlation with test anxiety (r=-.353, p<.001). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that self-resilience and academic self-concept enhancement programs should be developed to reduce test anxiety in undergraduates and that further study should be done on the effects of such programs.

Purpose: This study was done to explore clinical competence and factors related to competence in nursing students. Methods: Data were collected using structured questionnaires from 210 students in three different schools located in D, B and P metropolitan cities, Korea. Data were using PASW (SPSS) 18.0 program, and included t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlations coefficients, and multiple regression analyses. Results: There were positive correlations between clinical competence and ego-resilience (r=.40. p<.001), critical thinking dispositions (r=.58, p<.001), and self-leadership (r=.14, p=.043). Variables such as critical thinking dispositions, ego-resilience, satisfaction with clinical practice education, health status and academic performance explained 48% of variance in clinical competence. Conclusion: According to the above results, a specific education program for clinical competence of student nurses is needed to increase critical thinking dispositions, ego-resilience, satisfaction with clinical practice education, health status and academic performance.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to contribute to the development of efficient methods of nursing practice education by evaluating effects of core fundamental nursing skills education on self-efficacy, clinical competence and practice satisfaction in nursing students. Method: The research design was a one group pretest-posttest design and it was done to assess changes in self-efficacy and clinical competence from pre to the post-test which was given after the core fundamental nursing skills education was completed. Data were collected from September 5 to December 20, 2013 from 156 nursing students who were taking the 12-hours core fundamental nursing skills education at one university in Gyeonggi-do. This practicum was composed of 6 core fundamental nursing skills. Results: Self-efficacy and clinical competence scores improved. There was no significant difference in self-efficacy but there was a significant difference of clinical competence. In the subscales of clinical competence, the domain of nursing skill was scored the highest. The score for practice satisfaction was also high. Conclusion: The results indicate that the core fundamental nursing skills education is effective in improving clinical competence and practice satisfaction in nursing students. But new strategies are needed to improve self-efficacy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of training using an intravenous (IV) arm model versus a computer simulator for IV injections. Method: Study was a quasi-experimental study conducted with 106 nursing students. Participants were divided into two groups: the IV Arm Group using a mannequin arm model (control group) and the Computer Simulator Group using the Virtual IV demonstration (experimental group). Theoretical lectures and video presentations on IV injections were given to both groups. Each group went through the training practice using the IV arm or computer simulator. After the completion of training, questionnaires were given to the students to evaluate their learning attitudes and experiences, self-confidence in IV injection, and satisfaction with the training materials. Results: Student satisfaction with the training materials including the reality, usefulness, and educational effects showed notable differences between the two groups with the Computer Simulator group reporting more positive effects that the IV Arm group. However, there was no statistical difference between the two groups in the categories of learning attitude, learning experience, or self-confidence. Conclusion: While there was a differences in strengths and weaknesses of the two methods, both methods should be considered for practice and further study needs to be done on educational effectiveness.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to assess the methodological quality of non-randomized studies published in the Journal of Korean Fundamentals of Nursing. Methods: A search of non-randomized studies assessing intervention effects was conducted among all articles published in the Journal of Korean Fundamentals of Nursing between 2011 and 2013. Articles were assessed for quality using the Methodological Index for Non Randomized Studies (MINORS). For each index item, the frequency and percentage of articles meeting the criteria were calculated, along with mean scores by research method, publication year, and research topic. Results: A total of 22 studies were included. The mean score for studies without control groups was 11.75 (range 0-16), and for those with control groups, 19.27 (range 0-24). Results show that improvement is needed on several items: "endpoints appropriate to the aim of the study," "unbiased assessment of the study endpoint," "follow-up period appropriate to the aim of the study," "loss to follow up less than 5%," and "contemporary groups." Conclusion: Although the quality of articles published in the Journal of Korean Fundamentals of Nursing has consistently increased, more emphasis should be placed on using rigorous research methods.