Testing a Theoretical Model Predicting Uncertainty and Depression in Patients Undergoing Renal Replacement Therapy in Korea

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to test hypothesized relationships among experiences of uncertainty, depression, and social support in a sample of subjects undergoing renal replacement therapy in Korea.MethodsPath analysis was used in the sample to examine the relationships among depression and experiences of uncertainty, direct social support, indirect social support, and demographic variables. The size of the sample was 104 patients. Patients received either hemodialysis at one of three clinics or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.ResultsOne hundred and four subjects participated in the study. It was found that 6.2% of variance in uncertainty was predicted by direct social support (β =− .267), and 46.2% of variance in depression was predicted by three variables: direct social support (β =− .517), economic status (β = .299), and number of admissions (β = .275). Unlike the theoretical model, experiences of uncertainty could not predict depression.ConclusionThe effectiveness of social support in relieving experiences of uncertainty and consequently depression was shown in this study. Moreover, depression in this population could be predicted by direct social support, economic status, and frequency of admission. The study was needed to investigate the relationship between depression and experiences of uncertainty with time covariates, as well as to find the factors that influence depression in patients with chronic renal failure

Vulnerability, Stress, and Support in the Disease Trajectory From Prodrome to Diagnosed Schizophrenia: Diathesis-Stress-Support Model

Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder seen across the world. The goal of current research is to provide a more comprehensive understanding of prodrome, the initial period before the disease manifests as schizophrenia. Unfortunately, there is little information to comprehensively understand the indicators that later lead to schizophrenia. This has resulted in a lack of scientific knowledge to aid in early identification and intervention by psychiatric nurses or school nurses. Such information could inform nursing assessment and care plan development. The purpose of this paper is to construct a conceptual model for describing the important factors relating to the schizophrenia prodrome process in human developmental manner by critically synthesizing empirical evidence and reviewing the strengths and limitations of current conceptual models

Translation and evaluation of the Cultural Awareness Scale for Korean nursing students.

BackgroundTo evaluate the effectiveness of a curriculum for achieving high levels of cultural competence, we need to be able to assess education intended to enhance cultural competency skills. We therefore translated the Cultural Awareness Scale (CAS) into Korean (CAS-K). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cross-cultural applicability and psychometric properties of the CAS-K, specifically its reliability and validity.MethodsA cross-sectional descriptive design was used to conduct the evaluation. A convenience sample of 495 nursing students was recruited from four levels of nursing education within four universities in the city of Daejeon, South Korea.ResultsThis study provided beginning evidence of the validity and reliability of the CAS-K and the cross-cultural applicability of the concepts underlying this instrument. Cronbach's alpha ranged between 0.59 and 0.86 (overall 0.89) in the tests of internal consistency. Cultural competency score prediction of the experience of travel abroad (r=0.084) and the perceived need for cultural education (r=0.223) suggested reasonable criterion validity. Five factors with eigenvalues >1.0 were extracted, accounting for 55.58% of the variance; two retained the same items previously identified for the CAS.ConclusionThe CAS-K demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability in measuring cultural awareness in this sample of Korean nursing students. The revised CAS-K should be tested for its usability in curriculum evaluation and its applicability as a guide for teaching cultural awareness among groups of Korean nursing students

Translation and evaluation of the Cultural Awareness Scale for Korean nursing students.

To evaluate the effectiveness of a curriculum for achieving high levels of cultural competence, we need to be able to assess education intended to enhance cultural competency skills. We therefore translated the Cultural Awareness Scale (CAS) into Korean (CAS-K). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cross-cultural applicability and psychometric properties of the CAS-K, specifically its reliability and validity. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to conduct the evaluation. A convenience sample of 495 nursing students was recruited from four levels of nursing education within four universities in the city of Daejeon, South Korea. This study provided beginning evidence of the validity and reliability of the CAS-K and the cross-cultural applicability of the concepts underlying this instrument. Cronbach's alpha ranged between 0.59 and 0.86 (overall 0.89) in the tests of internal consistency. Cultural competency score prediction of the experience of travel abroad (r=0.084) and the perceived need for cultural education (r=0.223) suggested reasonable criterion validity. Five factors with eigenvalues >1.0 were extracted, accounting for 55.58% of the variance; two retained the same items previously identified for the CAS. The CAS-K demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability in measuring cultural awareness in this sample of Korean nursing students. The revised CAS-K should be tested for its usability in curriculum evaluation and its applicability as a guide for teaching cultural awareness among groups of Korean nursing students

From Manageable to Losing Control: A Grounded Theory Study of Psychosis Risk Syndrome

AIM: The purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical explanation of the prodromal schizophrenia process, or so-called psychosis risk syndrome, by describing patients\u27 own experiences with symptoms, thoughts and feelings. METHODS: A total of 40 interviews were conducted in Taiwan. A Grounded Theory method was selected because of its demonstrated effectiveness in generating theory around dynamic and complex processes on which little is known, all of which is the case with psychosis risk syndrome. Constant comparison analysis, memo writing, member checking, and theoretical sampling were adopted. RESULTS: A core theoretical framework was developed in which the process of the psychosis risk syndrome is described as proceeding from manageable to uncontrollable. Four stages emerged from the analysis: (1) something is wrong, (2) boiling up, (3) breaking point, and (4) losing control. CONCLUSIONS: The framework resulting from this Grounded Theory research is innovative in presenting patterns and clinical staging that marks the progression from premorbid stage to full-blown psychosis. In addition to specifying the detailed process through in-depth interviews, this research makes two fundamental contributions by: (1) adding evidence to current science and (2) taking patients\u27 experience into consideration to improve the validity of screening tools and design appropriate intervention programs for people with early warning signs of developing schizophrenia