A History of Korean Nurses’ Efforts to Define Their Scope of Practice and Secure Their Rights: Focusing on the 1969 ‘Busanjin Health Center Injection Incident’

Purpose: This study examines how nurses’ scope of practice was constructed through legal and sociopolitical processes in Korea, focusing on the 1969 “Busanjin Health Center Injection Incident.” Methods: By examining court rulings, newspaper articles, healthcare and labor documents from the time, this research analyzes the background, sociopolitical context, and societal impact of the incident. Results: At the time, nurses’ injection practices were widely performed but not clearly defined within the ambiguous legal category of ‘assistance in medical treatment.’ The incident brought this ambiguity into public and legal dispute, making nurses’ scope of practice a visible issue. Nurses’ collective action, particularly the refusal to administer injections, functioned as a critical mechanism that prompted renewed deliberation and contributed to the reconstruction of nurses’ scope of practice. Conclusion: These findings suggest that nurses’ scope of practice, previously lacking clear legal definition, became socially visible through the incident and was subsequently reconstructed through practice and collective action. This case highlights that nurses’ scope of practice is not fixed by formal regulation but emerges through the interaction between practice and social context, with implications for understanding nurses’ scope of practice in the context of integrated care.