Standardizing nursing practice and advancing nursing education by missionaries during the Japanese colonial period: The publication of A Text-Book for Korean Nurses from Practical Nursing

Purpose: This study analyzes A Text-Book for Korean Nurses from Practical Nursing (1925, 1930, hereafter the Text-Book) as adapted and translated from Practical Nursing (1914). It examines its content, the trends in American nursing education during the publication of Practical Nursing, and the background and process of its publication. The study aimed to explore the changes in and significance of missionary nursing to enhance our understanding of nursing during Japanese colonial period. Methods: Utilizing historical research, this study examines volumes I and II of the Text-Book and explores the differences between Practical Nursing and the Text-Book, its publication background. Results: The Text-Book was adapted and translated by The Association of Occidental Graduate Nurses in Korea from Practical Nursing by Maxwell and Pope, which played a crucial role in standardizing American nursing education and enhancing professionalism. The original 27 chapters were rearranged into two volumes based on their relative importance: Volume I comprises seven chapters, and volume II comprises 10. Used in missionary nursing schools, it addressed practical situations for Korean nurses by clearly defining their nursing activities and roles. Conclusion: It represents a collective effort by Westerners and Koreans, serving not only as a textbook related to coursework in missionary schools but also significantly contributing to standardizing nursing duties. However, Western missionary nurses did not recognize Korean nurses as equals, excluding them from the publication process and maintained no relations with non-missionary institutions. These findings highlight the limitations of missionary nursing during the Japanese colonial period.