Comedian Lee Su-ji transformed into a nurse to satirize the realities of the medical field, sparking a heated reaction in the comment section with both empathy and backlash pouring in simultaneously.
On the 9th, a video titled "Nurse Park So-hyun's Blood, Sweat, and Tears" was released on the "Hot Issue" channel.
In the video, Lee Su-ji played the role of a third-year nurse working at an internal medicine clinic, portraying the daily life of medical staff struggling with various complaints and unexpected situations. She expressed the non-stop patient response, the lack of proper lunch breaks, and work extending past the clock through her signature realistic acting.
The video garnered significant attention and recorded high view counts immediately after its release. In particular, current nurses and medical professionals expressed their empathy.
Netizens expressed their understanding by leaving comments such as, "Nurses are not emotional trash cans," "It was portrayed much milder than I expected," "The actual field is even more chaotic than that," and "Thank you for bringing these hardships to public attention." On the other hand, while some viewers empathized with the difficulties faced by nurses, they voiced a different perspective by sharing their own experiences with unkindness.
One netizen wrote in the comments section, "I have been going to the hospital for a long time because of my grandparents and parents, and I have seen more rude nurses than difficult patients." Another user claimed, "My family member was in a critical condition, so I asked, 'Can't you at least draw my blood?' but I was shocked to see them laughing behind my back."
Stories from the emergency room also followed. One guardian recalled the situation, saying, "My child's fever exceeded 41 degrees and they couldn't breathe properly, so I asked for help, but I was told to 'wait because 41 degrees won't kill you.'"
Other reactions followed, such as "I can't empathize," "Patients are sick people too," "There were many unkind nurses," and "They take out the stress they received from doctors on the patients."
While current and former nurses expressed empathy, contrasting experiences from patients and guardians also emerged, leading to mixed reactions.