Education and Training
1990 – 1996 Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
• Graduation Date: Feb 26, 1996
• Degree: Ph.D in Nursing
1988-1990 Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
• Graduation Date: Aug 24, 1990
• Degree: M.S. in Nursing
1984 – 1987 Sahmyook University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
• Graduation Date: Aug 27, 1987
• Degree: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
September 2001 – August 2002. Visiting Professor, College of Nursing, Rhode Island
University, RI, USA
EDUCATION
• Current Teaching Responsibilities:
Undergraduate course: Pediatric Nursing & Clinical Practicum (9 credits)
Graduate & Doctoral course:
Nursing Theory Analysis and Construction (3 credits)
66
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Deterrents to Turnover Intention Among Hospital Nurses in South Korea: A Path Analysis Kyung-Ah Kang, Elizabeth Johnston Taylor, Hye Jin Bae, Jiyoung Chun Journal of Healthcare Management American College of Healthcare Executives, 2026 SUMMARY Goal: High turnover and turnover intention among nurses persists worldwide, necessitating a study of deterrents such as personal spiritual beliefs and posttraumatic growth (PTG). PTG refers to positive psychological changes that occur in response to struggle with highly stressful or traumatic experiences. This study aims to verify a hypothetical model that explains nurse turnover intention in South Korean hospitals since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This descriptive study used path and content analyses and surveyed 268 nurses working in hospitals in Seoul and Busan, South Korea, between March and June 2022, immediately after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. IBM SPSS Amos was used for the path analysis, and content analysis of open question responses was used to identify the nurses’ personal spiritual beliefs. The study follows the reporting guidelines of STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE). Principal Findings: Factors affecting nurse turnover intention with direct effects were job satisfaction, burnout, and PTG. Employer support, job satisfaction, PTG, posttraumatic stress, and importance of spiritual beliefs had indirect effects on turnover intention. Job satisfaction, posttraumatic stress, burnout, PTG, employer support, and importance of spiritual beliefs contributed to total effects. Content analysis identified how 56.9% (of 144 responses) recognized the interplay of spiritual beliefs and PTG; however, 43.1% reported being unaffected spiritually by the pandemic experience. The importance of spiritual beliefs and PTG emerged as deterrents of turnover intention. Practical Applications: Positive practices, such as spiritual beliefs, employer support of nurse well-being, and PTG, directly and indirectly affected nurse turnover intention. This suggests that interventions are needed to enhance nurses’ positive psychological and spiritual resources and practices during times of extreme workplace stress, as was prevalent during the pandemic.
Effects of School Violence Prevention Education Using a Chatbot (SVPE-C) on Sixth-Grade Students in South Korea Shin-Jeong Kim, Sunyeob Choi, Kyung-Ah Kang Journal of School Nursing, 2026 This study investigated the effects of school violence prevention education using a chatbot (SVPE-C) on sixth-grade students. By applying a pre and posttest design, the students’ (a) degree of knowledge and (b) attitude toward school violence were examined. In addition, (c) satisfaction with the educational method and (d) awareness about SVPE-C were surveyed only in the experimental group. Of the 135 students, the experimental group ( n = 67) received six sessions of SVPE-C with class lectures, whereas the control group ( n = 68) received education only through class lectures. Between the two groups, there were significant differences in the degree of knowledge ( t = 2.837, p = .005) and attitudes toward school violence ( t = 2.98, p = .003). Furthermore, satisfaction with the educational method was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group ( t = 2.810, p = .006). Therefore, SVPE-C may be effective for elementary school students.
Parental and child perspectives on healthy lifestyles and artificial intelligence chatbot use among childhood and adolescent cancer survivors: a descriptive comparative study in South Korea Kyung-Ah Kang, Shin-Jeong Kim, In-Hye Song, Hee-Jin Yoon Child Health Nursing Research, 2026 Purpose: This study compared healthy lifestyle (HLS) practices and awareness regarding the use of chatbots (A-uC) for health management between childhood and adolescent cancer survivors (CACSs) and their parents, with the aim of assessing the feasibility of tailored artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot-based interventions for holistic survivorship care.Methods: A descriptive comparative design was employed involving 80 CACSs and 80 parents (N=160) recruited through the Korean Pediatric Cancer Foundation. HLS practices were assessed using a validated seven-domain instrument encompassing physical activity, nutrition, interpersonal relations, stress management, positive life perspective, health responsibility, and spiritual health. A-uC was evaluated using an extended technology acceptance model-based tool. Responses to the open-ended question addressing unmet HLS practices were analyzed using latent Dirichlet allocation topic modeling.Results: No significant differences were observed between CACSs and parents in overall HLS (CACSs: 3.16±0.80; parents: 3.18±0.36, p=.74). While perceptions across most A-uC domains did not differ significantly, parents demonstrated a significantly higher “intention to use” chatbots for health management than CACSs (p=.03). The mean A-uC scores exceeded 4 (out of 5) in both groups, reflecting positive perceptions of chatbot-based HLS support. Topic modeling identified “exercise,” “healthy diet,” and “regular lifestyle” as common unmet areas.Conclusion: CACSs and their parents share largely concordant views on HLS and A-uC, with a strong interest in chatbot interventions. These findings underscore the potential of tailored AI chatbot programs to address unmet lifestyle needs and promote holistic survivorship care.
