A Study on the Content of Fundamentals of Nursing in Korea: Focused on Nursing Professors and Clinical Educators

Kang, Ku Sook; Kong, Eun Sook

Abstract

This study analyzed the necessity of detailed items of fundamentals of nursing in college by soliciting answers from clinical nursing educators in hospitals and nursing professors. The questionnaires consisted of four parts. The first part included questions about the general demographic characteristics of respondents, the second part, questions about the general necessity of fundamentals of nursing, the third part, questions about the necessity of 26 items in fundamentals of nursing in knowledge education and about the necessity of 81 items in fundamentals of nursing in practice education, the fourth part solicited free description of ideas about the problems education in fundamentals of nursing in Korea. Thirty professors from universities, 30 professors from community, and 30 clinical nursing educators were randomly sampled and the questionnaires were sent by mail. Seventy people returned completed questionnaires. Ninety three percent evaluated fundamentals of nursing as necessary for nursing not only in knowledge education but also in practice education. They also generally agreed on what items are necessary for fundamentals of nursing. However, opinions about some items were split between nursing scholars and clinical nursing educators. Clinical educators wanted fundamentals of nursing to be more practical and to incorporate recent developments and changes in clinical settings. They described several problems in fundamentals of nursing. One was some the content of fundamentals of nursing overlaps with other subjects, especially with adult nursing. Some respondents also thought that fundamentals of nursing included too many topics. These problems make it difficult for students, scholars, and nurses identify what fundamentals of nursing is. This causes an identity problem in fundamentals of nursing. Some disparity between clinical nursing and knowledge education in fundamentals of nursing was also reported. This was also related to problems lack of clinical experience in teachers of fundamentals of nursing. Some respondents suggested requiring clinical experience for professors of establishing a system of clinical professorship. problems of teaching material were also pointed out. Fundamental nursing skills and knowledge in teaching materials are often old or not appropriate for the Korean nursing situation. The respondents urged the development of teaching materials appropriate for Korean nursing. In order to solve these problems, the authors suggest forming an ad hoc committee which can reformulate and standardize education in fundamentals of nursing in Korea.