Purpose
This study examined how nurse staffing and parental caregiving burden influence patient experiences in pediatric wards. Methods: The sample included 326 parents of pediatric patients at a tertiary children’s hospital. Nurse staffing was measured using parent-perceived staffing adequacy (4-point scale) and registered nurse hours per patient day (RN HPPD). Parent experiences were evaluated using the Child Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (Child HCAHPS), with items rated on 3-, 4-, or 11-point scales and subsequently converted to scores on a 0–100 scale. Parents also reported their caregiving burden experienced during their child’s hospitalization. Results: Among the Child HCAHPS domains, nurse–parent communication received the highest score, while lower scores were reported in child-specific domains, including teen involvement, quietness, and child comfort. Most parents (80.4%) stayed at the hospital either all or nearly all the time, and 63.5% perceived caregiving as burdensome. Commonly reported burdens included economic and work-related challenges, physical and psychological stressors, and responsibilities related to caring for other children. Higher levels of parent-perceived staffing adequacy and greater RN HPPD were significantly associated with better patient experiences. Conclusion: Improving nurse staffing may alleviate parental caregiving burden and improve patient and parent experiences in pediatric wards.

Purpose
This study compares burnout, accountability, nursing competency, and quality of nursing services among nurses through the nursing care models and work experience. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 129 nurses working for more than six consecutive months in a tertiary hospital in South Korea. Data were collected in August 2023 using the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire, Specht and Ramler Accountability Index, Nurse Competence Scale, and Good Nurse Care Scale. Differences between nursing care models were analyzed using an independent t-test. Results: Nurses in the team nursing method demonstrated lower levels of burnout and higher levels of accountability, nursing competency, and quality of nursing services than those in the functional nursing method. All differences were statistically significant, except for accountability. Novice and advanced beginner nurses showed statistically significant differences in burnout; competent and proficient nurses showed statistically significant differences in accountability, nursing competency, and quality of nursing services, excluding burnout; and expert nurses showed no statistically significant differences in nursing performance by nursing care model. Conclusion: The team nursing method showed better results in addressing nurses’ burnout, accountability, nursing competency, and quality of nursing services. The team nursing methods meet the needs of nurses seeking the total care of patients.

PURPOSE
This study was done to investigate factors affecting perceived financial burden of medical expenditures.
METHOD
The participants were 2,024 inpatients who were enrolled in a survey on the benefit coverage rate of the National Health Insurance in 2006. The collected data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA-test, Mann-Whitney-test, Kruskal-Wallis-test, Chi-square test and logistic regression.
RESULTS
The crucial factors for perceived financial burden were age, job, equivalence scale, ratio of annual family income vs medical expenditure, and private health insurance. Perceived financial burden was higher for people who were older, who were unemployed, whose medical expenditures were high compared to annual family income, whose index of family equalization was low and for those who had no private health insurance.
CONCLUSION
The results of the study indicate a demand for system reform that will enable management of no-pay hospital bills in the National Health Insurance to decrease the medical expense of people in the low-income bracket.

Citations

• Time Trend of Out-of-pocket Expenditure among Cancer Inpatients: Evidence from Korean Tertiary Hospitals
  Chang Hoon You, Sungwook Kang, Young Dae Kwon, Ji Heon Choi
  Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention.2013; 14(11): 6985.     CrossRef