By Heather Collins
South Korean nursing students are getting a feel for the health care culture of the U.S. through a program at IU Health North Hospital in Carmel.
Fishers resident Sookie Kim, an 11-year-veteran of IU Health North Hospital as a case manager, started the program three years ago. Kim was an adjunct professor at Daegu University in South Korea and speaks at many universities throughout that nation.
“University faculties and I thought that bringing Korean nursing students here would be the best way to learn,” Kim said.
Kim contributes to the South Korean nursing program as a clinical instructor, coordinator and facilitator between Daegu University and IU Health North Hospital.
The South Korean nursing students participate in a two-week clinical rotation. During that time, the students shadow a nurse for six hours a day throughout most of the units in the hospital, including the emergency department and labor and delivery.
“I believe IU Health North Hospital is one of the outstanding facilities in this region. Therefore, South Korean students have opportunities to contribute to improve Korean nursing society through participating in this program in the future,” Kim said.
Kim said Korean and American hospitals are similar in acute care but differ in patient-centered team approaches to improve the patients’ outcome and continuing care, such as discharge planning and post-discharge follow-up.
To qualify for the program, students must maintain a high GPA and score well in an English proficiency test and personal interview with faculty members. The students are 20 to 21 years old.
Students stay at a hotel in Carmel and participate in nursing events, sightseeing and extracurricular activities, such as visiting the state fair or taking a trip to Chicago, during their two-week stay.
