Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the lives of small independent restaurant owners during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods The participants were 15 small independent restaurant owners operating independent small restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected individually through in-depth interviews from September 30, 2022, to January 20, 2023. The transcribed interview content analyzed using Corbin and Strauss’s grounded theory approach.
Results Analysis of the psychological resistance experience of small independent restaurant owners with the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in 6 themes, 15 sub-themes, and 40 codes. The core category is revealed as the struggle for survival under the blind spot of uncertainty and helplessness. As a result of axial coding based on the paradigm model, the casual condition was operational difficulties in restaurants affected by the impact of COVID-19, and the contextual condition was bewilderment due to unprecedented circumstances. The central phenomenon was a life shattered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The intervening condition was enduring adversity with hope. The action/interaction strategies to control the phenomenon revealed ongoing struggles in the face of the hardships. In consequence, fostering resilience amid grappling with feelings of helplessness was revealed.
Conclusion This study lays the groundwork for designing successful COVID-19 rehabilitation programs. This study shows that the improved climate of the small restaurant industry plays an important role in alleviating the burden of small independent restaurant owners.
Purpose This study aimed to identify associations between self-esteem, social support, family empowerment, and health empowerment among children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among fifth- to sixth-grade children and their parents who were recruited from C elementary school in Gangwon-do, South Korea. The health empowerment, self-esteem, and social support as reported by children were measured by the Korean version of Health Empowerment Scale (K-HES), Self-Esteem Scale, and Perceived Social Support, respectively. The family empowerment as reported by parents of children was measured by the Family Empowerment Scale. Linear regression analysis was performed.
Results Of the participants, children’s self-esteem (β=.46, p<.001) and social support (β=.47, p<.001) and parents’ family empowerment (β=.27, p=.008) were significantly and positively associated with children’s health empowerment.
Conclusion Among children in health-vulnerable environments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, establishing interventions for improving health empowerment needs to be considered as a nursing strategy for self-esteem, social support, and family empowerment at the intrapersonal and interpersonal levels.
Purpose This study investigates the factors affecting Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) among nurses providing care for patients with COVID-19 in regional medical centers.
Methods A total of 170 nurses from D, P, and G regional medical centers participated in this study. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires from March 16 to March 31, 2023. IBM SPSS Statistics 27 was used for data analysis, including descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and hierarchical regression analysis.
Results Statistically significant differences in PTG were observed based on gender, religion, and experience in caring for patients with emerging infectious diseases. PTG was significantly correlated with resilience, social support, and deliberate rumination. Resilience (β=.22, p=.003), social support (β=.18, p=.012), and deliberate rumination (β=.46, p<.001) were identified as factors influencing the posttraumatic growth of the participants. These variables accounted for 50.1% (F=29.33, p<.001) of the variances in PTG.
Conclusion The findings of this study demonstrate the necessity of developing intervention and counseling programs aimed at enhancing deliberate rumination, resilience, and social support to promote PTG among nurses caring for patients with emerging infectious diseases.
Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop the Theory of Uncertainty on COVID-19 using the strategy of theory derivation.
Methods Theory derivation was carried out in the following steps: review the literature to explore the phenomena related to uncertainty on COVID-19; select a parent theory that provides valuable concepts and a useful structure for derivation, and identify the concepts and structure of the parent theory to use in derivation; modify and redefine the concepts and structure of the parent theory to create a derived theory. In the literature review process, relevant findings were synthesized to support the propositions of the derived theory.
Results The Theory of Uncertainty on COVID-19 was derived from the Uncertainty in Illness Theory to make it relevant and applicable to a specific aspect of uncertainty on COVID-19, health-related uncertainty perceived by a person who has not contracted COVID-19. It is a middle-range theory targeting the general population and consists of a linear and unidirectional model centered on three themes: antecedents of uncertainty, appraisal of uncertainty, and coping with uncertainty.
Conclusion The Theory of Uncertainty on COVID-19 will be able to contribute to efforts to manage perceived uncertainty on pandemic diseases and improve individual biopsychosocial health in the future.
Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic uncovered the fundamental vulnerability of Long-term Care Hospitals (LTCHs) regarding infection control. This study aimed to describe the experiences of nurses who responded to the COVID-19 outbreak on the front lines while working at a LTCH.
Methods This qualitative study was conducted with nine nurses. The data from in-depth individual interviews using semi-structured questions was analyzed thematically.
Results Three themes and 11 sub-themes were extracted. The first theme, “the sudden onset of the outbreak,” included finding themselves desensitized to COVID-19 as the pandemic persisted; embarrassed by the unavoidable occurrence; and worried about becoming a spreader and aggravating the outbreak. The second theme, “physically and mentally worn out,” involved increased fatigue from overtime work; exhaustion from responding to inquiry calls pouring in; tension while monitoring and controlling infection control compliance among nursing assistants, caregivers, and elderly patients with cognitive impairment; and increased discomfort while taking on all the extra work with stifling personal protective equipment. The third theme, “awakened perspectives while responding to the outbreak,” covered increased compassion for patients; paying attention to infectious diseases and having confidence in infection control principles; realization of the need for isolation rooms, supplies, and a full-time infection control nurse; and pride as an LTCH nurse who responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusion To enhance the level of prevention and response to infectious disease outbreaks in LTCHs in the future, it is necessary to establish infection control infrastructure, including personnel, isolation facilities, supplies, and continuing education for the LTCHs’ nursing workforce.
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Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in a long-term care hospital in Korea in early 2021 Eun Jo Kim, JaHyun Kang, HyeonSuk Byeon Infection Prevention in Practice.2025; 7(1): 100427. CrossRef
Purpose This study aimed to identify the influencing factors for work engagement of COVID-19 response workers in public health centers based on the JD-R model.
Methods The participants were 119 civil servants and professionals of 20 public health centers with at least 6 months of work experience and have experience of COVID-19 response tasks in cities, districts and counties. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression using IBM SPSS 27.0.
Results The factors influencing work engagement were age, career development opportunity, and person-job fit. The explanatory power of these variables was 61%.
Conclusion In order to enhance the work engagement of public health center workers in responding to future infectious disease outbreaks, it is necessary to develop various strategies such as assigning job roles that aligned with individual characteristics, providing career growth opportunities even during infectious disease outbreaks, and designing tasks by taking into account age.
Purpose This study aimed to assess the current situation and factors associated with emotional distress due to COVID-19 among people with physical disabilities living in the community, using a Social-Ecological Model.
Methods A secondary data analysis was performed using data from the 2020 National Survey of Disabled Persons. The study participants were 1,654 participants aged 19 years or older with physical disabilities. For data analysis, complex sample logistic regression was conducted to identify factors associated with emotional distress due to COVID-19 in people with physical disabilities.
Results The results showed that 55.7% of people with physical disabilities living in the community experienced emotional distress due to COVID-19. This emotional distress was influenced by various factors, including intrapersonal factors (activities of daily living, difficulty in getting information about COVID-19, difficulty in obtaining and using equipment related to COVID-19), interpersonal factors (satisfaction with the number of friends), and community/policy factor (support related to COVID-19 from national and local governments).
Conclusion It is recommended to develop tailored interventions to prevent mental health issues among people with physical disabilities by considering the factors related to their emotional distress in the event of future infectious disease disasters.
Purpose The aims of this study were to examine the rate of depression among older adults living alone and to identify factors associated with depression in older adults living alone during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: A secondary data analysis was performed using data from the 2020 Korea Community Health Survey. The study participants were 18,824 older adults aged 65 years and over living alone. The data of the complex sample design was analyzed with consideration for weights, stratification, and clustering. Complex sample multiple logistic regression was conducted to identify factors associated with depression in older adults living alone during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results: The results showed that the rate of depression in older adults living alone was 6.3%. Older adults living alone with decreased physical activity, decreased hours of sleep, and an increased or similar frequency of meeting with friends or neighbors were found to be more likely to have depression. In terms of factors related to the practice of COVID-19 infection prevention and control rules, not disinfecting regularly and not wearing a mask indoors were related to depression.
