Looking Back the Past 30 Years: Activities and Achievements of Community Health Practitioners in Rural and Remote Areas in Korea.
10.12799/jkachn.2012.23.1.51
- Author:
Chunmi KIM
1
;
Kyung Ja JUNE
Author Information
1. Department of Nursing, Sunmoon University, Asan, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Nurse's role;
Rural health;
Primary health care
- MeSH:
Achievement;
Community Health Nursing;
Focus Groups;
Korea;
Mental Competency;
Nurse's Role;
Primary Health Care;
Reinforcement (Psychology);
Rural Health
- From:Journal of Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing
2012;23(1):51-62
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify community health nursing activities that community health practitioners perceive and their achievements in community by reviewing the community health nursing activities that community health practitioners have done for the last 30 years. METHODS: This study was a qualitative study. Thirty one community health practitioners were interviewed using the focus group interview method and data were analyzed using content analysis. Data were collected from April to June in 2011. RESULTS: Community health practitioners perceived themselves as "Community Vitalizers" and 9 categories were identified. They were 'ground to explore new nursing areas', 'assimilation to community', 'ground to establish community diagnosis', 'everyday life health management in the community', 'increased accessibility to medical services for the residents', 'enforced health practices for the residents', 'reinforced self-reliance of community', 'commitment to making a happy village' and 'mental fence of the community.' CONCLUSION: This study was meaningful in that it explained the unique identity of the community health practitionersand could be used as important basic materials in the process of re-establishment of the roles of Health Offices. Hereafter in-depth study on community competence reinforcement should be made to identify the roles of community health nurses.
