Mi-Yeon Kim, PhD, RN

Assistant Professor of Nursing
“I strive to impress upon students the privilege of being a professional nurse, the enormous responsibility we carry when individuals trust us to care for their loved ones, and, most importantly, the honour of serving people to the glory of the Lord.”

Dr. Kim has extensive experience in both clinical practice and teaching in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs.  She began her nursing career in an acute medicine/surgery ward and proceeded to attain the Intensive Care Nursing certificate from the fully accredited Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Program.  Most of her clinical experience is in ICUs (medical, surgical and coronary care units) and she has worked as a RN in Canada and in the United States. Dr. Kim’s clinical interest focuses primarily on cardiovascular nursing.

Dr. Kim’s research focuses mainly on coping, social support, and psychological distress in people with chronic health challenges.  In particular, the influence of coping and social support on psychological distress of individuals with congenital heart disease.  Her research is informed by the perspective of quantitative methodology.

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada); Dissertation: Relationship between types of social support, coping strategies, and psychological distress in individuals living with congenital heart disease.
  • Master of Science in Nursing (MScN) (McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada); Thesis: A comparison of recovery outcomes in distressed and non-distressed couples two months after the husband’s heart attack.
  • Intensive Care Nursing Certificate (St. Boniface General Hospital, Winnipeg, MB, Canada); 
  • Bachelor of Nursing (BN) (University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada)

Expertise

Dr. Kim has focused her research on examining concepts of coping, social support, and psychological distress in people with and without chronic health challenges. The philosophical orientation of Dr. Kim’s research aligns with quantitative perspective and statistical analyses such as correlation, multiple regression, and structural equation modeling.

Her clinical practice is primarily in critical care including surgical, medical, and coronary care units.  Her primary interest lies in cardiology and cardiovascular nursing. 

Keywords for research:Psychosocial adjustment, psychological distress, coping, coping strategies, social support, social network, correlation, multivariate statistics, multiple regression, structural equation modeling, factor analysis, latent variable modeling, cardiac disorders, cardiovascular diseases, congenital heart disease, adults congenital heart disease.

  • TWU Internal Grants - Research Grants - Title: Impact of caregiving on the health outcomes of community-dwelling care recipient-caregiver dyads with comorbidity: A mixed methods meta-synthesis; Principal Investigator: Dr. Mi-Yeon Kim; Co-Investigators: Dr. Richard Sawatzky, Dr. Sheryl Reimer-Kirkham, Dr. Sara Liva; Funding: $ 3946.56

Awards & Honors

  • Lyle Creelman Endowment Fund, School of Nursing Research Grants, University of British Columbia
  • Frederick and Agnes Eatock Memorial Fellowship, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of British Columbia
  • North America Yonsei Nursing College Alumni Scholarship, Yonsei Nursing College Alumni Foundation, Illinois, USA
  • Graduate Entrance Scholarship, Faculty of Applied Science, University of British Columbia
  • Social Sciences Research Grant, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, McGill University

Recent Publications

  • Kim, M., Johnson, J. L., & Sawatzky, R. (2019). Relationship between social support, coping strategies, social support and psychological distress in individuals living with adult congenital heart disease. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 34(1), 76-84. doi:10.1097/JCN.0000000000000531
  • John, B., Kim, M., & Kelly, D. (2018). Risk factors associated with peristomal skin complications. Proceedings of the WCET 22nd Biennial Congress (p. 64)., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Kim, M. (2013).  Relationship between Types of Social Support, Coping Strategies and Psychological Distress in Individuals Living with Congenital Heart Disease. Journal of Cardiology, 29(10). S399.
  • Kim, M., Galal, M.O., Al-Ata, J., Kouatli, A., & El-Segaier, M. (2017). Pattern of adult congenital heart disease in a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Healthcare Communications, 2(2), 1-7.
  • doi:10.4172/2472-1654.100057
  • Kim, M. (2012). Relationship between types of social support, coping strategies and psychological distress in individuals living with congenital heart disease (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from UBC Theses and Dissertations. doi:10.14288/1.0073416
  • Kim, M., Purden, M., & Frasure-Smith, N. (1999).  Couple adjustment two-months post-MI.  Psychosomatic Medicine, 61, 116.

Presentations

  • ‘Predictors of psychological distress in individuals living with congenital heart disease’.  Oral presentation given at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, Montreal, Quebec, October 16-22, 2013.
  • ‘Relationship between types of social support, coping strategies, and psychological distress in individuals living with congenital heart disease’.  Oral presentation given at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.  Vancouver, British Columbia, October 22-26, 2011.
  • ‘Couple adjustment two-months post-MI’.  Poster presentation given at the American Psychosomatic Society 57thAnnual Scientific Meeting.  Vancouver, British Columbia, March 17-20, 1999.

Affiliations & Memberships

  • British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM)
  • Canadian Nurses Association

  • NURS 412 Care of Adults w/Complex Illness (Fall 2020)
  • NURS 540 Nursing Inquiry II (Quantitative Methods) - Assisted with course taught by Dr. R. Sawatzky