On the International Nurses’ Day, the EFN promotes the importance of universal access to healthcare as a fundamental right of EU citizens.
The recently adopted European Pillar of Social Rights represents a unique opportunity for the EU to strengthen the right to timely access to affordable, preventive and curative health care of good quality.
To achieve this goal, the role of nurses is crucial due to their great contribution to improving nation’s health and well-being. In particular, nurses are able to see people in different stages of life and in different places, that allow them to apply a holistic approach toward care, and to cure patients within the context of their communities. In this sense, the nursing skills and experience make nurses crucial actors in increasing health coverage for all thanks to the peculiar nature of their role in delivering care no matter the location or the setting.
Nurses are the largest occupational group in the health sector, providing the majority of direct patient and citizens’ care, 24 hours/7 days in a roll, 365 days a year. In this context, the EFN stands as a key player in supporting and advocating for strategies and policies placing the patient at the centre of care, seeing patients as persons who are more than their illness.
Therefore, to achieve the best health and wellbeing outcomes for EU patients and citizens, the EFN calls on the European Commission, the European Parliament and Council to empower and support nursing as a profession. In particular, it is crucial to involve nurses in the implementation and monitoring of the Social Pillar. Namely, the implementation and design of health policies should reflect the nurses’ pragmatic approach. Practical and concrete actions are urgently needed in the EU, and empowered nurses can greatly impact in bringing Europe closer to citizens!