Nurse Shortage: A More Serious Challenge than the Decrease in Medical Staff?
A serious problem in the Hungarian healthcare system is the shortage of nurses, which has long been waiting for a solution. The number of nurses working in hospitals is dramatically below the EU average, which can have serious consequences for the quality of patient care. The situation is particularly concerning as interest in the nursing profession is declining among young people, further exacerbating the problem.
In the current situation, hospitals are forced to hire agency nurses to fill the gaps left by missing professionals. According to estimates from the Hungarian Chamber of Health Care Professionals, more than 40,000 nurses are missing from the healthcare system, posing a significant challenge for the sector. Urgent measures are needed to address the situation so that a sufficient number of qualified healthcare professionals will be available in the future.
Demographic challenges, such as an aging population and retirement, further complicate the situation. In addition, interest among young people in the nursing profession is decreasing, necessitating the development of comprehensive, long-term strategies to solve the issue.
Causes and Consequences of the Nurse Shortage
The nurse shortage represents the biggest problem in Hungary’s healthcare sector, caused by numerous factors. One of the most important reasons is demographic aging, which is also noticeable among healthcare workers. More than one-third of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are over 55 years old, and many are expected to retire in the near future. This trend is particularly concerning since interest in healthcare careers is declining among young people, making it difficult to replace departing professionals.
In several EU countries, including Hungary, there has been a significant decrease in the appeal of nursing careers among young people. The situation is further complicated as many hospitals have nurse staffing levels that are 30-40% below minimum expectations, negatively impacting the quality of patient care. Increasing the number of nurses and other healthcare professionals is essential for maintaining the healthcare system, as providing adequate services is nearly impossible without them.
The Key to the Solution: Incentive Measures
To address the nurse shortage, it is crucial to establish appropriate incentive systems for professionals in the field. Improving working conditions and compensation is fundamental to making the profession more attractive to young people and retaining existing staff. Planning the healthcare workforce plays a vital role in policy decision-making, as ensuring the right number and qualification of personnel is essential for the system’s functioning.
Among the measures proposed by the OECD are increasing work efficiency, optimizing qualification levels, and leveraging digital technologies and artificial intelligence to facilitate healthcare workers’ tasks. These steps together can contribute to reducing the nurse shortage and addressing future challenges.
The Role of Nurses in the Healthcare System
Nurses play a key role in healthcare delivery, as the quality of patient treatment would significantly deteriorate without them. The leadership of the Hungarian Hospital Association has repeatedly emphasized that the nurse shortage is the biggest problem in healthcare and that the situation requires urgent solutions. Restoring the respect for healthcare workers necessitates not only financial recognition but also support for their mental health and improvement of their working conditions.
The use of agency nurses is a common solution to address the nurse shortage, allowing experienced professionals to take on extra shifts. However, this is not an ideal solution, as agency nurses do not know the patients or the workings of the departments, complicating their work. Future solutions must therefore focus on ensuring that nurses remain committed to the profession in the long term.
The Future Healthcare Workforce
To ensure the future healthcare workforce, it is essential to increase the attractiveness of the nursing profession and adequately inform young people about its advantages. Healthcare institutions must actively recruit and launch incentive programs for young people to encourage more to choose this career.
The demand for nurses and other healthcare workers is continuously growing, offering a secure future for those who choose this path. To increase demand for healthcare workers, institutions must seek innovative solutions that make the profession more attractive, such as flexible working arrangements, providing training opportunities, and highlighting career benefits.
Solving the nurse shortage is not only vital for the future of the healthcare system but is also essential for the health of society as a whole. Only with a sufficient number of qualified professionals can high-level patient care and the effective functioning of the healthcare system be guaranteed.
