Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing

Articles in E-pub version are posted online ahead of regular printed publication.

Research Papers

Impact of an integrated disease-specific nursing care model on parental anxiety and depression in severe hypospadias patients in China: a randomized controlled trial: Ruijuan Wu, Lucai Jia, Biyu Ding, Ying Li, Yaqing Cao, Zhaojun Shi, Yanfang Yang; Received December 19, 2024 Accepted June 21, 2025 Published online August 12, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.24147 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
This study aimed to explore the effects of an integrated disease-specific nursing care model on alleviating perioperative and post-surgical anxiety and depression in parents of children with severe hypospadias.
Methods
Parents of children with severe hypospadias were recruited and randomly allocated into a control group (n=87), which received standard nursing care, and an intervention group (n=93), which was given an integrated disease-specific nursing intervention in addition to standard care. Parental anxiety and depression were measured using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) at admission, discharge, and 6-month follow-up post-surgery.
Results
A linear mixed-effects model showed that SAS and SDS scores in the intervention group decreased to a significantly greater extent over time, from admission to follow-up, compared to the control group. Post-hoc analysis showed a trend for increased parental anxiety and depression among patients with complications at discharge and follow-up for the control group. Meanwhile, the intervention group exhibited a trend for decreased parental anxiety and depression among patients with complications at discharge and follow-up.
Conclusion
The integrated disease-specific nursing model significantly alleviated parental anxiety and depression over time compared to standard care, highlighting its effectiveness in supporting families of children with severe hypospadias. Notably, the intervention appeared to mitigate the negative emotional impact of postoperative and follow-up complications, suggesting its potential as a targeted approach to improve both emotional well-being and overall care outcomes.

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The experiences of infertile women discontinuing in vitro fertilization treatment: a grounded theory approach: Eunmi Park, Yeoungsuk Song; Received April 5, 2025 Accepted July 17, 2025 Published online August 11, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25048 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
This study aimed to develop a situation-specific theory by gaining an in-depth understanding of the deterrent processes experienced by infertile women who have discontinued in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures, within the socio-cultural context of South Korea.
Methods
The participants were 16 infertile women who discontinued IVF procedures. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews from February to December 2023. Theoretical sampling was conducted, and the transcribed interview contents were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory method.
Results
In total, 37 concepts and 14 categories were extracted through the open coding process. The central phenomenon in axial coding was “Distress caused by the discontinuation of IVF treatment.” The core category was “A journey to break free from the identity of infertility toward self-determined womanhood.” The results were categorized into two types: “Detachment from the framework of attempting pregnancy” and “A continued longing for the fulfillment of a traditional family.” The situation-specific theory was the “Theory of reconstructing subjective identity through the acceptance of childfree life,” which illustrates how infertile women actively redefine their life trajectories after discontinuing IVF treatment.
Conclusion
This study highlights the importance of public perceptions about infertile women who discontinue IVF procedures, which are seen as the last resort of assisted reproductive technology, because positive perceptions assists women in living a self-governing life. It may be necessary to develop educational and promotional programs to change negative social perceptions and to establish a psycho-social support system for infertile women who have been deterred from IVF procedures.

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Review Paper

Research trends in generative artificial intelligence in nursing: a scoping review: Myung Jin Choi, Myoung Hee Seo, Jihun Kim, Sunmi Kim, Seok Hee Jeong; Received January 22, 2025 Accepted June 4, 2025 Published online August 5, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25006 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has yet to be comprehensively analyzed in the nursing literature. This study aimed to identify research trends in generative AI within the nursing field through a scoping review and propose strategies for its effective utilization in nursing.
Methods
A scoping review was conducted following Arksey and O’Malley’s six-stage framework. The inclusion criteria included: (1) studies conducted in nursing; (2) research related to generative AI; and (3) original research articles, theses, communications, editorials, letters, or commentaries published in academic journals. Database used PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, KMbase, KoreaMed, KISS, ScienceON, RISS, DBpia, and 27 nursing-specific journals.
Results
In total, 403 studies were initially identified, and 58 were included in the final analysis. In the care domain, strengths included rapid information retrieval and improved nurse-patient communication, while limitations included the irreplaceable human element and low reliability. The administration domain had no relevant studies. In the research domain, generative AI exhibited strengths such as enhanced efficiency in the paper writing process and improved dissemination speed, but its weaknesses included lack of ethical and legal accountability and a risk of inaccurate or biased information. In the education domain, generative AI was effective in saving time in educational design and implementation, as well as supporting content creation, but challenges included algorithmic bias and risks of plagiarism.
Conclusion
This study identified potential benefits and limitations of generative AI across nursing domains. For effective application, it is essential to develop comprehensive guidelines and policies, provide user education and support, and create opportunities for nurses, educators, and students to learn about strengths and risks of generative AI.

