A Vision for Nursing Education Reform in Korea

한국 간호교육에 대한 개혁 전망

To build a suitable National Health Care System for the coming 21s1 century, Nursing must also be renewed. The future Korea will be united and the majority of its population will raidly consist of the aged. Economically standing on the same level with developed countries the growth of scientific technologies will foster communications, firing astounding changes in the medical field. While the overall life style pattern of Koereans not to mention the structure of diseases undergo change, the possibility that the reckless induction of high-tech health care may only cause medical fees to eascafate. It can전so be expected that the health care system will evolve towards the consumers. Nursing in the 21s1 century will be of two scenarios according to WHO, which presents the role of the nurse. The first scenario is that "a gen-eric health care work force" namely a "care giver" will replace all other health professions. If Nursing does not become the compatent profession fitting to this purpose it will eventually dei out. The second scenario is that nurses who are educated in a well grounded and extensive general background and have command of a specialized area will undertake services varying from health pro-motion to treatment and rehabilitation both direct and indirectly, while supervising other personnel. The nurse here would become the "care giver". To become the necessary health care profession in the 21s1 century, nurses should be provided with more educational opportunities, variating in its con-tents, course, and system, enabling them to grow. Clair Faign points out that the minimal educational entry for the nursing profession is a 4 year undergraduate education in this aspect, now in the time to set the future of Nursing into the course of the first scenario. A new educational system stipulating a baccalaureate nursing degree is in urgent need, and aside from govermental actions nurse themseives should formaily officiallze this process, striving for quality assurance. While considering 6 years nursing education programs, multifarious degree courses for existing 3 years educated nurse should be provided Junior nursing schools must devise measures to grow into baccalaucate institutions, also. Among the existing courses, the Self Study Degree Program should be converted into RN, BSN courese provided by universities, and clinical training for the University on the Air must be supplimented, The possibility of establishing nursing courses into commercial high school programs only jeopardizes the development of the nursing profession.