The caring culture embedded in nursing drew my attention. When I was an undergraduate student, I got fascinated by the various skills nurses have, even beyond clinical settings. I still believe that nurses do not only provide care to an individual but also empower the individual to engage in their own health behaviors.
I earned my BSN (2015, Cum Laude) and MSN (2019) from Seoul National University, South Korea, and worked as a nurse in the medical intensive care unit at Seoul National University Hospital, South Korea (2015-2019). During my time at SNU, I investigated the influencing factors of the satisfaction of ICU families, elaborating their anxiety and their critical care needs in my masters' thesis. I then transitioned into a research assistant of Chronic Care Research Lab at SNU (2019-20), where I found great enthusiasm in research.
While working as a critical care nurse in South Korea, I felt that patients’ quality of life after discharge is often being overlooked compared to the gradual decrease in mortality of ICU patients. More and more patients are being discharged from the ICU; however, we pay little attention to the aftermath following critical care and its long-term effects. Thus, my research goal is to advocate ICU patients to have a better quality of life after their discharge so that they may experience continuum of care. By the time I graduate with the various skill sets that I am learning at DUSON, I envision myself continuing my research in an academic setting.
The reason I chose DUSON was the research fit with the faculty of interest as well as a myriad of tremendous opportunities open for students. Every day, I find it easy to connect with the faculty and even with people outside of the School. Also, as an international student, I really appreciate the School’s supportive culture. Even though I just started as a PhD student, my learning experience has been enriched by interacting with different perspectives. Being a PhD student at Duke has been indeed a challenging experience; however, that challenge is an inevitable force that drives me to think harder and push my boundaries. I feel confident that, with DUSON’s commitment to students, I will be able to succeed.