Effects of a Violence Prevention Education Program Using Empathy (VPEP-E) on Fifth-Grade Students in South Korea Kyung-Ah Kang, Shin-Jeong Kim, SoRa Kang, JungMin Lee Journal of School Nursing, 2024 This study aimed to investigate the effects of a violence-prevention education program using empathy (VPEP-E) on elementary school students. This quasi-experimental design examined fifth-grade students’ (a) empathy level, (b) perception of violence, and (c) permissive and negligent attitudes toward violence, using a pre- and post-test design. A total of 101 students participated: the experimental group ( n = 48) received eight sessions of VPEP-E, whereas the control group ( n = 53) received violence prevention education through classroom lectures. Significant differences were observed between the groups’ empathy level ( t = 6.81, p < .001), perception of violence ( t = 2.79, p = .006), and permissive and negligent attitudes toward violence ( t = -2.21, p = .030; t = -2.02, p = .046). Thus, a school-based VPEP-E may help elementary school students. Long-term studies evaluating behavioral changes from VPEP-E implementation are needed for establishing the effects on violent behavior.
Spiritual Care Expectations Among Cancer and Noncancer Patients With Life-Threatening Illnesses Kyung-Ah Kang, Shin-Jeong Kim Cancer Nursing, 2024 Background Spirituality is a core element in holistic nursing care. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the spiritual care expectations of cancer and noncancer patients with life-threatening illnesses. Objective The aim of this study was to identify the spiritual care expectations of vulnerable patients with life-threatening illnesses. Interventions/Methods This study uses both quantitative and qualitative approaches, and data were collected from 232 patients. For quantitative data, we used the Nurse Spiritual Therapeutics Scale (NSTS), which comprises 20 items. Qualitative data were collected using an open-ended question. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t tests, 1-way analysis of variance, and item and factor analysis. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Results The mean score of spiritual care expectations ranged from 2.27 to 3.07. There was a significant difference in NSTS mean score between cancer and noncancer patients. In exploratory factor analysis, NSTS was extracted into 3 factors and items belonging to the 3 factors showed similarity between cancer and noncancer patients. Qualitative data using content analysis revealed the following 3 themes: “treat with respect,” “religious support,” and “comfort with presence.” The 3 factors corresponded with 3 themes: factor I versus “treat with respect,” factor II versus “religious ritual,” and factor III versus “comfort with presence.” Conclusions Spiritual care expectations of cancer and non-cancer patients with life-threatening illnesses were identified and the findings provide valuable data regarding the expectations of patients’ spiritual care. Implications for Practice Our findings emphasize integrating patient-reported outcomes with spiritual care to stimulate patient-centered care, thus promoting holistic palliative or end-of-life care.
Infant-rearing experiences of parents during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea: a mixed-methods approach In-Hye Song, Kyung-Ah Kang Child Health Nursing Research, 2024 Purpose: This study aimed to identify the infant-rearing experiences of parents during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and provide foundational data for the development of infant-rearing support programs during pandemic situations. Methods: Convergent mixed methods were used to better understand the research outcomes by converging both quantitative and qualitative data. A total of 149 parents with infant-rearing experiences during the pandemic responded to a self-report survey, and 10 parents participated in the interviews. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method, descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way analysis of variance, the Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and hierarchical regression. Results: Analysis of qualitative data yielded the following three categories: five theme clusters, ten themes, and thirty-nine sub-themes. The factors influencing infant-rearing behavior were nuclear family (β=.34, p<.001) and rearing stress (β=-.39, p<.001). The explanatory power of the regression equation was 26.6%. Conclusion: Infectious disease disasters, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can quickly alter infant-rearing conditions, causing heightened parental anxiety. This may affect infant-rearing behaviors and hinder healthy infant development. Future research should develop a comprehensive tool to measure holistic health-related parenting behaviors across the different stages of child development. Additionally, pediatric nurse practitioners can play an active role in educating parents, supporting parenting, and promoting healthy infant development in their communities, making pediatric nurse practitioners a highly relevant and necessary healthcare profession during infectious disease disasters. Thus, there is a need to improve institutions and build infrastructure at the national level to support them.
The Effects of Symptom Distress and Depression on Quality of Life in Patients with Terminal Cancer: The Mediating Role of Meaning in Life and Spiritual Well-being Kyung-Ah Kang, Inhye Song, Myung-Nam Lee Cancer Nursing, 2024 Background Terminal cancer patients experience worsening physical symptoms, psychological challenges, and spiritual difficulties. Improving the quality of life (QOL) and reconstructing the meaning of life (MIL) for these patients ensure a dignified end-of-life experience. Spiritual well-being is necessary to promote effective end-of-life coping strategies. Objective This study aimed to construct and verify the suitability of a model that explains the impact of physical and psychological factors on the QOL of patients with terminal cancer using MIL and spiritual well-being as mediating factors. Methods The participants were patients with terminal cancer 25 years or older hospitalized in 40 nationally designated hospices. A total of 172 patients were included in the final analysis. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling. Results In the effect analysis of the final model, the variables affecting QOL were depression (β = −.62, P < .001), symptom distress (β = −.33, P = .001), and spiritual well-being (β = .36, P = .002), and a significant indirect effect of MIL was found in the depression–MIL–spiritual well-being and depression-MIL-QOL paths. Conclusions Spiritual interventions that help people find their MIL can serve as an important component of optimal hospice and palliative care for patients with terminal cancer. Implications for Practice In clinical practice, interventions that increase the MIL and spiritual well-being of patients with terminal cancer are needed. Additionally, the practice will see other benefits including enhanced patient care, psychological support, effective treatment planning, family caregiver support, and further research advancement.
