Two nurses at Haeundae Paik Hospital in Busan have drawn attention online for assisting patients in medical emergencies outside the hospital, including incidents at an overseas restaurant and aboard a domestic train, the hospital said Monday.
A post praising Lee Na-young, a hematology-oncology nurse, was recently shared on the hospital’s online forum.
According to the post, a man believed to be in his 30s or 40s suddenly lost consciousness and had a seizure outside a restaurant in Okinawa, Japan, on March 22.
Lee identified herself as a nurse and rushed to assist, checking the man’s condition.
The writer said Lee responded calmly, administering basic first aid and monitoring his vital signs. She remained with him until local emergency responders arrived and safely transferred the patient into their care. The man was later taken to a hospital after regaining consciousness.
A similar incident occurred on April 7 aboard a train traveling from Seoul to Busan, where foreign woman collapsed.
Kim Na-hyun, a nurse in the hospital’s emergency intensive care unit, immediately stepped in to help, the hospital said.
In a letter sent to the hospital, a train crew member said Kim rushed over from another car and quickly assessed the patient’s pulse, level of consciousness and pupil response.
“The patient was a foreign national, so communication was not smooth, which made her professional judgment and response stand out even more,” the crew member wrote.
Kim said she reacted instinctively as soon as she heard the onboard announcement.
“I was nervous, but all I could think about was checking the patient’s condition and helping,” she said.
seungku99@heraldcorp.com
