Change in the word symbol for nurse in Korea.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the 1987 change in the written symbol for the work "nurse" in Korea, engendered by Mo Im Kim.


METHODS
Descriptive historical and narrative analysis.


METHODS
Data were collected from documents in four libraries 1992-1996 in Seoul, Korea and Dallas, Texas. Kim and 20 of her friends, colleagues, and associates were interviewed. Findings from the interviews were compared with historical nursing documents and letters.


RESULTS
Kim's work with her colleagues and their joint endeavors resulted in a change in nursing's status and responsibilities through an alteration of the Korean symbol for nursing. The symbol change resulted in the definition of nursing moving from that of manual laborer to that of teacher or professional.


CONCLUSIONS
Changing the symbol for nurse reflected the shift in nursing's responsibilities and caused a legal change in the official civil service classification of nurse. This, in turn, has changed the status of nursing and led to more professional practice.
Cho
H S
HS
Texas Woman's University, Denton, USA. DF-Cho@twu.edu
Kashka
M S
MS
D006676:History of Nursing; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D007802:Language