[News Today] NURSING ACT PASSES PARLIAMENT

[LEAD]
Amid growing healthcare concerns, the long-awaited Nursing Act has passed the National Assembly in a bipartisan agreement. Starting next June, physician assistant nurses will gain legal status, enabling them to perform treatments and procedures under a physician's delegation.

[REPORT]
The moment the Nursing Act passed in parliament, nurses donning their white garments shed tears, welcoming the move.

With the prolonged trainee doctors strike and a planned strike by other healthcare workers fanning concern of a greater medical vacuum, rival parties were able to dramatically agree on the bill's passage.

Kang Sun-woo / Health and Welfare Committee (DP)
This bill is for the patients who can defend their dignity with the care and hard work of nurses.

Kim Mi-ae / Health and Welfare Committee (PPP)
The Nursing Act protects nurses so they can solely focus on patient treatment and ultimately safeguard public life and health.

The key to the Nursing Act is formalizing the role of a physician assistant nurse.

PA nurses have already been assisting surgeries and writing prescriptions just like doctors but there was no legal basis to support this role.

The new bill stipulates the duty of PA nurses as tasks based on doctors' guidance and delegation while the exact scope will be determined through a health ministerial order.

However in order to prevent any misuse or abuse of the law, only certified nurse specialists and those with educational training and clinical experience background will be able to serve as a PA nurse.

There has also been controversy over the limit on the level of education regarding nurses' aides, and the parties for now agreed to maintain the existing Medical Service Act as is and hold more talks down the road.

The Nursing Act, legislation long aspired by the nursing community, was first proposed in 2005.

After many ups and downs, it was finally approved in the previous 21st National Assembly led by the opposition but it eventually got scrapped after a presidential veto.

The bill will take effect as early as next June but sorting through the conflict of interests of different medical vocations remains a tricky task.

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