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Research Paper

Work system analysis of health management for individuals with disabilities in supportive housing: a focus group study using the SEIPS framework: Haesun Lee, Hye Jin Nam, Bohye Kim, Ju Young Yoon; Received February 12, 2025 Accepted July 1, 2025 Published online August 4, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25018 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
This study conducted a work-system analysis using the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework to assess the flow of health-related information, and the current status of health management tasks for individuals with disabilities (IWD) in supportive housing.
Methods
This qualitative study utilized focus groups. Participants included a head of supportive housing, a team leader, a care coordinator and three personal support workers for IWD. Semi-structured interviews were guided by the SEIPS framework to explore the components of persons, tasks, tools and technology, organization, and environments.
Results
This study identified five key themes within the five SEIPS components: (1) disparities in role identity and health literacy among staff, (2) challenges in health care support reflecting a person-centered approach, (3) barriers in health-related information exchange and communication tools, (4) needs for organizational strategies or information communication, and (5) needs for integrating health-related information across external healthcare institutions. Additionally, 10 sub-themes were identified.
Conclusions
These findings provide a comprehensive system-wide perspective and offer insights into the systematic approaches needed to improve healthcare processes and structures within disability supportive housing. Specifically, healthcare providers and effective tools for integrating health-related information are identified as critical components.

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Review Paper

Life changes following trauma in female burn survivors: a narrative inquiry: Riah Kim, Inyoung Choe, Ji-Su Yun, Heeseung Choi; Received January 21, 2025 Accepted June 17, 2025 Published online August 1, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25003 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
Burn survivors endure repeated exposure to intense pain and face recurring trauma throughout social adaptation. This study explored how female burn survivors construct the meaning of their traumatic experience of a burn accident and the subsequent changes in their lives.
Methods
A qualitative study was conducted using narrative inquiry. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling, and each engaged in three in-depth interviews, resulting in a total of 21 interviews between April 18, 2024, and August 1, 2024. Each interview lasted 90 minutes on average and was conducted in a comfortable location preferred by the participants. The collected data were analyzed through Connelly and Clandinin’s approach.
Results
The participants were seven women with burns on the full body, face-upper limbs, or face-torso. All burns were third- to fourth-degree, and most participants had lived with these injuries for over 10 years. From the significant statements, five themes and 12 subthemes were extracted. The five themes were “unforeseen catastrophe,” “burn scars encroaching upon daily life,” “navigating life as an incomplete woman,” “exclusion from social integration,” and “the meaning of life deepened by suppressed pain.”
Conclusion
Female burn survivors experienced immense hardships following their accidents. However, through their recovery efforts, they found new meaning in life, experienced a renewed sense of being alive, and achieved inner growth and maturity. This study highlights the need for social support and underscores the importance of providing various opportunities and policy assistance for female burn survivors dealing with trauma.

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Research Paper

Media discourse on physician assistant nurses in South Korea: a text network and topic modeling approach: Young Gyu Kwon, Daun Jeong, Song Hee Park, Mi Kyung Kim, Chan Woong Kim; Received March 25, 2025 Accepted July 6, 2025 Published online July 30, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.25038 [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract PDF ePub: Purpose
This study quantitatively examined the portrayal of physician assistant (PA) nurses in Korean media by integrating text network analysis with latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling.
Methods
A total of 3,564 news articles published by nine major Korean media outlets between 2020 and 2024 were analyzed. Content analysis was conducted using term frequency-inverse document frequency calculations, network centrality analysis, and LDA topic modeling to extract key terms, map discourse structures, and identify latent topics.
Results
The analysis identified four primary topics in Korean media discourse: “healthcare workforce expansion policies” (30.4%), “hospital clinical practice and operational management” (23.5%), “institutionalization of the PA nursing role” (17.8%), and “COVID-19 response and public health crisis management” (28.3%). High-centrality keywords included “hospital,” “medical,” “patient,” “physician,” “government,” and “nurse,” indicating that the discourse primarily focused on clinical settings. Topic modeling revealed a major shift from pandemic-centered coverage in 2020 to a focus on healthcare workforce policy and PA nurse institutionalization in 2024, coinciding with the passage of the Nursing Act.
Conclusion
This study provides empirical evidence suggesting that the portrayal of PA nurses in Korean media discourse evolved from a peripheral regulatory issue to a central healthcare delivery solution, particularly in the contexts of workforce management, clinical practice, and crisis response. Our findings suggest that PA nurse institutionalization received broader attention when positioned as part of systemic healthcare improvements addressing concrete clinical needs. These results offer valuable insights for policymakers and administrators in framing and implementing workforce policy reforms.

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