A Pilot Study on the Development of Self-Compassion Enhancement Program for Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy Cadets
Sunyoung Hwang, Hyejin Yoon
Korean Journal of Military Nursing Research September 30, 2026 DOI: 10.31148/kjmnr.2026.44.3.45 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Single-group pretest-posttest pilot study Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 5 |
| Population | First-year cadets at the Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy |
| Interventions | body scan and compassionate writing |
| Duration | Five-week online program (one session per week, 60 minutes each) |
| Key points | After a five-week online self-compassion program, perceived stress decreased significantly and well-being increased significantly among five first-year nursing cadets. Self-compassion and subjective health status improved but were not statistically significant. Participants reported high satisfaction and said the program enhanced emotional awareness and self-reflection. |
Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to develop an online self-compassion enhancement program for Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy cadets and to examine its feasibility, procedural validity, and preliminary effects on perceived stress, well-being, and self-compassion.
Methods: This study consisted of two phases; program development and program evaluation. In the development phase, the program was systematically designed based on the ADDIE model, incorporating core components of self-compassion (self-kindness, mindfulness, and common humanity). In the evaluation phase, a single-group pretest-posttest pilot study was conducted with five first-year cadets. The intervention was delivered as a five-week online program (one session per week, 60 minutes each). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Results: The developed program consisted of five structured sessions including self-kindness, mindfulness, emotional regulation, coping with distress, and common humanity, with practices such as loving-kindness meditation, body scan, and compassionate writing. Following the intervention, perceived stress significantly decreased, and well-being significantly increased. Although self-compassion and subjective health status showed improvements, they were not statistically significant. Participants reported high satisfaction and indicated that the program enhanced emotional awareness and self-reflection.
Conclusion: The program was found to be feasible and acceptable for nursing cadets and demonstrated positive effects on stress reduction and well-being. Further studies with larger samples and longitudinal follow-up are needed.