In the context of an unprecedented crisis that we are living and which is affecting millions of healthcare professionals in Europe and in central Asia, WHO/Europe is hosting a high-level regional meeting on 22–23 March to stimulate government actions to support and protect all health and care professionals.
WHO/Europe recently warned of a ticking timebomb threatening healthcare systems in Europe because of an ageing workforce, poor mental health support, and challenges attracting and retaining young people into the profession. In the “Health and care workforce in Europe: time to act” report, WHO/Europe called on countries to do more to protect their health and care professionals, outlining a set of concrete recommendations to turn this vision into reality.
The lack of nurses represents a great issue for all the EU countries and worldwide. This healthcare staff shortage is related to the terrible working conditions in which nurses work every day and the very low salary which make the nursing profession always less attractive and increasing the aging of the healthcare professionals.
Moreover, the poor attention to the mental well-being and work-life balance is another key reason why nurses are leaving the profession massively. The most of them are women and this situation only increases the gender gap.
During these 2-Days meeting, an important step forward has been done: the adoption of “Bucharest Declaration on Health and Care workforce” which aims to face the important challenges which the healthcare professionals are facing for years.
In this regard, Paul De Raeve, the EFN Secretary General, made an interview with the “CANAL ENFERMERO – Consejo General Enfermería” for discussing what are the challenges of the nursing profession after the pandemic, where the profession should go, what is the employment situation of our nurses in Europe and how is their mobility.
The interview is available here.
For concluding, as the title of the WHO report states: “TIME TO ACT” and that’s true, it’s time to act! It is time to listen carefully what nurses and all healthcare professionals are asking for. It need to improve their working conditions, their salary and their work-life balance in order to retain the current nurses and to attract young generation to the profession.
They are the backbone of the healthcare ecosystems and without them the health is at risk!