1300 Additional PA Nurses... Request for 'PA Systematization'

Meeting of Head Nurses at Tertiary Hospitals on the 14th
Listening to Dedicated Nurses' Challenges and Discussing Improvement Plans

The number of Physician Assistant (PA) nurses, tentatively called 'Jeondam Nurses,' working at 44 tertiary general hospitals is expected to increase from the current 4,000 to about 5,300 in the future. Nurses at tertiary general hospitals have requested that the 'PA Nurse Pilot Project,' which is temporarily implemented to fill the medical gap caused by the departure of residents, be institutionalized even after its conclusion. The Ministry of Health and Welfare responded by saying it would "actively consider" the nurses' requests, including this one.

On the morning of the same day, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong held a meeting with nursing managers from 47 tertiary general hospitals to discuss these matters.

On the first day of implementing the "Supplementary Guidelines for the Nurse Task Pilot Project," which allows nurses to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and administer emergency drugs to emergency patients, medical staff were busy working at a university hospital in Seoul on the 8th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare targeting 47 tertiary general hospitals, about 4,000 Jeondam Nurses are currently operating at 44 hospitals that responded. They plan to secure approximately 1,300 additional nurses in the future.

This meeting was organized to listen to the difficulties and suggestions from the field regarding the 'Nurse Work-Related Pilot Project,' which has been in effect since February 27, and to discuss ways to alleviate the current challenges in emergency medical situations. The Ministry is conducting a pilot project where nurses perform about 100 clinical support activities according to their qualifications (specialist nurses, tentatively named Jeondam Nurses, general nurses) at general and training hospitals.

The Korean Nurses Association began operating an education and training program for Jeondam Nurses in eight fields starting in April, including surgery, surgery specialization, emergency critical care, cardiovascular care, renal dialysis, wound and stoma care, and intensive nutrition care, with plans to expand to 17 fields in the future.

The head of the nursing department from a tertiary general hospital attending the meeting reiterated whether this pilot project, based on Article 44 of the Framework Act on Health and Medical Services, can receive legal protection, and requested the Ministry of Health and Welfare to institutionalize Jeondam Nurses and clarify the scope of nurses' duties even after the pilot project ends.

Minister Cho said, "I deeply appreciate the dedication and hard work of nurses nationwide who quietly care for patients day and night," adding, "We will actively review the suggestions proposed at this meeting and do our best to alleviate the difficulties faced in the field."

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