For health-related factors, fair or poor self-rated health status, not having breakfast every day, and feeling stressed were related to depression.
Conclusion: It is recommended to develop tailored interventions to prevent depression among older adults living alone by considering the factors related to their depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Purpose This study was performed to explore the effect of the delivery format on teaching presence, learning presence, and learning outcomes in distance learning of nursing students.
Methods: A descriptive survey was conducted to understand teaching presence, learning presence, and learning outcomes depending on the delivery format of distance learning. Quota sampling methodology was used to recruit 295 nursing students from all over the country, and data collection was done from July 27 to September 10, 2020. The first delivery format for distance learning was synchronous learning in which communication between the instructor and students occurred simultaneously. The second delivery format was asynchronous learning in which prerecorded videos were provided and communication did not occur simultaneously.
Results: In synchronous learning, teaching presence (especially direct facilitation) and learning presence (especially emotional expression) had a statistical significance that was higher than in asynchronous learning. However, in learning outcomes, there was no statistically significant difference. There were significant positive correlations between teaching presence, learning presence, and learning outcomes, and there were significant positive correlations.
Conclusion: It can be suggested that learning outcomes can be improved if presence is improved in the distance learning environment based on the results of this study. It is necessary to add contact with nursing students and instructors to improve teaching presence in the asynchronous learning, and it is necessary to help students express their emotions to improve learning presence.
Purpose This is a descriptive correlation study to confirm the effect of stress and anxiety caused by COVID-19 on the quality of life of small business owners in an area under environment of COVID-19.
Methods: The participants were 150 small business owners in an area. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, an independent t-test, a one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regression with the SPSS 25.0 Program.
Results: The stress of small business owners averaged 3.67±0.65 out of 4 points, anxiety of COVID-19 was 2.65±0.52, and quality of life was 75.61±20.26 out of 130 points. The quality of life showed a significant negative correlation with ‘fear of infection’ (r=-.42, p<.001), ‘difficulties caused by social distancing’ (r=-.49, p<.001) in the stress subdomain, and anxiety (r=-.61, p<.001). On the other hand, stress, ‘fear of infection’ (r=.50, p<.001), ‘difficulties caused by social distancing’ (r=.60 p<.001), ‘anger against others’ (r=.35, p<.001) and anxiety showed positive correlation. Factors affecting the quality of life of the subjects were ‘fear of infection’ in the stress subdomain (β=-.23, p=.003), anxiety (β=-.45, p<.001), and residential area (J zone) (β=-.16, p=.030). These factors explained 47.0% of the variance.
Conclusion: In order to enhance the quality of life of small business owners in an area, it is required to reduce stress and anxiety. In addition, it is necessary to prepare an intervention program that can reduce stress and anxiety of small business owners.
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Purpose Considering that nurses perform critical roles for caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to investigate core competencies in disaster nursing. This study aimed to identify influencing factors on core competencies in disaster nursing by examining relationships between attitudes toward disaster management, disaster preparedness, and core competencies in disaster nursing in university hospital nurses’ experiences of caring for patients with COVID-19.
Methods The participants were nurses working in two university hospitals who had either experiences of caring for patients with COVID-19 or no experiences. A questionnaire was distributed to 198 participants between October and November 2021.
Results The findings of multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the factors related to core competencies in disaster nursing in the participants were disaster preparedness (β=.80, p<.001) and nurses’ experiences of caring for patients with COVID-19 (β=.11, p=.007). Specifically, the factors related to core competencies in disaster nursing in those having experiences of direct caring for patients with COVID-19 were disaster preparedness (β=.84, p<.001) and marital status (β=.16, p=.001). The factors related to core competencies in disaster nursing in those with indirect caring for patients with COVID-19 were disaster preparedness (β=.75, p<.001) and an intention to participate in disaster response (β=.16, p=.037).
Conclusion Based on this study, it is important to develop disaster nursing education programs focusing on the full spectrum of disaster management including disaster preparedness, disaster response, and disaster recovery training.
