1College of Nursing, Hanyang University, Seoul
2College of Nursing, Kyungpook National University, Daegu
3Department of Nursing, Gangneung Yeongdong College, Gangneung
4College of Nursing, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul, Korea
© 2013 Korean Society of Adult Nursing
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Proposed Changes to the Nursing Workforce Structure
| Different types of nurses | The scope of practice | Conditions of eligibility | Opportunities for advancement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nurses | Independently provide the full range of nursing care Work under the direction of doctors |
They are required to have four years of college education and hands-on training | |
| Practical nurses with advanced levels of nursing practice | Work as a nursing assistant under the direction of registered nurses Work as a therapy assistant under the direction of doctors or registered nurses commissioned by doctors Those working in private doctors' offices can independently perform nursing care under the direction of doctors |
They are required to have two years of college education and hands-on training | Those with some nursing experience who complete some education are eligible to take the exam for registered nurses |
| Practical nurses with entry-level nursing practice | Work as a nursing assistant under the direction of registered nurses or work as a therapy assistant under the direction of doctors or registered nurses commissioned by doctors Those working in private doctors' offices work as a nursing assistant under the direction of registered nurses and practical nurses with an advanced levels of nursing practice or work as a therapy assistant under the direction of doctors or registered nurses and practical nurses with advanced levels of nursing practice commissioned by doctors |
They are required to have a high school diploma and to fulfill educational requirements at institutions designated by the Minister of health and welfare | Those with some experience who complete some education are eligible to take the exam for the practical nurses with advanced levels of nursing practice |
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare (2013). Direction for Reorganization of Nursing Staff System in Korea.
Changes in the Composition of the Nursing Workforce by Different Types of Medical Facilities from 2003 to 2011
| Variables | Categories | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced general hospital | RN | 19,730 | 19,967 | 20,368 | 21,012 | 21,293 | 22,830 | 23,310 | 24,761 | 24,993 |
| NA | 3435 | 3,435 | 3,437 | 3,513 | 3,512 | 3,514 | 3,535 | 3,650 | 3,565 | |
| RN% | 85% | 85% | 86% | 86% | 86% | 87% | 87% | 87% | 88% | |
| General hospital | RN | 28,543 | 29,162 | 30,532 | 31,418 | 32,613 | 33,846 | 35,073 | 36,965 | 38,112 |
| NA | 5,843 | 5,651 | 5,642 | 5,632 | 5,672 | 5,759 | 5,691 | 5,810 | 5,962 | |
| RN% | 83% | 84% | 84% | 85% | 85% | 85% | 86% | 86% | 86% | |
| Hospital | RN | 16,180 | 17,132 | 17,422 | 18,625 | 19,655 | 21,402 | 22,430 | 23,172 | 23,834 |
| NA | 7,528 | 7,694 | 7,898 | 8,138 | 8,839 | 10,144 | 10,719 | 11,477 | 12,138 | |
| RN% | 68% | 69% | 69% | 70% | 69% | 68% | 68% | 67% | 66% | |
| Care hospital | RN | 770 | 1,250 | 1,961 | 3,257 | 5,331 | 6,538 | 7,699 | 8,711 | 9,405 |
| NA | 273 | 425 | 744 | 1,436 | 3,025 | 4,493 | 5,983 | 7,636 | 8,921 | |
| RN% | 74% | 75% | 72% | 69% | 64% | 59% | 56% | 53% | 51% | |
| Clinic | RN | 13,626 | 13,566 | 14,560 | 15,083 | 15,938 | 15,602 | 15,717 | 15,616 | 15,522 |
| NA | 67,173 | 73,697 | 71,922 | 73,867 | 75,661 | 77,466 | 78,872 | 79,935 | 81,618 | |
| RN% | 17% | 16% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 16% | 16% | 15% | |
| Total | RN | 78,849 | 81,077 | 84,843 | 89,395 | 94,830 | 100,218 | 104,229 | 109,225 | 111,866 |
| NA | 84,252 | 90,902 | 89,643 | 92,586 | 96,709 | 101,376 | 104,800 | 108,508 | 112,204 | |
| Nurse staff | 163,101 | 171,979 | 174,486 | 181,981 | 191,539 | 201,594 | 209,029 | 217,733 | 224,070 | |
| RN% | 48.3% | 47.1% | 48.6% | 49.1% | 49.5% | 49.7% | 49.8% | 50.2% | 49.9% |
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare (2013). Direction for Reorganization of Nursing Staff System in Korea p. 5 RN=Registered Nurse; NA=Nurse Aid
