In Netflix's latest hit medical drama series "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call," an air ambulance often turns into a high-stakes operating room.

Trauma surgeons making bold incisions mid-flight in a race against time keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

However, there's an important element missing: The presence of trauma nurses.

According to Kim Dong-ju, a 33-year-old nurse at a trauma center at the Catholic University of Korea Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, it is generally a team of two — a trauma surgeon and a trauma-specialized nurse — who are deployed by the hospital on a medical helicopter, along with paramedics.

“The genius trauma surgeon Baek Kang-hyuk (the main character in 'Trauma Code,' played by Joo Ji-hoon) handles multiple procedures on his own in the drama. However, in actual helicopter rescues, a nurse’s assistance is essential, especially when the patient’s condition is severe,” he told The Korea Herald.

Kim recalled one of the urgent moments on the helicopter when he flew to Sokcho, Gangwon Province, last year, with a trauma surgeon to treat a patient who suffered damage to internal organs inside the abdominal area.

“The patient was in a life-threatening state with unstable blood pressure. While the doctor used an ultrasound to check the patient's condition, I made sure to secure the IV line for blood transfusion," he said.

"Throughout the ride to the trauma center's ER, I kept squeezing the blood from the blood bags so that it could quickly pool in the patient’s body."

Kim, who began his career as a nurse in 2017, initially worked in the neurosurgery ward before moving to the trauma surgery department in 2020.

While teamwork is important in all departments, in trauma surgery, it’s even more crucial, as every action can significantly impact the patient’s chance of survival, he said.

"When a critically injured patient arrives at the emergency room, doctors and nurses quickly gather around the bed to assess the patient's condition and move them rapidly just as seen in the drama series,” he said.

“But the teamwork actually starts before the patient even arrives at the hospital. When trauma surgeons receive reports of a severe trauma patient coming, they immediately share related information with the nurses and come up with a general treatment plan. By doing so, everyone knows their responsibilities and can respond quickly once the patient arrives. Teamwork is a lifeline in trauma care.”

Unlike general emergency rooms that handle all types of patients, including those with minor injuries, trauma centers are specialized facilities for patients with life-threatening or critical injuries. There are 17 trauma centers nationwide.

Despite years of working, seeing a patient die, despite all efforts, always leaves him shattered.

“Many patients in the trauma center are victims of sudden accidents, so their families find it incredibly difficult to accept the situation. They often say things like, 'I'll do better, please just open your eyes,' in front of their deceased loved ones, and every time I hear that, it breaks my heart,” he said.

“On the other hand, there are many patients who would have died if they hadn’t come to the trauma center. That’s when I really feel proud as a trauma nurse.”

Critically injured patients generally have a mortality rate of over 50 percent, which is why trauma surgery is considered an essential medical field.

However, chronic staff shortages continue to pose significant challenges to its operation in Korea.

Each trauma center requires at least 23 specialists to provide 24/7 care, but the average number of doctors per center is only 11, as of 2024, according to a report from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

What more troubling is that fewer doctors are choosing to become trauma specialists. To become a trauma specialist, doctors who have completed a general surgery residency must undergo an additional two years of training. The number of doctors receiving trauma training dropped from seven in 2020 to four last year, the report said.

Kim points to the nearly nonexistent work-life balance as the main reason doctors avoid trauma surgery.

"Trauma surgeons at our hospital are required to work the night shift at least six times a month. While critically injured patients may arrive individually, it's common for multiple patients to be brought in at once from large-scale traffic accidents. In these cases, surgeons often have to take on additional on-call duties during the day."

In the TV drama featuring a trauma center, the nurse was glad to see a character in the drama series portraying a trauma surgery nurse, a profession that many people may not be familiar with.

“In many dramas, you can see ICU nurses participating in surgeries or even riding in helicopters, but in reality, each department has its own specialized nurses,” he said.

“Trauma surgeons play a critical role in saving patients, and I consider myself as playing a small role alongside them. Lately, I feel proud that trauma surgery is becoming more well-known, both at home and abroad, through K-content.”