Mo Im Kim's influence upon Korean nursing: A historical analysis

The purpose of this study was to examine Mo Im Kim's life and the development of nursing in the Korean culture from 1970 to 1995. This study seeks new truths to bring to the body of historical data and materials now available to Korean nursing and the healthcare system. This investigation used life cycle analysis to explore Mo Im Kim's personal background, education, mentors, and achievements. In order to achieve this, this study used an historical and retrospective approach that explored the themes found in Dr. Kim's writings, presentations, and interviews and compared these themes with historical nursing contexts found in documents, letters, pictures, and interviews. Twenty of Kim's friends, colleagues, and associates and Dr. Kim were interviewed with a snowball sampling. Additional data came from documents written from 1970 to 1995. Data were analyzed according to the historical research methodology established by Christy. Dr. Kim took advantage of many opportunities such as expanding higher educational nursing programs, fundraising, and implementing national healthcare policies based on her theme of "Health for All." She expanded course offerings which included basic, graduate, special, extended, and short-term programs. Dr. Kim was the major contributor to the Korean Nursing Association during her 17 years of active service, including enacting laws which promoted community health, home health, and industrial nurse practitioners.

This study identifies Dr. Kim's personal philosophy and ideology which helped her develop into the prominent figure in Korean nursing history that she has become. Dr. Kim was born at a time in her country's history when nursing and community health care were in dire need of change, and she received the necessary gifts which she utilized to promote the Korean nurse's image and status, health right, and health for all within the welfare state. Dr. Kim's teachers and mentors, education, and travels influenced her personal ideology and value system. Dr. Kim's primary health care model reflects the universality of nursing practice as it incorporates the ancient Korean cultural model of home health care. Mo Im Kim's career has contributed to the education of the common population, other nursing professionals, and the utilization of the Seed Grain ideology.