Status and Challenges of local nurses before and after the ｢Local University Promotion Act｣

The purpose of this study is to understand the current status of local nurses due to the expansion of admission opportunities for local talent before and after the enactment of the“Local University Promotion Act.”This study is a secondary data analysis study using data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the Korean Health Personnel Licensing Examination Institute, Statistics Korea, and the Statistical Yearbook of the Korean Nurses Association. The results of the study showed that after the Local University Promotion Act, the ratio of graduates to students admitted to nursing schools and the increase rate of active nurses compared to new nurses increased. As a result of examining by region, when the rate of admission of local talent increased, the increase rate of active nurses in healthcare institutions compared to new nurses increased in Busan·Ulsan·Gyeongsangnam-do, Gwangju·Jeollanam-do and Jeollabuk-do, Daejeon·Chungcheongnam-do and Chungcheongbuk-do, but decreased in Daegu· Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gangwon-do, and Jeju-do. In conclusion, when the number of new nurses per capital is high, that is, when the admission quota is saturated, the effect of the policy of expanding admission opportunities for local talent may be minimal or nonexistent. From these results, in order to secure local nurses, it is possible to reaffirm the need to prepare a plan to increase supply by securing local talent at the admission stage and to prepare nurse retention policies such as improving wages and working conditions so that new nurses can settle in the area.