Comparison of Nursing Workforce Supply and Employment in South Korea and Other OECD Countries

Kyung Jin Hong; Sung-Hyun Cho

doi:10.16952/pns.2017.14.2.55

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Hong and Cho: Comparison of Nursing Workforce Supply and Employment in South Korea and Other OECD Countries

Original Article

Perspectives in Nursing Science 2017; 14(2): 55-63.

Published online: 31 October 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.16952/pns.2017.14.2.55

Comparison of Nursing Workforce Supply and Employment in South Korea and Other OECD Countries

Kyung Jin Hong¹, Sung-Hyun Cho²

¹Graduate Student, College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

²Professor, College of Nursing · Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

Corresponding author: Cho, Sung-Hyun. College of Nursing, Seoul National University, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03080, Korea. Tel: +82-2-740-8821, Fax: +82-2-765-4103, sunghcho@snu.ac.kr

Received 26 September 2017 Revised 8 October 2017 Accepted 16 October 2017

The Research Institute of Nursing Science Seoul National University

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to report on and compare the conditions of practicing nurses and nursing graduates in Korea and other OECD countries to suggest policy to improve nurse staffing in Korea.

Methods

Data on nurses and nursing graduates from 34 OECD countries in 2015 (or the nearest year) were analyzed. The proportion of practicing nurses among nurses who were licensed to practice and nursing graduates per population and per the number of practicing nurses were examined.

Results

The number of practicing nurses per 1,000 population in Korea was 5.9 and, in Korea, only 31.0% of licensed nurses were practicing, whereas the OECD average was 69.5%. Korea had the highest number of nursing graduates (109.0) per 100,000 population and the highest number of nursing graduates (183.5) per 1,000 practicing nurses in the OECD countries. Skill-mix analysis indicated that 52.2% of the practicing nurses in Korea were professional practicing nurses, which was the second-lowest among the OECD countries. The ratio of nurses' wages to those of physician specialists was 0.43 in the OECD countries.

Conclusion

Nurse staffing and skill-mix in Korea were very low in comparison to other OECD countries. Policies for retention of nurses via improved working conditions are required.

Keywords: Licensed nurses, Practicing nurses, Nursing graduates, OECD, Remuneration

Figures and Tables

Table 1

Licensed and Practicing Nurses per 1,000 Population in 2015 or Nearest Year among 34 OECD Countries

Empty cells indicate that data are not available.

Table 2

Nursing Graduates in 2015 or Nearest Year among 34 OECD Countries

Empty cells indicate that data are not available.

Table 3

Skill Mix of Professional and Associate Professional Practicing Nurses and Nursing Graduates in 2015 or Nearest Year among 31 OECD Countries

Empty cells indicate that data are not available.

Table 4

Remuneration of Salaried Hospital Nurses and Physician Specialists: Ratio to Average Wage of All Workers in Each Country in 2015 or Nearest Year among 26 OECD Countries

Empty cells indicate that data are not available.

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