An Analysis of Family Nursing Research in Korea

Jang, Sun Ok

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the trends of family nursing research in Korea. The subjects were 62 articles, 132 master theses and 20 doctoral theses published during the period between 1970-1997. 7. The results are as follows. 1. The types of research that were analyzed were factor isolating, 6.1% and situation producing, 3.7%. 2. Research designs were experimental studies, 6.1% non-experimental studies, 89.7% and qualitative research, 4.2%. Survey research was the method used in 82.7% of the papers. 3. On the research subjects, 94 papers dealt with the family member of a patient or a single person, 59 papers dealt with a patient and 7 papers dealt with whole family. 4. On the places of studies, 64.0% of the studies were done in hospital rooms, 12.9% in the communities and community facilities, 12.0% in schools, 10.7% in the home, and 0.4% an occupational setting. 5. The most frequently used family concept in the title of the articles was "family support"(59 papers) followed by family function and family burden. 6. The most frequently used family assessment tool was Family Environment Scale(FES) developed by Moos and Insel. 7. According to family nursing domain described by Murphy' and Meister' study, the subdomain, relationship of the family and disease was found 83.2%. 8. Four papers built conceptual frameworks based on various theories of researchers. Eleven papers applied family theories and five papers applied nursing theories. Based on the above findings the following suggestions are made. 1. The various domains of family nursing research should be used including in the relationship of family and health, health policy and family, transcultural family research, and theoretical approach to family. 2. Qualitative research should be used for family nursing research. 3. Family assessment tools should be developed for the Korean family.