한방간호관련(韓方看護關聯) 교과과정(敎科課程) 現況(현황)에 대한 연구

The Study of Curriculums on the Nursing in Oriental Medicine

This paper reviews the curriculums on the nursing in oriental medicine currently provided by Korean nursing education institutes. As of October 2000, 14 of 48 four-year-system and 40 of 65 three-years system nursing schools provide the various academic courses and programs titled with the nursing care in oriental medicine. Depending on schools, the credit assigned to these courses and programs vary widely ranged from 1 to 8 units. Even in some schools the courses are offered not as a regular credit course but as a part of other courses on time sharing base. It is absolutely insufficient efforts in promoting education on the nursing in oriental medicine. The oriental medicine is basically based on the principles that the most critical factor in promoting health and preventing disease is the process for improving the condition of both physical and mental part of patients. In this context it seems to be an valuable attempt to apply the principles of oriental medicine to the field of nursing care, and to develop the new methods. It is because promoting health, preventing disease, recovering health, alleviating pains are the basic responsibilities of nursing care. The national health policies have been increasingly emphasizing low-cost and high-efficiency just as in economic policies. In terms of cost-effectiveness nursing education in oriental medicine seems to be evaluated as good enough to satisfy these efficiency requirements. As a initial step for promoting and specializing the nursing education in oriental medicine it is absolutely needed to introduce and expand the curriculum on this new field. Increasing concerns about the oriental medicine as the third medical care is the world wide phenomenon now. Considering this trend, current insufficient curriculum on nursing in oriental medicine in education institutes, especially in four-year system nursing school, might be an undesirable phenomenon for future development of nursing education in Korea. In-depth studies about this issue are seriously needed.