Tensions rise over Nursing Act
Lee Pil-soo, center, the head of the Korean Medical Association, speaks during a rally in front of the National Assembly, Sunday, to protest the Assembly's move to legislate the Nursing Act. YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeA conflict is intensifying between nurses and other medical workers, including doctors, over the National Assembly's move to pass a bill legislating the Nursing Act.Independent from the Medical Services Act, the proposed nursing law would clarify the scope of nurses' work and improve their working conditions, aiming to resolve nurses' frequent complaints over ambiguities in their roles and duties as stipulated in the Medical Services Act that they claim have increased their workload. Nurses, however, seem to be the only group welcoming this legislation, as other medical workers' groups such as the Korean Medical Association (KMA) ― comprised of doctors ― are bitterly opposed.The objectors are stepping up their protest as the bill, backed by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) which controls more than half of the 300-seat Assembly, is likely to be passed if it is
Feb 27, 2023By Jun Ji-hye