Purpose
This study aimed to examine the differences in COVID-19 work-related characteristics, workload, anxiety, stress, and burnout between nurses working in the COVID-19 designated units and those in the general units caring for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients and to identify factors related to burnout in these two nurse groups.
Methods
The study was conducted using data from 192 nurses in the COVID-19 designated units and 340 nurses in the general units from two general hospitals. The data were collected using self-report, structured questionnaires. Independent t-test, chi-squared test, and logistic regression analysis were performed.
Results
There were no significant differences observed in workload and burnout between the two groups. For nurses in the general units, workload, stress, adequacy of the number of patients assigned, and the experience of temporary, floating staff were significant factors associated with burnout, while only clinical experience in the current unit was a significant factor among those in the COVID-19 units.
Conclusion
Findings indicate significant differences in factors related to burnout between the two nurse groups. Thus, substantial support and strategies tailored to the working environments of each nursing unit are required to prevent burnout among nurses caring for COVID-19 patients.

Citations

• Nurses’ ethical competence during the COVID-19 pandemic: Qualitative perspectives
  Hye Min Byun, Eun Kyoung Yun
  Nursing Ethics.2025; 32(5): 1644.     CrossRef
• User Interface Design and Usability Evaluation of a Mental Health Mobile Application for Healthcare Workers: A Nursing Informatics Perspective
  Yewon Lee, Eunju Kwak, Mijin Park, Jiyeon Park, Jungjae Kim, Jisan Lee
  Journal of Health Informatics and Statistics.2024; 49(3): 248.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
This study was done to analyze the problems and desired work conditions of nursing organizations in small-medium hospitals.
METHODS
Delphi Technique was used. In the first stage, the work conditions of nurses in small-medium hospitals were identified through a literature review. In the second stage, through 3 consultations with 20 nurse advisory groups, feedback was received on the desired work conditions for nurses in small-medium hospitals. In the third stage, 415 nurses and nurse managers were selected to examine the content validity and importance of the desired work conditions identified in the second stage.
RESULTS
Sixty-four items were developed along eight domains of desired work conditions for nurses in small-medium hospitals. The survey on the desired work conditions revealed the following in order of importance: ‘wages’, ‘personnel’, ‘job’, ‘work hours’, ‘welfare’, ‘education’, ‘culture’, and and ‘other incentives’.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study suggest that small-medium hospitals need to recognize the desired work conditions desired by nurses and accordingly change policies through the efforts of hospitals and professional groups.

Citations

• The mediating effect of workplace incivility on organization culture in South Korea: A descriptive correlational analysis of the turnover intention of nurses
  Yoon Heui Lee, Jumi Lee, Soo‐Kyoung Lee
  Journal of Nursing Scholarship.2022; 54(3): 367.     CrossRef
• Nurse allocation in hospital: hybridization of linear regression, fuzzy set and game-theoretic approaches
  REKHA SAHU, SUJIT DAS, SATYA RANJAN DASH
  Sādhanā.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
• The hopes of nurses who care for people diagnosed with chronic mental illness in closed wards
  Kyung Mi Sung, Sun Ah Park, Jin Hee Ham
  Perspectives in Psychiatric Care.2021; 57(3): 989.     CrossRef
• Nurses’ Night Shift Experience in Small-Medium Sized Psychiatric Hospitals
  Young-Ah Kim, Hee-Jung Kim
  Stress.2020; 28(3): 133.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
This study was done to evaluate the adequacy of nurse staffing in integrated nursing care.
METHODS
Statistical data on integrated nursing care from the National Health Insurance Corporation was used in this study. We extracted hospital data and patient data related to patient needs for nursing care. We analyzed the differences in patient needs by staffing level of each type of medical institution.
RESULTS
Approximately 70% of medical institutions provided nursing care by the mid level of nurse staffing, which was 1:6, 1:10 and 1:12 in the tertiary hospital, general hospital and semi-hospital, respectively. The patients' characteristics were significantly different by hospital type. Especially, the distribution of the main diagnosis was completely different between the tertiary hospital and semi-hospital. In the tertiary hospital, the patient needs measured by severity and activities of daily living dependency were higher at higher staffing level than at lower staffing level. However, the nurse staffing was less relevant to the patient needs in the general hospital and semi-hospital.
CONCLUSION
To provide high-quality nursing care, accurate workload forecasting is required at the start, and then the standard nurse staffing level can established based on workload forecasting.

