[News Terms] 'PA Nurses' Filling the Gap Left by Departing Residents

As residents who opposed the increase in medical school admissions have left hospitals en masse, the government is having 'Physician Assistant (PA) nurses' take over some of the doctors' duties to prevent gaps in medical care. When concerns arose that PA nurses were not legally protected, a 'Medical Support Personnel Pilot Project' was launched on the 27th of last month, assigning PA nurses some of the doctors' tasks through this initiative.

As the number of residents who collectively resigned in opposition to the increase in medical school quotas exceeded 10,000, an active nurse participating in the "Press Conference Urging Normalization of Medical Services" held on February 26 at the Health and Medical Workers' Union Life Hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, is condemning the abnormal medical field. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

PA nurses refer to personnel who, without a medical license, are delegated some of the tasks that doctors can perform in order to supplement the shortage of staff in hospitals and reduce labor costs, thereby assisting in medical care. Because they assist doctors during surgeries, they are also called 'operating room nurses' or 'clinical nurse specialists,' and they can perform tasks such as issuing prescriptions, writing medical certificates, and conducting medical procedures. Since they are unlicensed personnel without a medical license, they are also called 'UA (Unlicensed Assistant),' and in some hospitals, they are referred to as 'Orderly' or 'Technician' to indicate that they work under doctors' instructions.

PA nurses are distinguished from general nurses who only perform medical assistance tasks in that they carry out some of the doctors' duties. In South Korea, since the early 2000s, as the number of residents in essential departments decreased, hospitals have customarily selected and assigned PA nurses from among nurses, emergency medical technicians, and nursing assistants. According to the Health and Medical Industry Labor Union, it is estimated that more than 10,000 PA nurses are currently active in medical institutions nationwide.

In contrast, in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, PAs are managed through national licensing and operate legally. In the United States, PA nurses who have completed a certain amount of education and certification can diagnose diseases and develop treatment plans under the supervision of a doctor, providing medical services including prescribing medication. In the United Kingdom, PA nurses were introduced to address gaps in medical care caused by reduced resident working hours and shortages of doctors in certain regions, similar to the situation in South Korea.

Recently, as the residents' strike and mass resignation have continued for nearly a month, and PA nurses have taken on residents' duties, they have also been complaining of excessive workload and accumulated fatigue. The Health and Medical Labor Union stated, "The workload of PA nurses, who must replace the departed residents, has increased excessively, with cases of working more than 52 hours per week occurring," and argued, "Overwork caused by the surge in PA duties can lead to medical accidents, so indiscriminate substitution of doctors' tasks must be stopped."