Korean J Occup Health Nurs.  2019 Nov;28(4):271-284. 10.5807/kjohn.2019.28.4.271.

A Case Study on Workers' Compensation Approval for a Hospital Nurse's Suicide

• Yi K
• Choi S
• Park B

• KMID: 2469261
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5807/kjohn.2019.28.4.271

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.

Keyword

Nurse; Suicide; Workers' compensation; Occupational health; Case reports

MeSH Terms

Advisory Committees
Government Agencies
Joints
Jurisprudence
Mass Media
Occupational Diseases
Occupational Health
Social Change
Suicide*
Teaching
Workers' Compensation*