Purpose: This paper is a critical review of the descriptive phenomenological methodology in Korean nursing research. We propose constructive suggestions for the improvement of descriptive phenomenological methodology in light of Husserl’s phenomenological approaches.Methods: Using the keywords of ‘phenomenology,’ ‘experience,’ and ‘nursing,’ we identify and analyze 64 Korean empirical phenomenological studies (selected from 282 studies) published in 14 Korean nursing journals from 2005 to 2018. The PubMed and the Korea Citation Index were used to identify the studies.Results: Our analysis shows that all the reviewed articles used Giorgi’s or Colaizzi’s scientific phenomenological methodology, without critical attention to Husserl’s philosophical phenomenological principles.Conclusion: The use of scientific phenomenology in nursing research, which originated in North America, has become a global phenomenon, and Korean phenomenological nursing research has faithfully followed this scholarly trend. This paper argues that greater integration of Husserlian phenomenological principles into scientific phenomenological methodology in nursing research, such as participant-centered bracketing and eidetic reduction, is needed to ensure that scientific phenomenology lives up to its promise as a research methodology.

The demand for advanced practice nurses (APNs) has increased globally due to a shortage of physicians and an increased demand for high-quality healthcare. Research is needed on the enhancement of advanced practice nurses' organization commitment. Organization commitment (OC) directly impacts the retention of APNs. This study aims to identify the key factors affecting the OC of advanced practice nurses. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the largest hospital in South Korea. A total of 189 APNs answered survey questions. A partial least squares-structural equation modeling method was employed to analyze the survey responses. A pay scale of APNs is positively associated with person-organization fit (POF). However, the effect of job location and computer self-efficacy on POF is not significant. Job satisfaction plays a salient direct role in supervision and POF. Job satisfaction is also a significant moderator in the relationship between supervision and POF. POF is significantly associated with both OC and supervision. Supervision has a positive effect on organization commitment. Pay scale, job satisfaction, supervision, and POF are significant factors affecting organization commitment. Establishing an intra-organization entity, such as APN steering committee, to ensure mutual consensus and transparent communication between administrators and APNs would enhance POF, the rating of supervision, and organization commitment.

Purpose: This study aims at determining the competencies of Korean nurses in prenatal genetic nursing.Methods: First, a 3-round Delphi survey was conducted to establish prenatal genetic nursing competencies. Second, a prenatal genetic nursing education program (PGNEP), incorporating the findings from the Delphi survey, was designed. Third, a single group pre- and post-quasi-experimental study at a PGNEP workshop was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the integration of the competencies into the PGNEP with the measurements of knowledge about prenatal genetic testing and nursing (K-PGTN) and information needs about prenatal genetic testing and nursing (I-PGTN). Finally, the identified competencies were reexamined for their clarity.Results: Based on the Delphi survey 78 competency components were identified. The components were then classified under 10 categories, which were organized under 4 domains. The domain of “experiential genetic nursing knowledge” and the domain of “ethics and law” were ranked as the first and the second in significance. The quasi-experimental study showed that the mean scores in K-PGTN were significantly increased from 8.19±2.67 to 11.25±2.51 (P<0.001). The mean scores of “ethics and law” in I-PGTN decreased significantly (P=0.023). The headings of 4 categories and 2 domains were revised.Conclusion: This study identified competencies for prenatal genetic nursing and nursing education in Korea. There is a need for nursing instructors and researchers to improve the competencies of nurses in the identified areas. Particular emphasis should be placed on experiential nursing knowledge and on ethics and law related to prenatal genetic nursing.