Purpose
This study aimed to identify the priority areas of trauma nursing educational needs according to the career stages of emergency department (ED) nurses.
Methods
This descriptive comparative study was conducted with a convenience sample of 143 nurses working in 13 EDs in Seoul, Korea, all at or above the local emergency medical center level. Participants’ career stages were categorized into advanced beginner, competent practitioner, and proficient practitioner. They completed a questionnaire measuring their perceived importance and performance levels related to trauma nursing. Data were analyzed using frequencies, the t-test, Borich needs assessment model, and the locus for focus model.
Results
After excluding one questionnaire with insincere responses, data from 142 participants were included in the final analysis. Priority educational needs differed by career stage: nurses at the advanced beginner level emphasized education directly related to patient resuscitation, while nurses at higher career stages identified more diverse and in-depth educational needs. Across all stages, however, the most common priority competencies were circulation and bleeding control assessments, clinical knowledge of trauma resuscitation, and ventilator manipulation skills.
Conclusion
Tailored trauma nursing education is needed for ED nurses at different career stages. All nurses require training in circulation and bleeding control, trauma resuscitation, and ventilator management, but novice nurses benefit most from foundational resuscitation content, whereas experienced nurses require advanced programs. Career-stage-specific education can promote professional development and improve the quality of trauma care.

Purpose
In 2024, the South Korean government proposed an essential medical care package, including the expansion of medical college admissions, which faced strong opposition from the medical community. Consequently, residents resigned, increasing the workload of the remaining staff and putting public health at risk. This study analyzed changes in the hospitalization patterns of trauma patients during this political conflict period using single-center data from the National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital.
Methods
Data from the entire year 2023 and from March to August 2024 were used for analysis, excluding January and February 2024 when the conflict escalated. The selection criteria included patients with trauma who visited the emergency room, and comparisons were made between the periods before and during the medical conflict.
Results
In 2023, the total number of patients with trauma were 1,182 (an average of 98.5 per month). From March to August 2024, the number dropped to 204 (34.2 per month), reflecting a significant reduction in the monthly average number of patients with trauma. Despite the overall decline, the number of severe trauma cases remained relatively stable, indicating a shift toward more critical patient care. Emergency department length of stay decreased significantly from 295 min in 2023 to 187 min in 2024.
Conclusion
The ongoing strain on emergency and support department risks leads to an irreversible collapse if critical points are reached. To address this, localized trauma centers are needed to relieve the burden on larger medical institutions and improve the efficiency of trauma care systems during crises.

Citations

• Impact of the 2024 Resident Physician Work Stoppage on Acute Hemorrhagic Stroke Admissions: A Single Cerebrovascular-Specialty Hospital Study in South Korea
  Youngsoo Kim, Dougho Park, Haemin Kim, Dahyeon Koo, Sukkyoung Lee, Yejin Min, Daeyoung Hong, Mun-Chul Kim
  Healthcare.2025; 13(17): 2129.     CrossRef