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ɫ��ֱ�� played host to two visiting scholars from South Korea over the past year, presenting their research in June as they both prepared to return home. Dr. Sun-Hee Kim, of Daegu Catholic University, and Baekseok University’s Dr. Youngmi Ahn gathered with School of Nursing colleagues to share some of what they had been working on in conjunction with the Office of Global and Community Health Initiatives (OGACHI) and under the guidance of ɫ��ֱ��’s Dr. Jennie De Gagne, PhD, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CNE, ANEF, FAAN.

Dr. Kim’s research focused on improving maternal health outcomes through the use of animated online cartoons. Her study, titled, “Trial for Preventative Intervention for Premature Birth: Interactive Internet-Based Intervention Utilizing Webtoons” harnessed an increasingly popular form of media consumption in order to help newly pregnant people learn about the risks of premature birth and what they can to do help prevent it.

As part of the study, which was funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea along with the country’s Ministry of Education, Dr. Kim worked with an illustrator to develop a series of webtoons covering the stories of seven different women experiencing some sort of risk of premature birth. These choose-your-own-adventure style webtoons allow viewers to understand the risks associated with various health choices during pregnancy.

Ahn’s research focused on one of the most pressing pyscho-social issues in South Korea today – suicide. The country has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, coupled with a strong societal impetus against speaking out or acknowledging mental illness.

Ahn, who teaches psychiatric nursing in South Korea and previously served as the director of the suicide prevention center in Chungcheaongman-do (the province with the highest suicide rate in Korea), gave a presentation titled “Key Strategies for Suicide Prevention” that not only addressed some of the stigmas surrounding suicide in South Korea, but also highlight an innovative new program Ahn has helped spearhead.

The program works to establish what are known as “healing camps” for families affected by suicide. These camps provide a safe space for families to discuss their losses, helping to not only prevent additional suicides (proximity to a victim is a known marker for an increased chance of suicide) but also helps to lessen the stigma around discussing suicide and seeking treatment for the conditions that lead to suicide.

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“Dr. Kim’s work on utilizing Webtoons to help reduce the preterm birth rate was very innovative- this allowed her to use an easy, fun, and accessible approach to help educate patients on preventative self-management strategies,” said Dr. Eleanor Stevenson, PhD, RN, FAAN and Vice Dean of OGACHI. “Dr. Ahn’s work on suicide was clinically meaningful as she sought to understand stigma surrounding suicide in Korea in an effort to enhance suicide prevention strategies.” 

“The global exchange of academic ideas and people is extremely important for our community of nurse scholars and clinicians,” Dr. Stevenson continued. “These visiting scholars are able to interact with faculty, staff and students during their time at ɫ��ֱ��, and we learn about issues that our colleagues in other countries are tackling, learning alternative strategies to help solve problems but also realizing how much we have actually in common with nurses around the world.”

OGACHI hosts a number of visiting scholars each year. To learn more about OGACHI and their programming, click here.