Korean Critical Care Advanced Practice Nurses' Work Experience: A Focus Group Study

중환자전문간호사들의 실무경험: 포커스 그룹 연구

Purpose: This study was aimed to understand and describe the Korean critical care advanced practice nurses' work experience. Methods: Data was collected through 2 focus group interviews that were held in two different university hospitals in Seoul, Korea. All interviews were recorded and transcribed, and data were analysed using modified qualitative content analysis. Results: Ten themes were drawn from data analysis. They are "Various and complex tasks", "Excellency of advanced nursing practice", "Pressure and responsibility accompanied with pride", "Role identity confusion", "Role conflict", "Leaping and evolving role", "Gap between role and outcome evaluation", "Underestimated outcomes", "Where are my outcomes?" "Searching for outcomes: publicize the role". Conclusion: The results of this study help to understand the role of Korean critical care advanced practice nurses and to guide to outcome evaluation of their role effectiveness. Developing qualitative outcome indicators, cost-effectiveness ananlysis of Korean critical care advanced practice nurses' role, and accumulation of evidences through researches on outcome evaluation will be needed to successfully settle down advanced practice nursing in Korea.