The Effect of Re-unification Education on Empathy and Multicultural Competence of Nursing-College Students

Abstract

Background: South Korean society is increasingly multicultural. As the percentage of North Korean

defectors, married immigrants, and foreign workers increases, nurses will encounter more patients (and

their family members) from diverse cultural backgrounds, which can pose a substantial burden. There is also

a need for multicultural education among young people generally in South Korea. The purpose of this study

was to identify the effects of an educational program about re-unification on nursing student’s empathy and

multicultural competence.

Method: A six-session re-unification educational program was developed based on a cultural-competency

model. It was implemented outside the regular nursing curriculum among first-year and second-year nursing

students from September to October 2019. Data were collected from 65 students: 32 in the experimental

group and 33 in the control group.

Finding: Multicultural “capacity” increased in the experimental group relative to the control group (t=2.60,

p<0.001). The results indicate that re-unification education can build and strengthen the multicultural

competence of nursing-college students.

Conclusion: This result can be an important part of preparation for re-unification, because these students

will be the main providers of nursing care for the multicultural population at that time.