진료지원 간호사의 업무 범위와 무면허 의료행위에 대한 고찰

Recently, controversy continues regarding the unlicensed medical practice of nurses in relation to the ‘PA (Physician Assistant)’ system, also known as medical support personnel. The problem arose as nurses performed some of the work that doctors were required to do due to a shortage of doctors in essential medical fields, mainly at tertiary medical institutions. Higher-level medical institutions have recognized that these activities can be viewed as ‘assistance in medical practice under the guidance of a doctor,’ which is the job of a nurse. However, in South Korea’s Supreme Court precedent, cases similar to the above medical practices were judged to be unlicensed medical practices that went beyond the nurse’s duties, and the doctor who ordered them was also recognized as criminally responsible. Today, when interest in and desire for health and disease management is increasing and dependence on devices is increasing due to the development of medical science and technology, the areas that were previously set as the scope of medical practices that only doctors can perform are now practices that nurses can perform. In the case of South Korea, the shortage of medical personnel continues to be a source of controversy due to an aging society and increased demand for medical care. In order to prepare for this, there is a need to establish a system for ‘Physician Assistant nurses’ based on social and medical acceptability.