• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.292-299
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• 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe motivational factors and barriers which nurses experience while preparing for the NCLEX-RN Exam. Method: Data was collected from July 5 to August 28, 2002 using self-administered open questionnaires. A total 144 nurses preparing for the NCLEX-RN Exam participated in this study. Descriptive statistics were used and respondents' statements were analyzed using content analysis. Result: The motivation for taking the NCLEX-RN Exam was for a new adventure (23.7%), better working conditions and benefits (20.4%), children's education (14.5%), to study aboard (13.8%), economic issues (11.8%), and career issues (11.2%). The barriers while preparing for the NCLEX-RN Exam were studying in English (35.3%), fatigue (21.8%) limited time (16.0%), lack of information (8.3%), complicated documentation (5.1%), and cultural differences (4.5%). Conclusion: The result suggests that it is imperative to improve working conditions and benefits for nurses in Korea to prevent the brain drain of highly experienced nurses to other countries. It is also essential to develop strategies to minimize the barriers to support nurses preparing for the NCLEX-RN Exam and promote jobs overseas.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.622-632
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to compare the nurse licensure examination system in Korea with that of the United States (US). Methods: Focus interviews with the administrative staff of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) were held. two areas were explored in the interviews: the item development process and the general administrative operating procedures. Results: NCLEX-RN items are designed for entry-level practice. The items are subjected to a series of 12 steps including a item writing panel, a content and editorial review, a sensitivity panel, a pre-test, a Differential item functioning panel and a committee review. NCSBN is responsible for the test for registered nurses and one for practical nurses. In contrast the Korean National Health Personnel Licensing Board (KNHPLB) is responsible for nursing is and 21 other health related licensure. Another difference is that in Korea there is no consistent and specialized staff to develop question items. Items are developed by educators who are not active nurses (this last statemtne is not a finding but a point of view usually not given in findings.). Conclusion: Korean nurses form the largest group of health related job categories and the most direct to health care consumers. Therefore, the nursing licensure exam should be acknowledged as the most influential licensure exam in health care services. We recommend a nursing specialized licensing institution to be established with active nurse' participation in item development process to reflect clinical practice into licensure exam.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.264-273
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• 2016

Purpose: This study is a descriptive study to investigate the relevance between pathophysiological subject and examination workbook items for national nurse licensure examination in South Korea and the United States. Methods: Eight registered nurse licensure examination workbooks published by the Korean nurses association were used for the analysis. Saunders comprehensive review for the national council licensure examination (NCLEX-RN) was used for analysis of those in the United States. The relevance between the subjects in the standard syllabuses of pathophysiology and the registered nurse licensure exam items of these workbooks in South Korea and the United States respectively was analyzed. Results: The Relevance rates in South Korea and the United States were : fundamentals of nursing 6.34% vs 32.12%, adult nursing 25.5% vs 25.92% child health nursing 7.81% vs 21.7%, woman health nursing 5.1% vs 17.07% psychiatric mental health nursing 2.7% vs 7.32%, and community health nursing 0.9% vs 0%. Conclusion: the relevance in pathophysiology between the registered nurse licensure exam in South Korea and the United States was high in adult nursing and fundamentals of nursing (especially in the United States). In developing integrated registered nurse licensure exam questions, we should consider pathophysiology as an important subject.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2018

Purpose: This is a descriptive study to investigate the relevance between biological nursing science subjects (structure and function of the human body (SFHB), mechanism and effects of drugs (MED), clinical microbiology) and examination workbook items for Registered Nurse Licensure Examination (RNLE) in Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States of America (USA). Methods: RNLE 8 workbooks which were published by the Korean Nurses Association were utilized for analysis of Korean RNLE. Saunders comprehensive review for the $NCLEX-RN^{(R)}$ examination was used for analysis of US RNLE. The relevance between items in the standard syllabuses of biological nursing science subjects (SFHB, MED, clinical microbiology) and the RNLE items of these workbooks in ROK and the USA was analyzed. Results: The relevance rates of ROK and the USA were 3.6% vs 0.4% in SFHB, 8.9% vs 23.0% in MED, and 4.5% vs 5.8% in clinical microbiology. Conclusion: In SFHB, the relevance of the RNLE in ROK was higher than that of the USA. However in MED the relevance of the RNLE in USA was higher than that of the ROK. Since medications are one of major tasks of nurses, it is necessary to increase the number of related items in the RNLE in ROK.