Purpose
This study aimed to examine the current status and key challenges of pediatric nursing clinical education in South Korea and to provide strategic directions for quality improvement based on competency-based learning outcomes.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 89 pediatric nursing faculty members working at various universities nationwide between February and July 2024. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative responses were analyzed using inductive content analysis.
Results
Practicum objectives primarily focused on inpatient care (98.9%) and core nursing skills (83.1%), while communication and problem-solving (22.4%) and ethics (21.3%) were underrepresented. Although high-fidelity simulation use reached 33.7%, interactive tools such as virtual reality (17.9%) and nursing process evaluations (7.8%) remained underutilized. Six themes emerged from the analysis of faculty perspectives on enhancing clinical practicum education: structural barriers in securing sites, inconsistent learning environments, overcrowding, limitations of observation-only learning, regulatory constraints, and excessive faculty burden.
Conclusion
This study proposes establishing standardized clinical protocols, expanding hybrid simulation-based models to compensate for shrinking clinical sites, and institutionalizing industry-academic cooperative frameworks to ensure the quality and equity of pediatric nursing education. These approaches are essential to enhancing the quality and equity of pediatric clinical nursing education in Korea.

Purpose
This study aimed to develop a multicultural education program for Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) nurses by using concept mapping, and to evaluate its effectiveness in enhancing the nurses’ cultural competence and multicultural acceptance.
Methods
This study utilized the ADDIE model (which comprises the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation stages) to design and implement a concept mapping-based multicultural education program for MBU nurses in a quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design. This program was structured into five sessions, each incorporating the use of concept maps to facilitate self-reflection and critical thinking. All sessions were conducted using the online Zoom platform, allowing participants to engage without restrictions on time or location. A total of 53 nurses participated, with 26 assigned to the experimental group and 27 to the control group. The program’s effectiveness was assessed through changes in cultural competence and multicultural acceptance, measured using validated scales.
Results
The results demonstrated significant improvements in both cultural competence and multicultural acceptance in the experimental group compared to the control group, supporting the hypotheses that such educational interventions can enhance nurses’ ability to provide culturally appropriate care.
Conclusion
Concept mapping fosters self-reflection and critical thinking, effectively increasing MBU nurses’ cultural competence and multicultural acceptance. This study offers a practical framework for integrating multicultural education into nursing training, ultimately improving care for foreign mothers and reducing the challenges faced by MBU nurses.