Nurses’ Experiences in a Traditional Korean (Hanbang) Hospital: A Focus Group Study

Purpose: To investigate the experiences and perceptions of traditional Korean nurses and utilize the findings for policy recommendations on how nurses can effectively practice nursing in traditional Korean hospital settings. Methods: Through purposive sampling, 12 nurses were recruited from a university-affiliated traditional Korean hospital in Seoul. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with two focus groups between January and February 2018. Results: The results comprehensively demonstrated that traditional Korean nurses consistently struggle to build a professional self in practice environments with deficient structural support. This overarching phenomenon unfolded across three distinct yet causally interconnected themes: 1) the emotional tension between relational reward and caregiving burnout, 2) regulatory constraints and structurally reproduced unpreparedness, and 3) role erosion through institutional role ambiguity and structural exclusion. Conclusion: This study highlights nurses’ eagerness to deepen their traditional Korean nursing practice proficiency, underscoring the need for targeted interventions and comprehensive educational frameworks to address their professional challenges and aspirations.