Global health curricula in Korean nursing schools: Focusing on the changes since 2015

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to understand the current status of global health curricula and characteristics in nursing schools, focusing on the changes since 2015.Methods: Data were collected from the websites of 202 nursing schools nationwide in Korea. Global health curricula were analyzed using a structured framework developed by the authors.Results: Among 202 nursing schools, 173 (85.6%) schools offer global health-related courses. Of these, 72 (35.6%) schools offer a ‘Multiculturalism’ course, and 42 (20.8%) schools offer a ‘Global Nursing’ course. Fifty-nine schools (29.2%) offer both courses. Compared to the study findings in 2015, the number of global health-related courses and the percentage of global health-related courses designated as a requirement dramatically increased. An additional analysis of five syllabi of global-health related courses found several differences in the courses’ aims, contents and evaluation methods.Conclusions: Due to social and political changes, nursing schools are more likely to offer global health curricula. However, there is still a lack of consensus on the core contents and approaches of such curricula, necessitating systematic discussions about the core contents and effective learning methods to increase nursing student competency in global health nursing.