PURPOSE: This study was done to comparatively analyze the general education curriculum of 4-yr and 3-yr nursing schools in Korea. METHODS: Ten university 4-yr nursing schools were selected based on universities in Korean Accreditation Board of Nursing 2010 or "2009 Korea's Best Universities-Top 10" published by Joong-Ang Daily. Ten college 3-yr nursing schools were selected based on colleges in Korean Accreditation Board of Nursing 2010. RESULTS: 1) Generally 4-yr nursing schools maintained the relationships between organizational philosophy/purposes and subjects in the general education curriculum. But 3-yr nursing schools did not. 2) In 4-yr nursing schools there was a relatively higher credits ratio of general education curriculum and selective courses than in 3-yr nursing schools. 3) In 4-yr nursing schools variety of courses was relatively higher than 3-yr nursing schools. 4) In 4-yr nursing schools, operating conditions were relatively better (number of tenure professors, ratio of professors to students, Identification of exclusive organization in charge of the general education curriculum) for the general education curriculum than 3-yr nursing schools. CONCLUSION: The results identify significant differences in the general education curriculum of 4-yr and 3-yr nursing schools in Korea, indicating that 3-yr nursing schools should make efforts to improve the good quality of general education curriculum.
*Curriculum ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate/*standards/trends ; Education, Nursing, Diploma Programs/*standards/trends ; Humanities/*education ; Humans ; Nursing Education Research ; Republic of Korea

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate RN-BSN students' clinical nursing competency in order to establish baseline data for developing nursing competency based clinical education for RN-BSN students. METHOD: A survey of 1,453 RN-BSN students from 21 nursing schools was conducted using a self administered questionnaire. RESULT: The mean score of the clinical nursing competency was 2.93. The scores for competency were shown as 2.91 for nursing management, 2.94 for developing professionalism & legal implementation, 2.95 for critical thinking, 2.96 for teaching & leadership, and data collection, basic nursing care, and communication were above 3.00. The items perceived as insufficient competency were physical examination and observation & monitoring in data collection, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, psycho-social care, spiritual care, hospice in basic nursing care, application of knowledge and theory, formulating nursing diagnosis, nursing care planning in critical thinking, education material development, leadership, delegation in teaching and leadership, analysis of organization, planning, infection control, role & job description, evaluation of nursing activities in nursing management, quality improvement, and research in developing professionalism and legal implementation. CONCLUSION: This study will contribute to developing a nursing competency based on clinical education for RN-BSN students who have various education needs and clinical backgrounds.
Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; *Clinical Competence ; Curriculum ; Data Collection ; Education, Nursing, Associate/*standards ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate/*standards ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nursing Education Research ; Questionnaires ; *Students, Nursing

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze attitudes toward a successful life of students majoring in nursing science. METHOD: The Q-methodology which provides a method of analyzing the subjectivity of each items was used. The 32 selected Q-statements from each of 36 subjects were classified into a shape of normal distribution using a 9 point scale. The collected data was analyzed using a QUANL PC program. RESULT: Four types of successful life attitudes for research subjects in nursing science were identified. Type I is purpose achievement type, Type II is calling fullness type, Type III is balance maintenance type, and Type IV is happiness eagerness type. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate that different approaches to nursing professional education programs are recommended based on the four types of successful life attitudes.
Adult ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate ; Education, Nursing, Diploma Programs ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Q-Sort ; *Quality of Life ; Students, Nursing/*psychology

PURPOSE: This study was aimed at exploring the current status of graduate programs for an advanced practice nurse(APN) to recommend future directions of APN education. METHODS: A total of 142 students enrolled in seven APN specialty programs, 67 professors who were involved in APN education, and nine nurse administrators participated in the study. Data was collected by questionnaires and focus group interviews. RESULTS: The current definition of APN was found not to be specific enough to represent expected roles of APN in regards to knowledge, attitudes, roles, and skills. Standard curricula employed regardless of the area of APN specialty, lack of qualified clinical practice settings, as well as prepared instructors were found to be problematic. CONCLUSION: The following needs to be addressed: 1. redefining of APN roles, 2. tailoring specialty areas of APN, 3. consolidating educational programs, and 4. ensuring APN role models and faculty. Suggesting a CNS role in Korean APN, areas of APN should be rearranged toclarify their roles and educational programs need to be further developed to meet the expectations and quality of APNs. It is necessary to ensure APN's employment in the health care system by laws and policies to perform advanced nursing roles.
Adult ; Curriculum ; Education, Nursing, Continuing ; Education, Nursing, Graduate ; Educational Measurement ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Middle Aged ; Nurse Clinicians/*education ; Nurse Practitioners/*education ; Nursing Evaluation Research ; Questionnaires ; Societies, Nursing ; Specialties, Nursing/*education

