A Case Study on Workers' Compensation Approval for a Hospital Nurse's Suicide
10.5807/kjohn.2019.28.4.271
- Author:
Kyunghee YI
1
;
Seonim CHOI
;
Bohyun PARK
Author Information
1. Post-doctoral Visiting Scholar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Nursing, Chapel Hill, USA.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
2019;28(4):271-284
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE:This study aimed to examine the process from occurrence of a hospital nurse's suicide to workers' compensation approval, responses of the parties involved, issues debated during approval deliberations, and significant policy changes resulting from the incident.
METHODS:We conducted in-depth interviews with involved parties and collected various documents, including newspaper articles, forum proceedings, and the agency report on determination of workers' compensation. Content analysis was performed on the collected data.
RESULTS:A Joint Task Force continuously reported its progress and findings through mass media such as newspaper, radio, and TV. These activities exerted pressure on a government agency to conduct an occupational disease review and significantly impacted the workers' compensation approval. The agency recognized associations between the hospital's inadequate nurse training and the suicide but did not confirm the excessive overtime and workplace harassment experienced by the nurse as causes of the suicide. This case's media coverage and impact resulted in a law prohibiting workplace harassment and a hospital system dedicating at least one nurse to training activities.
CONCLUSION:This incident had a significant social impact as the first case of workers' compensation approval for a hospital nurse's suicide. However, the case produced no structural changes in nurses' working conditions such as heavy workloads.
