Forty Years' Development of the Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was conducted in commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of the Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing [KACHN]. METHODS: Primary and secondary sources were collected and analyzed to show changes that KACHN has experienced. RESULTS: In the 1970s it made the annual meeting regular and began research presentation. In the1980s regular symposiums were activated and as a result the academy could publish its own journal from 1989. In the 1990s the boards were selected from locals by turns and lots of papers and teaching materials were produced from collaborate researches of the members. In the 2000s, the journal was selected by the National Research Foundation in Korea and the academy began regular Korea-Japan Community Health Nursing Conference and hosted the 5th ICCHNR. CONCLUSION: In spite of great development, KACHN has new challenges. The number of members has increased so much that there are a few academies specialized in some fields of community health nursing. They have made the members' interest and loyalty weaker than during the pioneer days. KACHN should take the new role as a leader of international community health nursing research as well as the old role as a leader of Korean community health nursing research.