Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a military nursing curriculum for unification period of Korea for the 4th grade cadets of the Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy. Methods: The study followed five steps. First, review the military manuals and governmental documents to clarity the mission of nursing officer during the unification period. Second, select framework to consist core categories of curriculum. Third, review the literature to identify the major health problems in North Korea, then consist the elements of each category. Forth, delphi survey was done by 10 expert panel to evaluate the validity of the categories and elements. Finally, a group of 8 experts have verified the validity of the curriculum overview, concepts and their composition. Results: The curriculum was consisted of 6 categories and 60 elements after delphi survey. Major categories include 1) medical support system of South Korea Government, 2) North Korea healthcare system, 3) management of communicable disease, 4) non-communicable disease, 5) reproductive health and sex 6) mental health. The content validity index of the contents selection and contents organizing was above 3.60. Finally, we designed 15-hour(1 semester) military nursing curriculum for 4th grade cadets. Conclusion: This study suggested the curriculum which is able to enhance capability of nursing cadets when unification period comes and they work as nursing officers.

Purpose: The aims of this study are to identify the correlation among stress, life satisfaction, and irrational consumption behavior of KAFNA cadets. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was used. Data were collected from 226 KAFNA cadets in June to August, 2018. A structured questionnaire was used to assess general characteristics, stress, life satisfaction, and irrational consumption behavior. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: Stress(p<.001) and life satisfaction(p=.004) of KAFNA cadets was significantly different by grade. Hedonic consumption of KAFNA cadets were significantly different by gender(p=.001), grade(p=.018), and allowance(p=.021). Stress and life satisfaction had significantly negative correlations(p<.001). Stress and imitating consumption had significantly positive correlations(p=.020). 4 types of irrational consumption(hedonic, imitating, flaunting compulsive consumption) had significantly positive correlations(p<.001). Conclusion: It is necessary to do continuous researches and develop strategies to manage stress and irrational consumption of KAFNA cadets, in order to decrease stress and irrational consumption of KAFNA cadets.

Purpose: This study was to predict the healthcare service in need, develop anticipated roles of ROK army nurse officers and estimate the demand for their workforce during the early stage of a Korean reunification. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was carried out to identify the current status of the North Korean health status, predict the healthcare service to be delivered and ROK army nurse officers' roles in need, and estimated the demand for the role. Results: During the early stage of reunification, community based primary healthcare will be in need in the North Korean region. ROK army nurse officers can be deployed to the four most vulnerable and isolated North Korean provinces to re-train nurses, build a health database, enlighten girls, and to screen and manage mental health of the residents. For the service, an estimated number of ROK army nurse ranged from 494 to 742, if one to deploy per 15,000 and 10,000 residents each, and from 988 to 1,484, if two to deploy. Conclusion: ROK army nurse officers are rightly capable of completing their mission and will contribute to decreasing healthcare cost and to establishing the basis for the reunified Korea during the early stage of reunification.

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the essential structure of the lived experience of North Korean female defectors' military life experience in North Korea. Methods: Ten North Korean female defectors having military life experience in North Korea for more than 3 years were interviewed in depth from May to October in 2018. The data were analyzed with phenomenological research methods of Colaizzi. Results: The meaning of military life experiences in North Korea among the participants were founded as five categories from twelve theme clusters and twenty eight themes. The five categories were 'Enlistment that guarantees a bright dream and a hopeful future', 'Painful adolescence to be reborn as a strong soldier', 'Tough military life as a woman', 'Guarantee of a stable life as a female military veteran', and 'Military experience that has not served as prop for life'. Conclusion: The study results showed a fundamental understanding of female soldiers' military life in North Korea. Based on the results, it is necessary to develop basic educational materials on North Korean female soldiers for South Korean Military to prepare for inter-Korean exchange and reunification of Korea.

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of standard precautions for infection control among healthcare workers (HCWs) in military division medical facilities, to investigate associations among the KAP, and to provide preliminary data for developing infection control education programs. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional, descriptive study using a self-reporting questionnaire. The subjects consisted of 141 HCWs including nursing officers, army surgeons, medical non-commissioned officers, and medics working at or below the military division medical facilities. The data were collected from August 14, to September 5, 2018 by visiting the facilities. Statistical methods including t-test, Mann-Whitney test, one-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc, or Kruskal-Wallis test were applied for the data analysis. Results: The knowledge scores according to general characteristics were significantly associated with sex, military rank, type of position. The practice scores according to general characteristics were significantly associated with total working experience. The results of the correlation analysis between the variables, knowledge and practice of standard precautions of infection control in nursing officer were found to be significant in this study (r=.46, p=.032). Conclusion: It is necessary to conduct further observational study that can monitor the actual practice of standard precautions of the subjects as well as the development of practical education programs for infection control in military division medical facilities.