Citations

• Effects of Shared Leadership and Communication Competence on Nursing Team Effectiveness in Comprehensive Nursing Service Units: Focusing on the Team Nursing System
  Hye Jin Kim, Eunjoo Lee
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration.2025; 31(2): 143.     CrossRef
• Impact of Grit, Teamwork, Organizational Communication Competence, Perception of Patient Safety Culture on Patient Safety Nursing Activities in Integrated Nursing Care Units
  Jeeseon Kim, Haejung Lee
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration.2025; 31(3): 237.     CrossRef
• A comparative analysis of nurses' reported number of patients and perceived appropriate number of patients in integrated nursing care services
  Hyunjeong Kwon, Jinhyun Kim
  Nursing & Health Sciences.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Relationship between Nurse Staffing and Critical Nursing Activities in Intensive Care Units : Analysis of National Health Insurance Claims Data from 2009 to 2020
  U Ri Go, Sung-Hyun Cho
  Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing.2024; 17(2): 25.     CrossRef
• Analysis of Factors Affecting the Inpatient Satisfaction in Integrated Nursing Care Service Wards using a Healthcare Service Survey Database
  Young Shin Cho, Jiwon Hong
  Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing.2024; 17(3): 76.     CrossRef
• Comparison of Nursing Needs and Nursing Performance Perceived by Patients and Nurses in Integrated Nursing Care Service Wards in Small and Medium-Sized Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study
  Hee-Sun Choi, Young Shin Cho
  Korean Journal of Adult Nursing.2023; 35(3): 234.     CrossRef
• Calculating the optimal number of nurses based on nursing intensity by patient classification groups in general units in South Korea: A cross‐sectional study
  Yukyung Ko, Bohyun Park
  Nursing Open.2023; 10(6): 3982.     CrossRef
• Analysis of Nursing Task in Integrated Nursing Care Wards by Hospital Type
  Yeojin Yi, Haena Lim, Ji-Mee Kim, Jung-Hee Song
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration.2022; 28(2): 131.     CrossRef
• Impact evaluation of nurse staffing policy reform in Korea: A quasi‐experimental study
  Jinseon Yi, Jinhyun Kim
  Journal of Nursing Management.2022; 30(7): 3457.     CrossRef
• Influences of Emotional Labor and Work-Life Balance on Organizational Commitment among Nurses in Comprehensive Nursing Care Service Wards
  Young-Yi Yoon, Hye-Young Jang
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration.2022; 28(2): 100.     CrossRef
• An Analysis of Tasks of Nurses Caring for Patients with COVID-19 in a Nationally-Designated Inpatient Treatment Unit
  Minho Jung, Moon-Sook Kim, Joo-Yeon Lee, Kyung Yi Lee, Yeon-Hwan Park
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing.2022; 52(4): 391.     CrossRef
• Relationships among Non-Nursing Tasks, Nursing Care Left Undone, Nurse Outcomes and Medical Errors in Integrated Nursing Care Wards in Small and Medium-Sized General Hospitals
  Ju-Young Park, Jee-In Hwang
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing.2021; 51(1): 27.     CrossRef
• The Relationship between Nursing Care Needs and Nurse Staffing in Pulmonology Nursing Units
  Hye-Kyung Jo, Sung-Heui Bae
  Korean Journal of Adult Nursing.2021; 33(3): 236.     CrossRef
• Outcomes sensitive to critical care nurse staffing levels: A systematic review
  Pamela J.L. Rae, Susie Pearce, P. Jane Greaves, Chiara Dall'Ora, Peter Griffiths, Ruth Endacott
  Intensive and Critical Care Nursing.2021; 67: 103110.     CrossRef
• Factors Associated with the Utilization of Comprehensive Nursing Services in Hospitals among Elderly Inpatients after Surgery
  Dasom Son, Heejung Kim
  Journal of Korean Gerontological Nursing.2020; 22(4): 358.     CrossRef
• Analysis of Nurses' Work Experience in Comprehensive Nursing Care Units of Small and Medium-sized Hospitals
  Mi Ryeong Song, Su Hyang Ryu
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration.2020; 26(4): 419.     CrossRef
• Korean nurses' participation in health care policy reform: A phenomenological study
  NamKyung Han
  Journal of Nursing Management.2020;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Effects of structural empowerment and professional governance on autonomy and job satisfaction of the Korean nurses
  Sujin Choi, Miyoung Kim
  Journal of Nursing Management.2019; 27(8): 1664.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
Span of Control defines the scope of the managers' responsibilities to manage nursing staff. This study was done to measure span of control of front-line nurse managers (FLNMs) in Korea hospitals resulting in improvement in their work efficiency.
METHODS
A sample of 203 FLNMs from five tertiary hospitals was recruited and completed the questionnaires. Data were analyzed using χ²-test, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé, and Pearson correlation coefficient.
RESULTS
FLNMs had ‘narrow’ (n=8, 4.3%), ‘appropriate’ (n=161, 87.0%), and ‘wide’ (n=16, 8.6%) span of control. Span of control had significant correlations with the number of nurses (r=.63, p<.001), the number of non-nurses (r=.53, p<.001), units (r=.52, p<.001), staff (r=.83, p<.001), and programs (r=.67, p<.001).
CONCLUSION
The research findings indicate that attention should be given to unit complexity, program diversity, total staff, and skills. Moreover, administrators of hospital and nursing departments need to provide systematic support in accordance with FLNMs’ wide span of control.

Citations

• Understanding the Impact of Span of Control on Nurse Managers and Hospital Outcomes
  Asiah Ruffin, Maria R. Shirey, Tracey Dick, Pariya L. Fazeli, Patricia A. Patrician
  Journal of Healthcare Management.2023; 68(3): 158.     CrossRef
• Nurse managers’ perception of governance among Korean nurses
  Sujin Choi
  Journal of Nursing Management.2021; 29(7): 2065.     CrossRef
• Experience in Nursing Unit Management on First Line Nurse Managers
  Mi Young Han, Sue Kyung Sohn, Yeon Sil Cho, Ick Jee Kim, Mi Suk Kim
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration.2021; 27(3): 138.     CrossRef
• Factors Influencing Managerial Competence of Frontline Nurse Managers
  Ran Lee, Miyoung Kim, Sujin Choi, Hee Yeon Shin
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration.2018; 24(5): 435.     CrossRef