Many nurses are reconsidering their career paths, with an increasing number exploring opportunities to work overseas. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Apr. 2 (Korea Bizwire) – With a prolonged strike by resident physicians in South Korea disrupting hospital operations, many nurses are reconsidering their career paths, with an increasing number exploring opportunities to work overseas, where the nursing profession is more robust and offers better compensation.
Cho, 33, a nurse at a university hospital in Uijeongbu, said the strike has compounded her longstanding desire to immigrate to the United States.
“The government guidelines keep changing based on necessity,” Cho said. “Tasks that were previously denied to nurses as encroaching on doctors’ duties have now become our responsibilities due to the shortage. It makes me want to leave sooner.”
She cited the lack of legal protections for nurses in South Korea and the relatively low pay compared to other countries as reasons for considering a move abroad.
“Unlike here, the U.S. has laws safeguarding nurses and better compensation for the workload,” Cho said. “If the situation is dire enough to leave my home country, the rewards must be sufficient.”
Park, a 32-year-old nurse with nine years of experience at another university hospital, said the strike has led to many unwanted department transfers for her colleagues.
“Mid-career and senior nurses are being reassigned as physician assistants or surgical assistants against their will, and professors are treating them like residents, issuing orders,” Park explained.
Nurses already working abroad report a noticeable uptick in inquiries from South Koreans interested in following suit. (Image courtesy of Pixabay/CCL)
“With the prolonged strike, my fellow nurses feel increasingly helpless,” she added. “While they may not quit immediately, many plan to resign or seek jobs abroad once the situation stabilizes.”
The frustrations extend beyond those directly affected by the doctors’ strike. A nurse with over 20 years of experience at a Seoul hospital estimated that two or three out of every 10 nurses leave annually, with many pursuing nursing careers in the United States, Australia, or elsewhere.
Statistics from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), which administers the U.S. nursing license exam, reflect this trend.
The number of South Koreans taking the exam surged from 1,816 in 2022 to 3,299 in 2023 – an 81.7% increase. Considering the data only covers first-time test-takers, the actual figure is likely higher. In 2021, fewer than 650 South Koreans took the exam.
Nurses already working abroad report a noticeable uptick in inquiries from South Koreans interested in following suit.
“There’s a lot of discussion about immigration on social media, and I’ve been receiving more inquiries recently,” said Yoo Hyun-min, 39, who has worked in the intensive care unit of a Pennsylvania hospital for nine years. “Interest in overseas nursing opportunities has undoubtedly increased.”
Yoo predicted that the uncertain duration of the current crisis, coupled with nurses’ heavy workloads, poor working conditions, and lack of legal protections, would drive more South Korean nurses to seek employment abroad.
Nurses already working abroad report a noticeable uptick in inquiries from South Koreans interested in following suit. (Image courtesy of Pexels/CCL)
“The realities facing South Korean nurses that have long persisted are only exacerbated by the strike,” said Oh Joo-hyun, 48, who moved to the U.S. in 2007 after six years as a nurse in South Korea.
“With conditions unlikely to improve and countries like the U.S. and Australia welcoming foreign nurses, the exodus will likely accelerate.”
In the nursing academic community, calls are growing to improve labor conditions and establish a nursing practice act.
“Unlike the U.S. or Australia, where nurses’ duties are clearly defined, the boundaries in South Korea are ambiguous,” said Jang Hee Jung, a professor at Hallym University’s College of Nursing. “We need legislation to clarify their roles.”
“Many obtain nursing licenses but never work in local hospitals,” added former Keimyung University nursing professor Lee Kyunghee. “We must reduce patient-to-nurse ratios and improve compensation to retain this workforce.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
