Earticle

Purpose : This study aimed to identify perceived fatigue and quality of sleep among nurses working in long-term care facilities. Methods : A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Thd data were collected from 101 nurses in long-term care facilities through a self-administered questionnaire. Fatigue was measured using a standardized fatigue scale, and quality of sleep was assessed using selected items that were validated through a content validity test from the tool developed by Kwon (2009). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Results : The mean perceived fatigue score among the nurses was 1.97 (±0.68), indicating a relatively low level of fatigue. Among the subdomains, physical symptoms were the highest at 2.03 (±0.54), followed by psychological symptoms at 1.92 (±0.57), and neurological/sensory symptoms at 1.81 (±0.58). The mean score for quality of sleep was 2.75 (±0.70). Significant differences in fatigue levels were observed depending on age (F=3.784, p=.013), marital status (F=7.301, p=.001), and education level (t=–2.562, p=.006). Quality of sleep also differed significantly by sex (t=1.667, p=.049) and average daily sleeping hours (t=2.847, p=.003). A significant correlation was found between fatigue and quality of sleep, indicating that higher fatigue was associated with poorer quality of sleep. Conclusion : The nurses working in long-term care facilities reported relatively low levels of fatigue, and their quality of sleep was at a moderate level. However, considering that these factors influence not only the individual nurses’ well-being but also the quality of patient care, institutional strategies—such as workload management, adequate breaktime, and interventions to improve sleep hygiene—are needed to support nurses health and enhance patient care quality.

Purpose : This study examined how perceived barriers to workplace mental health promotion programs influence the level of workplace mental health system establishment. Methods : This descriptive correlational study used the survey data from 567 occupational health managers. Group differences were analyzed using independent t-tests and one-way ANOVA. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with system establishment. Results : Physical and environmental barriers and resource and structural barriers showed significant correlations with the level of system establishment. In multiple regression analysis, gender, ≥15 years of experience, job position, related major, concurrent responsibility, workplace size (≥300 employees), and resource and structural barriers were identified as significant predictors. Resource and structural barriers showed a positive association in the adjusted model. Conclusion : Workplace mental health system establishment was associated with both individual and organizational characteristics as well as structural barriers. Organizational-level resource support and the allocation of dedicated personnel are needed to strengthen workplace mental health systems.

Purpose : This descriptive study is to identify influencing factors of nursing students' contentment of their major, vocational calling, employment anxiety on their intention to drop out. Methods : With IRB approval, the data were collected by distributing questionnaires to nursing students who consented to participate in the study, from 1st through 12th, September, 2025. A total of 138 responses were selected as final subjects. The data were analyzed using SPSS 30.0 by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression. Results : The factors influencing intention to drop out were contentment of their major(β=-.31, p<.001), employment anxiety(β=.27, p<.001) and choosing a major based on aptitude(β=-.28, p<.001), with an explanatory power of 38.4%. Conclusion : To enhance contentment of their major and reduce employment anxiety, it is necessary to strengthen adaptation to their major and actively utilize career counseling and extra-curricular programs for employment. Such an effort will contribute to lowering nursing students' intention to drop out.

Purpose : This study compared perceptions between employers and workers regarding the implementation of emotional labor protection policies across major service sectors to improve policy effectiveness. Methods : A survey was conducted using a [one-to-one matched design] involving 1,275 workplaces across four sectors: customer service (40.2%), care services (19.9%), healthcare (19.8%), and sales (20.1%). Data were collected via face-to-face interviews [from July to September 2025]. Results : Significant perception gaps were identified. While gaps existed for [preventive measures] like voice guidance (11.5%) and response manuals (19.5%), much larger discrepancies were found in [active intervention and post-incident support]. Specifically, gaps reached 27.4% for work suspension, 33.1% for extended breaks, and up to 36.5% for counseling support. The [most substantial gap] occurred in the "prohibition of disadvantageous treatment" after requesting protection, particularly in care services (46.9%) and sales (46.1%). Conclusion : Perception gaps vary by occupation, with [post-incident meas-ures showing the greatest disparity]. These findings suggest that policy effectiveness is hindered by occupational conditions and organizational culture. [To bridge these gaps, practical and tailored implementation strategies] are essential to ensure the actual protection of emotional laborers.

Purpose : This study investigated the influence of emotional labor on emotional exhaustion among educational professionals and also examined the mediating effect of sleep deprivation. Methods : Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted using the data from 1,232 education service workers who participated in the 7th Korean Working Conditions Survey (2023). Results : Approximately 3.5% of the participants were exposed to high-intensity emotional labor, and 88.5% reported poor subjective sleep quality. Notably, sleep deprivation was a significant arbitrator, acting as a partial mediator in the relationship between emotional labor and emotional exhaustion. This supports the loss spiral mechanism, where hyperarousal from emotional labor impairs sleep — a vital bio-recovery resource. Conclusion : To prevent emotional exhaustion of education service workers, institutionalizing the right to be disengaged to ensure psychological detachment after work is essential. This study is significant for redefining sleep as a critical bio-recovery resource and providing a practical basis for protecting the health rights of educational professionals.

Purpose : This study aimed to examine the effects of occupational health managers’ experience with mental health promotion programs on their planning competency. Methods : This descriptive study utilized the data collected from a nationwide survey conducted for the development of mental health promotion guidelines. A total of 340 occupational health managers were included in the analysis. The Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. Results : The mean planning competency score was 3.23±0.93 (range 1–5). Planning competency differed significantly depending on age, work experience, full-time position, workplace characteristics, education level related to mental health programs, and program implementation experience. Multiple regression analysis identified age, work experience, full-time position, workplace guidelines and manuals, education level, and program implementation experience as significant predictors of planning competency. Conclusion : The findings suggest that both individual experience and organizational support are important factors in improving occupational health managers’ planning competency for workplace mental health promotion.