Health care related fields in Korea lay emphasis on providing health services in good quality as a strategy to hold priority in keen competition. This tendency brought numerous changes in natures and forms of health care services provided in hospital ...
Health care related fields in Korea lay emphasis on providing health services in good quality as a strategy to hold priority in keen competition. This tendency brought numerous changes in natures and forms of health care services provided in hospital settings, system of organization and manpower structure of hospitals. It also gave a firm ground for a need for Advanced Practitioners in Nursing (APN). Recently, Advanced Practice in Nursing has extended its area, satisfying nursing needs of patients and commanding independency and autonomy of nursing implementation in nursing roles. This research aims to describe a correlation between level of autonomy and clinical decision-making in nursing scale of E.T nurse, thus to promote competency in independent (self-controlling) decision-making of the nurses. 102 nurses were identified who are currently working in general hospitals and specialized sanatoriums around the country. Data through survey questions had been collected from November 5, 2004 to December 5, 2004 (for 31 days), and 97% of subjects answered and turned the questionnaires back. Collected Data was analyzed by frequency and percentage, arithmetic mean and standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA, and Pearson coefficient of interrelation through SPSS program. Results shows as following:First, autonomy index of E.T nurse is 175.56, indicating medium or higher level of autonomy.Second index, showing clinical decision-making in nursing scale of the nurses, points 137-57, at about the medium. The two most highly ranked factors of decision-making in nursing scale were <Evaluation and reevaluation of consequences>.Then, relation between level of autonomy and clinical decision-making in nursing scale shows constant correlation, which signifies that the higher the level of autonomy, the better decision-making comes out. Examining correlation between level of autonomy and sub-factors of decision-making in nursing scale, higher level of autonomy was correlated with <canvassing of object and values>, the subcategories of decision-making in nursing scale. Fourthly, autonomy level contingent on general characteristics of nurses shows the following results. Group of nurses above the age of forty ranked highest in autonomy. In terms of academic career, nurse’s equivalent or over graduate school level of education ranked the highest. Nurses in staff positions of nursing department showed also the highest level of autonomy.Finally, in level of decision-making in nursing scale depending on general characteristics was highest in the group of nurses with 15 or more years of clinical decision-making in nursing scale experience. The more satisfied with their duty, the higher index of decision-making in nursing scale came out.According to results of this study, clinical decision-making in nursing scale of E.T nurse is closely interrelated with their autonomy. It is, therefore, concluded that the level of autonomy strongly affects clinical decision-making in nursing scale. Chief variables affecting autonomy of E.T nurses were age, career, academic career, current position, and job satisfaction, and those affecting clinical decision-making in nursing were types of job, career, current position and job satisfaction. Hence, more chances of education, improvement in work environment and work conditions, and legislation of E.T nurse should be achieved, to enhance level of autonomy and clinical decision-making in nursing scale of E.T nurse.