Policies to sustain the nursing workforce: an international perspective (original) (raw)
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Nursing Workforce Policy and the Economic Crisis: A Global Overview
Purpose: To assess the impact of the global financial crisis on the nursing workforce and identify appropriate policy responses. Organizing Construct and Methods: This article draws from international data sources (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD] and World Health Organization), from national data sources (nursing regulatory authorities), and the literature to provide a context in which to examine trends in labor market and health spending indicators, nurse employment, and nurse migration patterns. Findings: A variable impact of the crisis at the country level was shown by different changes in unemployment rates and funding of the health sector. Some evidence was obtained of reductions in nurse staffing in a small number of countries. A significant and variable change in the patterns of nurse migration also was observed. Conclusions: The crisis has had a variable impact; nursing shortages are likely to reappear in some OECD countries. Policy responses will have to take account of the changed economic reality in many countries. Clinical Relevance: This article highlights key trends and issues for the global nursing workforce; it then identifies policy interventions appropriate to the new economic realities in many OECD countries. This article examines recent trends and dynamics in the nursing workforce in a world deeply affected by economic change and financial recession. Demographically driven change in healthcare systems and policy responses are now compounded by an economic and financial crisis and its aftermath. Our objectives are to present an overview of the current global profile and dynamics of nursing in this changing situation; to provide country examples of the impact of the economic crisis on nursing mobility; and to discuss critical nursing workforce challenges and related policy responses. Databases of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and of the World Health Organization (WHO) are the main sources; selected country level data and information were also analyzed.
Global Critical Shortage of Nurses: Pathway to Solution
IntechOpen eBooks, 2023
In 2020, the first State of the World's Nursing (SOWN) report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed global nursing workforce to be at 27.9 million. SOWN estimated a current global nursing shortfall of 5.9 million. Furthermore, 17% of nurses are expected to retire in next 10 years. An estimated 5.3 million (89%) of that shortage is concentrated in low and lower-middle income countries, where the growth in the number of nurses is barely keeping pace with population growth. WHO global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery (SDNM) 2022 report has identified policy focus interventions for four major areas: education, jobs, leadership, and service delivery. Nurse advocacy groups like International Council of Nurses (ICN) are calling on governments to partner with various healthcare stakeholders to find tangible solutions in addressing global nursing shortage (NS).
Human Resources for Health, 2012
Economic downturns and recession lead to budget cuts and service reductions in the healthcare sector which often precipitate layoffs and hiring freezes. Nurses, being the largest professional group in healthcare, are strongly affected by cost reductions. Economic downturns destabilize the nursing labour market with potential negative outcomes, including serious shortages, extending beyond the recessionary period. The objectives of this manuscript are to provide an overview of the potential short-and long-run impact of economic downturns on the supply and demand of nurses, and present healthcare decision makers with a framework to enhance their ability to strategically manage their human resources through economic cycles. A narrative review of the literature on the effects of economic downturns on the nursing labour market in developed countries was carried out with a special focus on studies offering a longitudinal examination of labour force trends. Analysis indicates that economic downturns limit the ability of public payers and institutions to finance their existing health workforce. As salaried healthcare workers, nurses are especially susceptible to institutional budget cuts. In the short run, economic downturns may temporarily reduce the demand for and increase the supply of nurses, thereby influencing nursing wages and turnover rates. These effects may destabilise the nursing labour market in the long run. After economic downturns, the market would quickly display the prerecessionary trends and there may be serious demand-supply imbalances resulting in severe shortages. Potential long-term effects of recession on the nursing labour market may include a downsized active workforce, difficulty in retaining younger nurses, a decreased supply of nurses and workforce casualisation. Lack of understanding of labour market dynamics and trends might mislead policy makers into making misinformed workforce downsizing decisions that are often difficult and expensive to reverse. In the aftermath of an economic downturn, the costs of attracting nurses back often outweigh the short term cost savings. Effective management should support the nursing workforce by creating attractive and stable work environments to retain nurses at a manageable cost.
The Crisis in the Nursing Labour Market: Canadian Policy Perspectives
Healthcare
The labour market for care professionals has experienced significant changes, resulting in critical shortages globally. Nurses represent the largest share of health workers worldwide; nonetheless, an estimated 13 million more nurses will be needed over the next 10 years. Prior to the pandemic, the domestic supply of nurses in Canada had not kept pace with the ever-increasing demand for services. Pre-pandemic age- and needs-based forecasting models have estimated shortages in an excess of 100,000 nurses nationwide by 2030. While COVID-19 has accelerated the demand for and complexity of service requirements, it has also resulted in losses of healthcare professionals due to an increased sick leave, unprecedented burnout and retirements. This paper examines key factors that have contributed to nursing supply issues in Canada over time and provides examples of policy responses to the present shortage facing the healthcare system. To provide adequate care, the nursing workforce must be st...
Nursing shortage : a global healthcare crisis
2008
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) a worldwide crisis for healthcare delivery by professionally educated nurses is threatening to topple recent progress towards increasing longevity and quality of life. Sigma Theta Tau (STT) concurs and states that a crisis exists in countries of affluence as well as those of the Third World. In recent years, quality of life has improved for most countries as evidenced by a declining mortality and fertility rates with an increase in longevity. However, as noted by the United Nations and other organizations with an interest in global health, this trend is slowing and may begin to reverse if the issue of adequate numbers of professionally educated nurses in all countries is not addressed. This paper discusses the impact that a declining number of educated nursing professionals in a community will have on the population served. Also, societal shifts occurring, especially migration, and the impact on society and indicators that point to an increase in declining numbers in the nursing profession and how this will affect global health will be discussed. Recommendations for corrective measures by leaders in world health such as the WHO, STT, and Pan American Health Organization will be included in the final analysis.