"Even If Anxious, What Can Be Done"… Between Anxiety and Relief Over 'Nurse Work Expansion'

Pilot Project for Nurse Duties Begins on 27th
Frontline Nurses: "Why Only Call Us During Strikes?"
Mixed Reactions from Severe and Mild Outpatient Cases

"I do feel uneasy about the professionalism aspect. Still, I think it's fortunate."

On the morning of the 28th around 10 a.m., Shin (69), whom we met at the basement first-floor food court of Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul, responded this way when asked about the government's pilot project to expand nurses' duties. Shin is currently recovering after being hospitalized in this ward for about three days following a colon polyp removal surgery. Even after the expansion of nurses' duties began on the 27th, nurses visited the room several times to administer IVs and draw blood, but he did not feel any particular discomfort.

Shin said, "If you think of nurses doing what doctors do, it is true that there is some anxiety about professionalism, but given the special circumstances, I think they should help together." He added, "I did not particularly feel that nurses' duties had expanded compared to before, nor did I feel any inconvenience."

The area in front of the blood collection room on the 1st floor of Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul is crowded with waiting patients.
[Photo by Sim Seong-ah]

"Why only seek help during strikes?"... Nurses' mixed reactions

As the government authorities pulled out the 'nurses' duty expansion' card as an alternative to prevent medical gaps caused by the collective resignation of resident doctors, both positive and negative voices have emerged within the nursing community. The Korean Nurses Association (KNA) and others welcome this opportunity to legalize the previously covert illegal medical practices by nurses and to establish a legal foundation to protect nurses. However, frontline nurses point out that workload and the burden of medical accidents remain significant concerns.

On the 27th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced the start of a pilot project allowing all nurses to perform some of the doctors' duties based on the Medical Service Act. The pilot project plan was distributed to medical institutions. The target institutions are general hospitals under the Medical Service Act or training hospitals designated by the Resident Act, and those institutions can start immediately without separate applications.

The scope of nurses' duties is to be set by the head of the medical institution through an internal committee in consultation with the head of the nursing department. However, activities prohibited by Supreme Court precedents, such as sedation anesthesia using propofol, death diagnosis, and specimen collection for cervical cytology tests, are excluded. The pilot project will end when the health care disaster alert level 'Severe' is lifted, with further notice from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

On the 23rd, Tak Young-ran, President of the Korean Nurses Association, read a statement urging the enactment of laws to protect nurses.
[Photo by Heo Young-han]

The KNA issued a statement supporting the government's medical reform, emphasizing, "Despite the confusion caused by various stakeholders, we will actively participate in government policies so that the public can maintain stable daily lives."

However, among frontline nurses, there are complaints that the government only mobilizes nurses during medical gaps and voices expressing concerns about the increased workload. Kim (23), a nurse working at a university hospital in Busan, said, "Nurses have been doing tasks similar to interns, such as issuing prescriptions and obtaining consent forms instead of doctors. The government ignored illegal nursing practices for a long time, and now suddenly wants to actively utilize nurses, which is absurd."

Bae (45), a nurse at a university hospital in Seoul, said, "Although this pilot project is not institutionalized by law, the government is effectively shifting responsibility onto nurses. Instead of just having PA nurses hold on for a few more days, a fundamental solution should be found so that resident doctors can return quickly."

Severe patients: "Our lives are at stake, can we trust their professionalism?"

A patient is being moved at Seoul Red Cross Hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Jo Yongjun

Reactions to the expansion of nurses' duties differ between severe patients and mild outpatient cases. Mild outpatients generally view the pilot project positively. Lee (60), a guardian who visited Seoul National University Hospital for his mother's MRI scan, said, "I have read many articles about medical gaps, but thanks to nurses and other medical staff helping, I have not felt much inconvenience yet." He added, "If unavoidable, I think nurses can take over some doctors' duties. However, nurses must receive proper legal protection accordingly."

Kim (28), who visited the hospital for her mother's thyroid treatment, said, "In the current situation, expanding nurses' duties seems to help fill the medical gap. On the downside, I heard nurses are already struggling, so I worry their workload might increase."

Conversely, severe patients such as cancer patients argue that expanding nurses' duties is only a temporary measure and that fundamental solutions are necessary. Kim Sung-joo, president of the Korea Cancer Patient Rights Association, said, "For severe patients like cancer patients, every medical act is a matter of life and death, so they inevitably have doubts about nurses' medical professionalism. Nurse deployment cannot and should not be a long-term solution. The government must prepare fundamental solutions to fill the medical gap."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.