(Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Mar. 21 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s healthcare system is facing a significant challenge as a staggering 80.6% of nurses who resigned from hospitals in 2022 had less than five years of experience, according to an analysis by the Korean Nurses Association.
The data, based on a survey conducted by the Hospital Nurses Association on nursing staff allocation, revealed that among those who left their positions, 43.4% had less than one year of experience, while 20.5% had between one and three years, and 16.7% had three to five years of experience. The findings highlight a concerning trend: the shorter the career, the more likely a nurse is to resign.
The reasons cited for leaving varied, with “excessive workload and job maladjustment” topping the list at 20.8%. Other factors included transferring to another hospital (14.4%), illness (11.2%), changing careers (10.8%), challenges with shift work and night shifts (6.3%), difficulties balancing work and family life (5.8%), and dissatisfaction with compensation (3.7%).
Notably, the proportion of nurses resigning due to illness increased from 9.6% in 2018 to 11.2% in 2022, a 1.6 percentage point rise over five years. Nurses, by the nature of their profession, face significant occupational hazards, including shift work, long hours, risk of musculoskeletal disorders from patient transfers, job stress from emotional labor, and exposure to verbal and physical violence.
The data, based on a survey conducted by the Hospital Nurses Association on nursing staff allocation, revealed that among those who left their positions, 43.4% had less than one year of experience. (Image courtesy of Kobiz Media)
The phenomenon of nurses leaving the medical field altogether, known as “de-nursing,” also increased, with the rate rising from 9.4% in 2018 to 10.8% in 2022, a 1.4 percentage point increase.
Consequently, the resignation rate among hospital nurses has been on the rise, reaching 14.5% in 2020, 15.8% in 2021, and 16% in 2022.
The situation is particularly concerning for newly hired nurses, with 57.4% resigning within their first year in 2022, a stark increase from 42.7% in 2018. The primary reason cited by these new nurses was “excessive workload and job maladjustment,” accounting for 40.2% of responses.
In an effort to address this issue, a partial amendment to the Medical Services Act, which mandates the allocation of dedicated nurse educators in hospital-level medical institutions to train new nurses, is set to take effect on May 20. This measure is expected to aid in the adaptation process for novice nurses.
Under the amended law, medical institutions that violate the nurse educator staffing requirements may face corrective orders from the Ministry of Health and Welfare or local government authorities. The government will also provide financial support to cover part or all of the costs associated with operating the nurse educator program.
The Korean Nurses Association emphasized the need for comprehensive solutions to address the high turnover rate among nursing professionals, stating, “We must devise fundamental solutions to prevent skilled nursing personnel from leaving the medical field prematurely.” The association also stressed the importance of protecting nurses from the inherent hazards and risks associated with their profession.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