Rate of Increase in Hospital Beds by Different Types of Medical Facilities from 2000 to 2010
| Variables | 2000' | 2010' | Increase rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 294,326 | 512,499 | 74.1 |
| Advanced general hospital | 37,265 | 37,768 | 1.30 |
| General hospital | 76,308 | 86,648 | 13.60 |
| Hospital | 93,014 | 175,934 | 89.10 |
| Care hospital | 5,869 | 102,257 | 1642.30 |
| Local clinic | 75,946 | 97,322 | 28.10 |
| Dental hospital | 103 | 263 | 155.30 |
| Dental clinic | 40 | 41 | 2.50 |
| Maternity hospital | 150 | 115 | -23.30 |
| Health center | 699 | 455 | -34.90 |
| Oriental hospital | 8,037 | 9,560 | 18.90 |
| Oriental clinic | 2,764 | 2,136 | -22.70 |
Source: Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (2011). Health insurance care facilities have been increased 20,000 for the last 10 years. p. 3
Change of Number of Registered Nurses and Employment Rate
| Year | Number of registered nurses | Number of active nurses | Percentage of employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 170,845 | 83,092 | 48.6 |
| 2002 | 181,800 | 86,145 | 47.4 |
| 2003 | 192,480 | 89,590 | 46.5 |
| 2004 | 202,012 | 94,012 | 46.5 |
| 2005 | 213,644 | 99,088 | 46.4 |
| 2006 | 223,781 | 103,902 | 46.4 |
| 2007 | 235,687 | 108,796 | 46.2 |
| 2008 | 246,840 | 114,005 | 46.2 |
| 2009 | 258,568 | 120,793 | 46.7 |
| 2010 | 270,274 | 116,071 | 42.9 |
| 2011 | 282,656 | 118,771 | 42.0 |
Source: Kim, J. H., (2013). Current situation and policy direction of the nursing workforce supply. Paper presented at the Pannel Discussion for the Direction for Reorganization of Nursing Staff System in Korea. Seoul National University, Seoul.
Nurses' Turnover Rate by the Type and Number of Hospital Beds
| Variables | Categories | Turnover rate (%) | Average (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of hospital | Advanced general hospital | 9.9 | 16.8 |
| General hospital | 18.6 | ||
| Hospital | 18.1 | ||
| Care hospital | 23.9 | ||
| Others | 10.3 | ||
| Number of beds available | 100~199 beds | 23.1 | 16.8 |
| 200~399 beds | 20.7 | ||
| 400~599 beds | 16.6 | ||
| 600~799 beds | 14.1 | ||
| 800~999 beds | 9.9 | ||
| Over 1,000 beds | 8.7 |
Source: Korean Hospital Nurses Association (2012). Survey on the current nurse deployment, A report of Hospital Nurses Association. p. 93
Point of Turnover of New Nurses
| Variables | Number of employment in 2011 | Before field education | During field education | During temporary position | After permanent position | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |
| Advanced general hospital | 5,695 | 769 (13.5) | 183 (3.2) | 318 (5.6) | 530 (9.3) | 1,800 (31.6) |
| General hospital | 5,926 | 805 (13.6) | 210 (3.5) | 287 (4.8) | 838 (14.1) | 2,140 (36.1) |
| Hospital | 338 | 2 (0.6) | 12 (3.6) | 26 (7.7) | 41 (12.1) | 81 (24.0) |
| Care hospital | 28 | - | 1 (3.6) | - | 15 (53.6) | 16 (57.1) |
| Others | 20 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 12,007 | 1,576 (13.1) | 406 (3.4) | 631 (5.3) | 1,424 (11.9) | 4,037 (33.6) |
Source: Korean Hospital Nurses Association (2012). Survey on the current nurse deployment, A report of Hospital Nurses Association 2012 p. 94.
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare (2013). Direction for Reorganization of Nursing Staff System in Korea.
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare (2013). Direction for Reorganization of Nursing Staff System in Korea p. 5 RN=Registered Nurse; NA=Nurse Aid
Source: Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (2011). Health insurance care facilities have been increased 20,000 for the last 10 years. p. 3
Source: Kim, J. H., (2013). Current situation and policy direction of the nursing workforce supply. Paper presented at the Pannel Discussion for the Direction for Reorganization of Nursing Staff System in Korea. Seoul National University, Seoul.
Source: Korean Hospital Nurses Association (2012). Survey on the current nurse deployment, A report of Hospital Nurses Association. p. 93
Source: Korean Hospital Nurses Association (2012). Survey on the current nurse deployment, A report of Hospital Nurses Association 2012 p. 94.
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