The Current Status of the Administrative Dispositions of Nurses: A Nationwide Survey in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: In South Korea, the professional role of nurse has been redefined from "assistant to" to "partner of" doctors as part of an overall national health promotion strategy.

PURPOSE: This descriptive survey was designed to describe the current status of administrative dispositions related to nurses in South Korea.

METHODS: Data were collected between January 2014 and December 2018. The raw data were obtained from 3,553 public health centers nationwide after a request for the disclosure of information related to the administrative disposition of nurses in each city and province. The data included details on administrative dispositions, laws related to administrative dispositions, violations, and standards for administrative dispositions.

RESULTS: Most of the nurses affected by administrative dispositions worked for primary and secondary healthcare providers. The most common type of administrative disposition was license suspension (n = 66, 80.5%), and most violations for administrative disposition involved unlicensed medical practice (n = 38, 46.3%). Nurses who had more-specific standards provided as evidence of the disposition faced longer periods of license suspension (p = .035).

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nurses should avoid providing nursing care to patients that is not in compliance with medical laws because the administrative action may vary depending on the violation and the severity of their legal infractions. This study was the first to examine administrative actions specifically affecting nurses in South Korea. The administrative actions of medical personnel were found to depend on the number and degree of violations. Nurses must understand the details of nurse-related administrative dispositions to avoid violating medical laws.