South Korean nurse educators report role conflicts and support gaps

Clinical nurse educators in South Korea described teaching experienced nurses, supporting new nurses through role transitions, and mentoring new nurses’ socialization, while also reporting internal conflicts, limited recognition of their role, and inadequate infrastructure. The findings came from a qualitative study of 12 clinical nurse educators working in general or tertiary hospitals in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do. Focus group interviews were analyzed using inductive content analysis, revealing four main categories: the perceived role of a clinical nurse educator, internal conflict, lack of external support, and efforts to establish an educator role.

The study examined how clinical nurse educators were experiencing and establishing their responsibilities during the early implementation of South Korea’s dedicated clinical nurse educator system. The system was introduced amid increased numbers of critically ill patients and continuing healthcare system reform, with training nurses to care for critically ill patients and maintaining a stable nursing workforce identified as important social tasks. Within the interviews, educators described three aspects of their perceived role: serving as educators for nurses, supporting the role transition of new nurses, and mentoring new nurses during their socialization. These findings describe the responsibilities reported by the participating educators rather than demonstrating effects on nursing education or patient care.

Participants also described internal conflict as clinical nurse educators. Two subcategories were difficulties associated with the educator role and generational conflict with new nurses. The interviews documented these experiences but did not quantify how frequently they occurred or evaluate whether particular instructional methods reduced conflict. External support was similarly limited in the accounts. Participants identified inadequate recognition of clinical nurse educators and a lack of infrastructure for the position. The researchers’ conclusions called for determining an appropriate number of clinical nurse educators and developing targeted educational programs to support their professional roles, while future research was proposed to focus on strengthening institutional support systems for clinical nurse educators in South Korea. These are recommendations arising from the qualitative findings, not tested interventions.

The final category captured educators’ efforts to establish their role through self-development and activities intended to change perceptions of clinical nurse educators. Participants therefore described active efforts to prepare for their responsibilities and address the recognition problems they faced. The study is limited by its small sample, its focus on general and tertiary hospitals in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, and its qualitative design, which does not measure national prevalence, long-term program performance, or patient outcomes. Its evidence nevertheless identifies the principal issues reported by these 12 educators: educational and mentoring responsibilities, internal conflict, insufficient recognition, inadequate infrastructure, and efforts to strengthen the position. The authors concluded that institutional support systems require further development to support clinical nurse educators’ professional roles in South Korea.

Subject of Research: Clinical nurse educators’ roles, conflicts, and institutional support in South Korea

Article Title: Analysis of the role experiences of clinical nurse educators in the process of improving the nursing education system

Article References: Lee, H., Kang, K., & Han, J. (2026). Analysis of the role experiences of clinical nurse educators in the process of improving the nursing education system. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10401-9

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12909-026-10401-9

Keywords: clinical nurse educators, nursing education, South Korea, focus groups, qualitative research, role transition, nurse mentoring, institutional support, nursing workforce, Analysis, role, experiences