The European Commission has set aside a total of €1.3 million, which will be distributed towards retaining and attracting nurses to the Schengen Area, as the zone is dealing with serious labour shortages in this sector.
The launch of this EU action, established by the European Commission in partnership with WHO Europe, took place in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, the current holder of the EU presidency for the first half of the year, Schengen.News reports.
“Nurses are a crucial part of health systems as they are often the closest link with the patients. We currently face a shortage of 1.2 million doctors, nurses and midwives across the EU, and there is a decline in interest in nursing careers across more than half of EU countries.” – Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare.
Many EU countries are having a difficult time retaining nurses, as WHO reveals, and the crisis will worsen by 2030 when a shortfall of over 18 million healthcare workers globally is expected to occur.
EU Aims at attracting more nurse workers
Through this action, several activities across the EU Member States will be held over 36 months. Countries with significant challenges in the healthcare system will be prioritised.
In addition, the Member States, in collaboration with the nurses’ organisations and social partners, will be customising the specific needs of this initiative in order to be convenient for both national and subnational levels.
This initiative will also include mentoring programmes for future nurses, impact assessments for nurses, strategies to improve these workers’ well-being and initiatives regarding the benefits of digital transformation.
“The action launched today shows our commitment to addressing the shortage of nurses in Member States. I hope that it will help to attract young talent into the profession and retain our valuable professionals. I am looking forward to working closely with WHO Europe on this action.” – EU Commissioner for Health.
According to Eurostat, the EU Statistical Office, the number of nursing graduates in 2020 was the highest in Norway out of most EU countries, with 75 nurses per 100,000 inhabitants. Denmark and Sweden also have a higher number of nurses per inhabitant, 44.1 and 43.5 per 100,000 people, while Bulgaria (6.9) and Romania (6.4) had the lowest number of nurses in proportion to 100,000 inhabitants.
These 7 EU Countries Are in Serious Need of Healthcare Professionals
Seven European countries are in great need of healthcare workers, as the 2023 EURES report on shortages and surpluses has revealed.
Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Ireland, Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands would appreciate more healthcare workers, such as specialist doctors and nursing professionals.
“Among the EURES countries, Ireland, Norway, and Switzerland show the highest dependency on foreign-trained doctors, and Ireland, Switzerland, and Austria show the highest dependency on foreign-trained nurses.” – 2023 EURES Report on shortages and surpluses.
These seven countries need healthcare professionals such as specialist medicals, generalist medical practitioners, nurses, healthcare assistants, midwives, physiotherapists, pharmacists, dentists, as well as audiologists and speech therapists. Schengen Area News