This study explored the factors influencing disaster response competency, that is, demographic and disaster-related characteristics, personal disaster (household and workplace) preparedness, disaster risk perception, and self-efficacy in handling disasters among emergency medical technicians in South Korea. The study follows a descriptive, cross-sectional design and uses a self-reported questionnaire. Emergency medical technicians, amounting to 1,020 in all, currently working in firefighting organizations from four South Korean cities (Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, and Ulsan) participated in the study. Disaster risk perception, self-efficacy for disaster, participation experience in disaster education/training, and personal disaster (household and workplace) preparedness predicted the disaster response competency of emergency medical technicians in South Korea. There is a need for an antidisaster program to enhance the disaster risk perception, self-efficacy, personal disaster (household and workplace) preparedness, and the disaster education/training participation rate toward enhancing disaster response competency of emergency medical technicians in South Korea.

Introduction: Depression is increasing worldwide. Some previous studies have explored the impact of work–family conflict on depressive symptoms of married working women. However, little is known about the moderating relationship underlying them. Objectives: This study aims to determine the moderating effects of marriage satisfaction and organizational gender discrimination climate in the relationship between work–family conflict and depressive symptoms of married working women in Korea. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the data of the 8th Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families (KLoWF). The data of 1,816 married working women employed and paid by an individual or an enterprise were analyzed. Results: The work–family conflict had a significant effect on depressive symptoms of married working women. In the dynamics between work–family conflict and depressive symptoms, no significant moderating effect of marriage satisfaction was found. On the contrary, the organizational gender discrimination climate displayed a moderating effect on the relationship between work–family conflict and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Nursing strategies in the workplace or community are needed so that married working women can cope positively and actively between work–family conflicts and maintain healthy mental health. To this end, gender role awareness education should be prioritized to improve awareness of gender discrimination in the workplace. In addition, nursing interventions such as linking local or government support and information delivery should be provided so that married working women can be consulted about situations related to work–family conflicts or gender discrimination climate.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the worst infectious disasters in human history. The best way to minimize COVID-19 transmission is to follow preventive measures. This study aimed to examine the factors influencing adolescents’ COVID-19 prevention behaviors. The study was conducted online from 1 to 15 February 2023 with 196 adolescents aged between 13 and 18 years of age. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, the independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple hierarchical regression analysis. Adolescents’ COVID-19 prevention behaviors were influenced by intrapersonal factors, such as knowledge of and attitudes toward COVID-19, and interpersonal factors, such as social support. Community and governmental factors had no impact. Public health education strategies should be planned to include friends and family members in programs for preventing new infectious diseases such as COVID-19 so that adolescents can learn and share what they have learned, correct wrong behavior, and understand and change infection prevention behavior. In addition, it is necessary to actively support the development of public health education with appropriate contents in accordance with the characteristics and preferences of adolescents.

Introduction: Although over 60% of Korean acute care hospitals are small- or medium-sized, their ability to address sexual harassment may differ from larger hospitals due to differences in resources, policies, and organizational culture. Objective: This study aims to identify sexual harassment experience, coping, and awareness among nurses working in small- and medium-sized hospitals. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study that collected data from 462 nurses working in nine small- and medium-sized acute care hospitals in two cities in Korea. The study utilized self-report questionnaires, including the coping with sexual harassment questionnaire, perception of sexual, and experience of sexual harassment. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance. Results: Most nurses receive sexual harassment prevention education in the workplace every year, but only 77% of them are accurately aware of sexual harassment behavior. Among the types of sexual harassment experienced by the participants, verbal sexual harassment was the most common. Only 192 out of 462 nurses responded to the timing of their sexual harassment experience. Of those, more than 50% reported experiencing sexual harassment within the first year of employment and over 80% within 3 years. The most common perpetrators of sexual harassment were patients, followed by doctors. The more times the nurses received sexual harassment prevention education, the better they were at coping with sexual harassment. Conclusion: To prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, training content should be tailored because attitudes and perceptions vary based on the perpetrator's characteristics. This ensures relevance, addresses risks, and clarifies legal responsibilities. To create a healthy and safe working environment for nurses, institutions and managers should implement methods to raise awareness of sexual harassment. This may include providing anonymous hotlines, online reporting systems, regular audits, and establishing anonymous peer counseling platforms.

This study aimed to investigate factors affecting behavioral intentions to use defibrillators among clinical nurses in South Korea, using a modified predictive technology acceptance model 2 (TAM 2) that facilitates understanding of what prompts apparent spontaneous actions. This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 467 clinical nurses with more than 6 months of clinical experience. The path analysis results showed that the variables directly affecting the intention to use a defibrillator among clinical nurses were the image, organizational support, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness. Moreover, job autonomy and total career indirectly affected the intention to use a defibrillator. Clinical nurses need to know how to use defibrillators and be able to act promptly on patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA). Organizational managers need to improve the work environments of clinical nurses accordingly. Additionally, it is necessary to establish a policy foundation to ensure the development of competence and job autonomy that can lead to the use of defibrillators by improving various factors, including anxiety or reluctance of nurses to use defibrillators in acute cardiac arrest.