Ministry of Health and Welfare to Entrust PA Nurse Education and Management to Specialized Nursing Institution

Curriculum Review Committee to Oversee Approval of Educational Institutions
Legislative Notice Planned for September; Implementation Targeted by Year-End

The government has reportedly decided to entrust the education and management functions for PA (Physician Assistant) nurses to a specialized nursing institution and is currently refining the detailed regulations. The issue of who should lead the education and management of PA nurses has long been a point of contention between the medical and nursing communities.

Nurses affiliated with the Korean Nurses Association shouted slogans such as "Dedicated nurse training! The control tower should be the Nurses Association!" at the "Second Rally Urging Transparency and Legalization of Education and Qualification Management for Nurses Performing Medical Support Tasks," held in front of the Ministry of Health and Welfare at the Government Sejong Complex on May 2. Photo by Yonhap News.

According to the government and the medical and nursing sectors on September 2, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has set this policy direction based on opinions raised during a recent roundtable on institutionalizing medical support tasks and the results of internal analysis.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will oversee the standardization and approval of initial education for PA nurses, but it is expected that the overall functions related to the operation of the curriculum and management of completion procedures will be delegated to a specialized nursing institution. The ministry is said to have presented this plan to relevant stakeholders, including the Korean Medical Association, the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences, the Korean Hospital Association, the Korean Intern Resident Association, the Korean Nurses Association, and the Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union.

The authority to approve educational institutions will be assigned to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which will establish a "Curriculum Review Committee" that ensures participation from experts in various fields. The committee is being considered to consist of about 10 medical professionals and experts.

The curriculum will consist of theoretical and practical education, as well as on-site training. Specific details regarding the duration, content, and methods of education will be further discussed during the process of establishing the official curriculum announcement.

The criteria for medical institutions utilizing PA nurses will be strengthened. The original standard of "hospitals and higher-level medical institutions (excluding dental, oriental medicine, and psychiatric hospitals)" will be changed to "hospitals and higher-level medical institutions that have obtained medical institution accreditation (excluding dental, oriental medicine, and psychiatric hospitals)." However, to ease the burden on small and medium-sized hospitals, there are plans to grant a four-year grace period for accreditation. In the future, a new and revised accreditation system focusing on essential requirements will also be introduced.

The "Medical Institution Accreditation System" is a system that encourages hospitals to make ongoing voluntary efforts to improve patient safety and the quality of medical services. It is conducted as an absolute evaluation that assesses how well hospitals meet the accreditation standards announced by the government. Hospitals that meet the standards are granted an accreditation mark valid for four years. For example, as of July, only 363 out of 1,735 acute care hospitals nationwide, or 20.9%, had obtained medical institution accreditation.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to proceed with legislative and administrative notice procedures based on these details within this month. After a 40-day legislative notice period and one to three months of review by the Ministry of Government Legislation and regulatory authorities, the policy is expected to be implemented between November and December.

An official from the Ministry of Health and Welfare stated, "Through the roundtable, we gathered opinions from various sectors on the plans we have been reviewing," adding, "While we believe the direction has been largely determined, additional opinions from various sectors may still be reflected through further review."