[Educational issues and strategies to improve APN education].
OBJECTIVE
This study was aimed at exploring the current status of graduate programs for an advanced practice nurse(APN) to recommend future directions of APN education.


METHODS
A total of 142 students enrolled in seven APN specialty programs, 67 professors who were involved in APN education, and nine nurse administrators participated in the study. Data was collected by questionnaires and focus group interviews.


RESULTS
The current definition of APN was found not to be specific enough to represent expected roles of APN in regards to knowledge, attitudes, roles, and skills. Standard curricula employed regardless of the area of APN specialty, lack of qualified clinical practice settings, as well as prepared instructors were found to be problematic.


CONCLUSIONS
The following needs to be addressed: 1. redefining of APN roles, 2. tailoring specialty areas of APN, 3. consolidating educational programs, and 4. ensuring APN role models and faculty. Suggesting a CNS role in Korean APN, areas of APN should be rearranged to clarify their roles and educational programs need to be further developed to meet the expectations and quality of APNs. It is necessary to ensure APN's employment in the health care system by laws and policies to perform advanced nursing roles.
Oh
Kasil
K
College of Nursing, Yonsei University.
Kim
Kang Mi Ja
KM
Kim
Keum Soon
KS
Park
Jee Won
JW
Sung
Myung Sook
MS
Oh
Eui Geum
EG
Lee
Myung Ha
MH
Chung
Chae Weon
CW
Cho
Dong Sook
DS
Tak
Young Ran
YR
Yoo
Jee In
JI
D000328:Adult; D003479:Curriculum; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D004511:Education, Nursing, Graduate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009720:Nurse Clinicians / Q000193:education*; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000193:education*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D012956:Societies, Nursing; D013041:Specialties, Nursing / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires