South Korea’s National Assembly passed a new nursing law on August 28. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — In a move that has been hailed as historic by some and met with apprehension by others, South Korea’s National Assembly passed a new nursing law on August 28, ending a 19-year wait for legislation specifically governing the nursing profession.
The law, which is set to take effect within nine months, has become a focal point of debate within the medical community, particularly due to its provisions regarding physician assistant (PA) nurses.
The Korean Nurses Association welcomed the passage, calling it a “historic event 19 years in the making.”
However, many nurses on the front lines of healthcare have expressed concerns, primarily centered on the law’s focus on legalizing the role of PA nurses.
PA nurses, numbering around 16,000 nationwide, have long operated in a legal gray area, performing tasks traditionally reserved for doctors, such as specialized tests and procedures.
The new law aims to provide these professionals with a legal status, a move that has been accelerated by recent developments in the medical field.
The push for legalization gained momentum earlier this year when a significant number of medical residents left hospitals in February, protesting plans to increase medical school admissions.
South Korea’s National Assembly passed a new nursing law on August 28. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
This exodus heightened hospitals’ reliance on PA nurses, prompting the government to initially offer temporary legal protection through pilot programs before pursuing the comprehensive nursing law.
Despite the law’s passage, many nurses remain skeptical. “The law is called the ‘Nursing Act,’ but if you look at the content, it’s more of a ‘PA Nursing Act,’” said one nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“It seems to have strayed far from the original intent of a nursing law.”
Critics argue that the rapid push for legalization was driven by the need to address the shortage of medical personnel following the departure of residents.
“Patients are anxious because they don’t know who is actually performing the medical procedures, and none of these issues have been resolved,” the nurse added.
A key concern among nursing professionals is the potential for an uncontrolled increase in PA nurses’ responsibilities.
“Professors are asking PA nurses to do doctors’ work, like writing prescriptions or using doctors’ IDs and passwords to fill out surgical consent forms,” said another nurse from a general hospital in Seoul.
South Korea’s National Assembly passed a new nursing law on August 28. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
“There’s talk among PA nurses about how long they can continue like this, and whether they should consider going on strike.”
The law stipulates that the scope of PA nurses’ duties will be determined by a decree from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The government has stated its intention to finalize the scope of practice based on ongoing pilot programs and input from the field.
However, many nurses are arguing for a more restrictive definition of PA duties.
“The current pilot program includes dangerous tasks that nurses shouldn’t be doing,” one nurse commented.
“There’s significant concern about whether these support duties can maintain trust between patients and medical staff.”
To address these concerns, some nurses are advocating for a system similar to that used for specialized nurses, where PA qualifications would be granted only after completing specific education and passing an examination.
“PA nurses are being asked to do doctors’ work, but doctors aren’t training them. They’re learning from each other,” a nurse explained.
“For those who have been working as PA nurses for many years, a short training period might suffice. But for newcomers, we should implement a system like the one for specialized nurses, with education and qualifying exams.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