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The Influence of Infection Control Fatigue and Compassion Competence on Disaster Nursing Core Competencies of Nurses at COVID-19 Designated Hospitals Jae-Hyun Ha, Hyun-Ju Lee, Ki-Ryeon Kim Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing.2022; 29(4): 461. CrossRef
Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify individual and occupational factors influencing burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction in military officers who experienced supporting civilians in responding to COVID-19.
Methods This descriptive study was conducted on 140 special forces’ military officers who experienced responding to disasters within 3 months. Data were collected through an online survey from September to November 2021.
Results The mean scores for burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction were 21.67±6.03, 20.54±8.21, and 39.72±8.12 out of 50, respectively. The significant factors that influenced burnout and secondary traumatic stress were ‘higher passive stress copying styles’ (B=0.17, p<.001; B=0.31, p=<.001, respectively) and ‘lower social support (B=-0.11, p=.031; B=-0.10, p=.001, respectively). The compassion satisfaction was more significantly associated with ‘higher self-efficacy’ (B=0.37, p=<.001), ‘higher active stress copying styles’ (B=0.19, p=.006), and ‘education responding to disasters’ (B=2.04, p=.029).
Conclusion The results suggest that the strategies to increase social support, self-efficacy, and active stress coping styles should be considered in developing educational programs for military officers responding to disasters to minimize burnout, secondary traumatic stress and to improve compassion satisfaction.
Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify health belief, subjective norms, social stigma, and sense of community affecting COVID-19 preventive behaviors among college students, and provide basic data for the development of preventive programs to improve COVID-19 preventive behaviors.
Methods This study used a cross-sectional study design. The study recruited a total of 170 college students, through an online survey from three online communities which are mostly used by college students. Data were collected from July 24 to August 9, 2021. The SPSS 21.0 program was used to analyze the data using simple multiple regression.
Results In simple multiple regression, the perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits and subjective norms were found to have a significant association with COVID-19 preventive behaviors of college students. These variables explained the 55.1% variance in COVID-19 preventive behaviors of college students (p<.001).
Conclusion The results of this study showed that the perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, and subjective norms were significant factors affecting COVID-19 preventive behaviors of college students. Based on the results of this study, it is expected to develop COVID-19 preventive programs and strategies that increase perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, and subjective norms to improve the COVID-19 preventive behaviors of college students.
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Purpose This study aims to describe and understand the meaning and nature of community health practitioners’ coping with COVID-19.
Methods In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 community health practitioners from August to October 2021, to describe and understand the nature of their coping with COVID-19. The collected data were examined and described based on Colaizzi’s phenomenological method.
Results 16 theme clusters and five categories were derived from the community health practitioners’ experience of coping with COVID-19. The categories derived were: a war that began without notice, a variety of correspondence tasks assigned, struggling to fulfill given roles, correspondence tasks becoming more systematic, and a fight that has not yet ended.
Conclusion Community health practitioners handled various response tasks related to COVID-19, and faithfully fulfilled their professional roles while performing the primary task of medical care. Hence, attention is required on issues related to the establishment of the national emergency healthcare system and improvement of professional competence of community health practitioners even after the COVID-19 pandemic is over. Furthermore, it is necessary to make ceaseless efforts to address those issues and, in order to do so, social interest and institutional support are needed.
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Purpose This study was to investigate the mediating effects of health concern and depression on the stress and fatigue of COVID-19 self-quarantine. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 227 people with COVID-19 self-quarantine experience were recruited during May 2021. Participants were invited to complete self-reported questionnaires that measure stress, health concern, depression, fatigue and demographic information. The data obtained were analyzed using multiple regression and dual mediation model applying the PROCESS macro with 95% bias-corrected bootstrap confidence interval. Results This study analyzed the direct effects of COVID-19 stress on the health concern, depression and fatigue. And COVID-19 stress had indirect effects on their fatigue via health concern and depression. Both health concern and depression had dual mediating effects in the influence of COVID-19 stress on fatigue. In the relationship between COVID-19 stress and fatigue, the mediating effect of depression was significant. Conclusion Fatigue due to prolonged COVID-19 can be alleviated by managing stress and mediating health concern and depression, and so therefore active nursing intervention is required.
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