The purpose of this study was to analyze the appraising frame and the accreditation system of universities in both Korea and the United Sates, as well as developing a standard plan to appraise 4 year nursing education institutions in Korea. Research design of this study was descriptive comparative research. The results of the research can be divided into six fields, educational purposes, educational courses, students, faculty, facility equipments and administration finance in Korea. Then the results were further categorized into seven fields : mission and governance, faculty, students, curriculum and instruction, resources, educational effectiveness and integrity. Thus Korean appraising frames were suggested to have eight fields of standard. The fields are philosophy and purposes of educational institution, educational courses and instruction, students, faculty, facility equipments, adminstration finance, educational effectiveness and integrity.
Accreditation ; Curriculum ; Education, Nursing ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate* ; Humans ; Korea ; Missions and Missionaries ; Philosophy ; Research Design

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to develop an e-Learning program that assists nursing students' clinical practice in operating room nursing and to examine the learning effects. METHODS: Based on content and need analysis, 9 learning modules were developed for nursing care in operating rooms and with operating equipment. To verify the effects of the program, a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed. The participants in this study were 74 third-year nursing students (34 in the experimental and 40 in the control group) from a junior college in G-city, Korea, who were engaged in a one week clinical practicum in an operating unit. Frequencies, chi2-test and t-test with the SPSS program 17.0 were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Knowledge was significantly higher in the experimental group compared to the control group (p=.018). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in self-directed learning. The experimental group had significantly higher motivation toward learning, which was examined posttest only (p=.027). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the implementation of an e-Learning program needs to be continued as an effective educational tool, but more research on the best way to implement e-Learning in students' practicum is needed.
Adult ; Clinical Competence ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; *Internet ; Motivation ; Nursing Education Research ; Operating Room Nursing/*education ; Program Evaluation ; Questionnaires ; Students, Nursing/*psychology ; Young Adult

This thesis explores the actual circumstances of Korean nursing by investigating its present situations. Ultimately, the intent of this study aims to establish a future direction of Korean Nursing. As such, the current conditions of Korean nursing is analyzed in he following categories: education, practice, research, nursing policy, expansion of nursing field, and entrepreneurship. In the final conclusion, an appropriate orientation of the future of Korean nursing is discussed. There are two primary Nursing programs, a three-year (63) and a four-year (53), in Korean Nursing education. Master's programs are available at 32 nursing schools or 32 professional graduate schools. A total of 15 nursing schools have a doctoral program in Korea. The ratio of graduates between the three-year and four year programs is 76: 24. Hence, it is highly encouraged to expand four-year nursing programs, because it will help raise the social status of nursing professionals as well as the quality of nursing. In the clinical nursing field, independency and self regulation are critical. As such, organizational change, implementation of a standardized nursing information system, appropriate workforce, and improvement of the reimbursement system in nursing is recommended. In community nursing, the following should be resolved to provide better nursing services: improvement of working condition and benefits, establishment of a law enforcing the hiring of nurses, and providing continuing education. The number of nursing research has increased and nursing studies are in great quantity. However, research in practices and theories are more in demanded. Hence, research that integrates theories and practices are very significant. Ultimately, it is critical to support nursing studies that will influence nursing policy. The Korean Nurses Associatio (KNA) is an organization that supervises the nation's nursing policy. The primary focus of KNA is to combine the three and four year undergraduate education systems into 4 years and to establish the Nursing Practice Act. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has adapted a system to educate and certify nurse specialists in 10 nursing areas in 21 nursing graduate schools expecting high-quality nursing services and a decrease of cost. The government also allowed nurses to operate facilities for health management or welfare agencies.
Education ; Education, Continuing ; Education, Nursing ; Entrepreneurship ; Humans ; Information Systems ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Nursing Research ; Nursing Services ; Nursing* ; Organizational Innovation ; Primary Nursing ; Schools, Nursing ; Self-Control ; Specialization

