Human Rights Commission "Patient-to-Nurse Ratio Must Be Legally Regulated"... Recommendation for System Improvement
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has recommended that the number of patients per nurse be legally regulated to improve the quality of nursing services.
On the 12th, International Nurses Day, medical staff are guiding a citizen with poor eyesight at the temporary COVID-19 screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza.
View original imageOn the 4th, the NHRCK announced that on the 18th of last month, it recommended to the Minister of Health and Welfare to stipulate in relevant laws the maximum number of patients per nurse at an appropriate level, considering the characteristics of medical institutions by type and ward. Additionally, it recommended improvements to ensure that the differentiated nursing management fee system operates in line with the purpose of enhancing nurse staffing levels, strengthening administrative sanctions against medical institutions that fail to comply with or report nurse staffing standards, preparing measures to improve long working hours and treatment, and establishing a support system to guarantee the right to work safely and healthily during infectious disease crises.
The NHRCK pointed out, "During Korea's response to COVID-19, the poor labor rights of nurses were revealed as nurses complained of overwork and made extreme choices, and nurses collectively submitted resignations due to staff shortages. Nurse shortages not only worsen the physical and mental health of nurses themselves but also increase patient mortality and complication rates, and night shifts under the three-shift system negatively affect nurses' physical, mental, and social health." In fact, the number of active nurses per 1,000 people in Korea was 4.4 in 2020, only half of the OECD member countries' average of 8.
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The NHRCK stated, "We hope that this recommendation will lead to improvements in nurses' working environments and enhance the quality of nursing services, thereby protecting nurses' labor rights and the public's right to health. We will monitor related issues from various angles and continuously pay attention by preparing additional institutional improvement measures if necessary."
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