남한에서 북한이탈주민의 간호사 되기 경험

Abstract

Purpose: This qualitative study was conducted to understand the experiences with South Korean education and nursing practices that North Korean defectors underwent to become a nurse in South Korea.

Methods: Data were collected through in-depth interviews and focused interviews with six North Korean defectors. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, checked for accuracy, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results: The participants’ experiences were categorized into five themes: the “aspiration-motivated nursing discipline as a profession”, “ambivalence in becoming a nurse”, “encountering the stigma of being North Korean”, “recognizing stigma as an unyielding Maginot line and coping with it”, plus “bridging the educational gap while cultivating cultural competency”.

Conclusion: The results suggest that in order for North Korean defectors to prepare to be nursing professionals after unification, the following dimensions need to be systematically harmonized. On a personal level, North Korean defectors should try to fit into South Korea’s nursing education methods. On the social level, schools of nursing need to develop adaptation programs for North Korean defectors, and need to accept them without prejudice.