A Survey Study of Nursing Informatics Education in Korea

Park, Hyeoun Ae; Kim, Jeong Eun; Yang, Young Hee; Hyun, Sook Yung

Abstract

A research survey was conducted on 112 nursing educational institutes with three year associate and four ear baccalaureate programs and 36 institutes with master programs to determine the status of computer and informatics education in Korea. Seventy-seven(68.8%) of the 112 schools with associate and baccalaureate programs responded and 20(55.6%) of 36 schools with master program responded. Out of 77 institutions only 16 schools indicated that Nursing Informatics was offered as a separate course. It was taught mostly to the first year or the second year students and number of credits ranged from 1 to 3 while 2 credit being the most popular one. Further analysis of the syllabus indicated that the contents covered by different schools varied from school to school. They were computer basics, internet and communication, application program, the concept and the elements of the nursing informatics, utilization of nursing informatics in nursing practice, education, research, and administration, and health information system. Sixty schools out of 77 addressed computer related subjects in their curriculum. Computer related subjects were taught mostly to the first year students as a 2 credits class. Contents covered in computer related subjects were computer basics, internet and communication, and application program. Strategies for the implementation of nursing informatics in nursing education and exemplary programs are presented based on the findings.