Asan Medical Center, which treats the largest number of patients in Korea, has been leading advanced care for serious conditions such as cancer and organ transplantation. As a frontline institution where medical professionals deal directly with patients’ lives and where standards for complex and critical care are established, systematic support is essential to help newly hired employees develop professional competencies and grow together with the organization.

 

To help new employees adapt smoothly to unfamiliar work environments and build psychological stability, Asan Medical Center has recently expanded a variety of training and support programs. As of this year, Asan Medical Center recruited approximately 410 new employees across nursing, healthcare, and administrative positions. As of recently, about 200 new employees have joined the hospital and are currently undergoing structured training programs.

 

Asan Medical Center operates structured job training programs to help new employees grow into skilled healthcare professionals and strengthen their competencies. Through theoretical and hands-on training as well as specialized education in fields such as intensive care, pediatrics, surgery, and anesthesia, the hospital helps new staff gradually build the expertise and clinical judgment required in real medical settings.

 

In particular, Asan Medical Center has recently been actively incorporating digital technologies by introducing scenario-based training using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). By training in realistic virtual simulation environments that replicate situations such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, tracheostomy tube management, bleeding, and sepsis, new employees are able to strengthen their professional capabilities and learn to respond accurately and swiftly even in emergency situations.

 

▲ A new nurse participates in virtual reality training on early response to emergency patients at the VR training center of Asan Medical Center.

 

Asan Medical Center also operates education and support programs focused on reducing the psychological burden, particularly for nurses, who make up the largest proportion of the hospital’s workforce.

 

Each new nurse is paired one-to-one with a preceptor, while clinical education nurses provide structured practical training and emotional support over the course of one year to help them adapt smoothly to the new work environment. During the training period, the number of patients assigned to preceptors is adjusted so they can focus on mentoring and education. After the training is completed, patient assignments are also adjusted to help new nurses transition more smoothly into their clinical responsibilities.

 

When new nurses begin working independently and psychological tension tends to increase, particularly around the third and sixth months after joining, Asan Medical Center operates a group coaching initiative called the “New Nurse Mind Keeper Program.” Through this program, nurses who joined at the same time share their experiences of adapting to the workplace and exchange practical tips, helping them build a sense of psychological connection and mutual support.

 

▲ Asan Medical Center hosts “Vitamin D Day,” an event designed to help employees take a brief break from their busy schedules, connect with colleagues, and recharge their energy.
Staff members who participated in the event pose for a commemorative photo.

 

In addition, Asan Medical Center is enhancing new employees’ adaptation and job satisfaction through various support systems, including the operation of Korea’s largest nursing staffing support unit (A plus Team), a ward intensive care patient transfer monitoring team (MTT), a discharge patient telephone consultation center, and specialized education programs across different nursing fields. These initiatives have also shown positive effects in reducing early turnover among newly hired staff.

 

Asan Medical Center also provides a welcome kit to greet newly hired employees and help them build a sense of belonging and pride as members of the organization. In addition, new employees visit the Ulsan shipyard of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, where our late Chairman Chung Ju-yung, founder of the Asan Foundation, created Korea’s legendary shipbuilding success story, allowing them to experience firsthand the spirit of challenge and passion known as the Asan Spirit.

 

At the opening ceremony of Asan Medical Center in 1989, founder Chung Ju-yung remarked, “I hope that every employee working at Asan Medical Center will carry a strong sense of determination and mission as guardians of human health, devoting sincere care to healing all patients who come to the hospital and comforting them and their families in times of suffering.” Guided by the founder’s message and spirit, Asan Medical Center has achieved remarkable growth over the past 37 years since its opening in 1989.

 

Park Ji Won, a nurse in the Surgical Nursing Team I at Asan Medical Center who joined in January this year, said, “When I received the acceptance notice, I felt both pride and excitement about working at one of Korea’s leading hospitals. At the same time, I also felt the pressure of whether I would be able to perform well in a clinical environment where many critically ill patients are treated. However, thanks to Asan Medical Center’s structured training programs and the attentive guidance of my preceptor, I have been gradually learning clinical skills and building confidence. I hope to grow into a nurse who earns the trust of both patients and their families.”

 

Choi In-cheol, Vice President and Chief Education Officer (CEdO) at Asan Medical Center and a professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, said, “The driving force behind Asan Medical Center’s growth into a leading hospital not only in Korea but also globally has been the continuous challenge and passion of its employees. We will spare no effort in providing education and support so that our new employees, who will write the next chapter in the hospital’s history, can develop their expertise and fully demonstrate their capabilities.”

 

New employees of Asan Medical Center who joined in January this year pose for a commemorative photo during a visit to the Ulsan shipyard of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, the birthplace of the “Asan Spirit” of challenge and passion established by Chung Ju-yung, founder of the Asan Foundation.