Purpose
COVID-19 is both a national crisis and a cause of individual trauma. This trauma is experienced during the period of acute illness and for an unpredictable duration after recovery. This study explored experiences of COVID-19 patients in hospital isolation, providing a detailed account of their experiences to furnish basic data necessary for establishing strategies to address the psychosocial problems that may arise from the hospital isolation process and recovery period. Methods: We conducted comprehensive interviews and qualitative content analysis. We held in-depth interviews with five COVID-19 patients from May 16 to August 22, 2021, and also analyzed data from interviews with five patients conducted as part of another study on COVID-19 patients' perceptions. Thus, 10 participants' interviews were analyzed in this study. Results: From the qualitative data, 34 codes, 9 subcategories, and 4 categories were identified. The categories included "Prioritization of epidemic prevention over treatment," "Victims who have been labeled as perpetrators," "Gratitude felt in difficult moments," and "Demand for respect from the system and society." After analyzing these categories, we derived the overarching theme of "It's okay, but it's not okay." Conclusion: During isolation treatment, it is crucial to uphold human rights as much as possible by prioritizing patient care, providing a comfortable environment, and offering clear guidance on their progress. Communication between patients and caregivers should be facilitated to provide psychological support. Furthermore, national policies such as economic compensation and strategies for post-traumatic growth should be implemented to address grievances and facilitate recovery.

PURPOSE
The plan proposed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2012 did not reflect the position of nurses and focused only on how to increase the number of nurses. There is a need for coming up with a specific and viable alternative plan considering the qualitative aspect of nursing, delegation of nursing tasks, the in-death analysis of the reasons for leaving the nursing profession, and the legal standards based on varying nursing tasks.
METHODS
Drawing on a review of existing literature, this report was written to examine policy directions and the factors that influence the institutional environment that regulates the supply and demand of the nursing workforce in Korea.
RESULTS
Implementing the government's plan for introducing a new type of nurse, the registered practical nurse, which generally requires a two-year associate's degree, must be reconsidered. Also, a concrete plan to make use of unemployed nurses and to close the salary gap between nurses working at hospitals in cities and those working at hospitals in rural areas must be prepared. Furthermore, there is a need for introducing a new rating system aimed at boosting the quality of nursing care in small-and medium-sized hospitals, thereby increasing the number of nursing professionals who provide high quality care.
CONCLUSION
In preparation for expected poor quality of care and looming unemployment crisis due to the increase in the number of nursing professionals, a practical and concrete plan for the supply and demand of the nursing workforce should be made. The Korean Nurses Association should mount a profession-wide campaign to make the government formulate a new and viable policy on the supply and demand of the nursing workforce.