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a critical thinking disposition scale for nursing students. METHOD: The developmental process was construction of a conceptual framework, development of preliminary items, verification of content validity, development of secondary items, verification of construct validity and extraction of final items. The conceptual framework and first preliminary 60 items were obtained through a review of relevant literature and the development of critical disposition scales by 10 researchers who had been studying critical thinking for one year. These items were reviewed by five specialists for content validity and finally 55 items were chosen. The data was collected from October 1 to 15, 2004 and was analyzed using factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha with the SPSS program. The subjects were composed of 560 Bachelor of Science nursing students from 8 nursing schools. RESULT: There were 35 final items which were sorted into 8 factors. The factors were identified as 'intellectual integrity(6 items)', 'creativity(4 items)', 'challenge(6 items)', 'open-mindedness(3 items)', 'prudence(4 items)', 'objectivity(4 items)', 'truth seeking(3 items)' and 'inquisitiveness(5 items)'. The cumulative percent of variance was 55.107%. The reliability of the scale, Cronbach's alpha was .892 and the factors' ranged from .562-.836. CONCLUSION: The result of this study could be used for measuring critical thinking dispositions of nursing students. However, for further validity and reliability, repeated research is necessary.
Adult ; Data Collection ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Female ; Humans ; *Judgment ; Male ; Research Design ; Students, Nursing/*psychology ; *Thinking

This study, was done to compare the nursing education systems of China and South Korea (Korea), then, on the basis of this comparison, to examine the direction of nursing education in China. The results the study are as follows: 1. Nursing education in Korea was influenced by social change, political policy, but as it was established, nurses in Korea, were able actively involved in presenting nursing education development proposals to the government, and in developing nursing education through their own efforts. Nursing education in China developed through the political policy of a socialist Country. During the period of modernization after 1977, a nursing education developed very quickly, In 1983, the first baccalaureate nursing education program was established and, in 1992, the first masters program was opened. 2. In Korea, there are two nursing education systems; diploma and baccalaureate, and there is only one entry level, high school graduation. In China today, on the other hand, there are three types of nursing education systems; technical, diploma, and baccalaureate, and they have middle school and high school graduation as the two levels of entry. 3. There are similarities between China and Korea in curriculums for nursing education which include the major nursing concepts. But in descriptions of the education objectives, China the emphasis is on training the 'expert' in clinical nursing which is not consistent with their educational philosophy. Korea differs from China in that the focus is on training for 'multiple ability' to be used in both clinical and community environments. 4. In Korea, the curriculum is organized with the theoretical and clinical experience combined. The curriculum is oriented to the life cycle and human developmental process. In China, however, the curriculum is organized so that after finishing the theoretical part of the curriculum, the students begin a one year intensive field experience in which the major clinical field is the hospital, and the focus is on disease oriented care and research ability. 5. In order for nurses to be proposed to address nursing education system needs follows : to change as The new nursing education system should be baccalaureate education in order to improve the education level in all nursing education programs, to develop doctoral programs, to open nurse specialist programs, and to develop a new curriculum based nursing philosophy and health delivery system change. New nursing curriculum for health care in China in the 21st century should be directed by a framework based on nursing philosophy, objectives and nursing content. In conclusion, the study will contribute China nursing education system revolution for policy develop and curriculum research. According to these results, in the future, nurses in China should be more actively involved in research and in a nursing education revolution, Also they should be involved in building information networks and in developing long term projects in nursing education.
China* ; Curriculum ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Education, Nursing* ; Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate ; Hand ; Human Development ; Humans ; Information Services ; Korea* ; Life Cycle Stages ; Nursing* ; Philosophy ; Philosophy, Nursing ; Research ; Social Change ; Specialization

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to develop a PBL program for continuing nurse education and to evaluate the program after its implementation. METHODS: The PBL program was developed in the core cardio-pulmonary nursing concepts through a collaborative approach with a nursing school and a hospital. The PBL packages with simulation on ACLS were implemented to 40 clinical nurses. The entire PBL program consisted of six 3-hour weekly classes and was evaluated by the participants' subjective responses. RESULTS: Two PBL packages in cardio-pulmonary system including clinical cases and tutorial guidelines were developed. The 57.5% of the participants responded positively about the use of PBL as continuing nurse education in terms of self-motivated and cooperative learning, whereas 20.0% of the participants answered that the PBL method was not suitable for clinical nurses. Some modifications were suggested in grouping participants and program contents for PBL. CONCLUSION: The PBL method could be utilized to promote nurses' clinical competencies as well as self-learning abilities. Further research is needed in the implementation strategies of PBL-based continuing education in order to improve its effectiveness.
Adult ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Cardiology/education ; *Clinical Competence ; Computer Simulation ; Curriculum ; Education, Nursing, Continuing/*organization & administration ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Heart Diseases/nursing ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Lung Diseases/nursing ; Manikins ; Middle Aged ; Nursing Education Research ; Nursing Methodology Research ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*education/psychology ; Organizational Objectives ; Pilot Projects ; Problem-Based Learning/*organization & administration ; Program Development ; Program Evaluation ; Pulmonary Medicine/education