South Korean sisters reunited 40 years after taking jobs at American hospital

The sisters were reunited after they both took jobs at the same hospital in Florida

The sisters were separated over 40 years ago (AP)

Two sisters who were orphaned over 40 years ago have been reunited after being hired to work on the same hospital floor in the US.

Holly Hoyle O’Brien and Megan Hughes both grew up in South Korea, but Ms O'Brien was put into an orphanage after their father was killed after being hit by a train. Ms Hughes was taken by her stepmother to live elsewhere in South Korea.

Ms O’Brien was soon adopted by an America family, and was taken to live in Virginia with her new family. Ms Hughes was also adopted by a separate American family, and grew up in New York.

The orphanage Ms O'Brien grew up in held no record of a biological sister, and Ms Hughes had no recollection of her upbringing in South Korea.

Earlier this year, Ms O’Brien was hired to work on the medical surgical unit at Bayfront Health Port Charlotte in Florida. Two months after she started, Ms Hughes was hired to work as a physical therapy assistant on the same floor in the same hospital.

Ms O’Brien said: "One of the patients told me there was another nurse, named Meagan, who was from Korea. She said you should talk to her, maybe you're from the same town."

The two met up and got to know each other, and were surprised at the similarities between themselves. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, the pair took DNA tests this summer, which confirmed that they were in fact sisters.

"I'm like, this can't be," Ms O'Brien said. "I was trembling, I was so excited, I was ecstatic."

On finding out she had a sister, Ms Hughes said: "I was in shock, I was numb. I have a sister."