The European Parliament SANT Committee Own Initiative Report on EU Nursing Workforce Shortages

Aim: Using the European Union legislative history on the EU Health Workforce as a case study, we draw implications in the context of the European Parliament SANT Committee’s priority to develop an Own Initiative Report on the shortages of frontline nurses and allied healthcare professionals.

Design: Policy analysis.

Method: We make specific recommendations and provide input of relevance to all political parties and MEPs dealing with the EU Health Workforce agenda in the SANT Committee. Data sources: EFN Policy documents, EU legislation and WHO EU Starting project on the nursing workforce.

Results: This paper identifies the key professional topics that should be part of the Own Initiative Report developed by the European Parliament SANT Committee, which looks into the ongoing healthcare workforce crisis in the European Union and Europe. The emphasis on the three Rs Square (3R²) is a key input to the Own Initiative Report: “Recovery and Resilience Facility”, “Recruitment”, and “Retention”. A specific focus is on safe staffing levels, mentorship of nursing students, EU financing mechanisms, and zero tolerance for violence in addressing recruitment and retention challenges in all EU Member States.

Conclusion: Within the EU policymaking context, the European Parliament SANT committee members play a central role in designing EU solutions to the critical shortage of nurses within the EU. Although clear signals were evident before the pandemic, COVID-19 has left an indelible impact on the nursing profession. As an emergency, we must move from endless EU recommendations, Joint Actions and awareness-raising to concrete, implementable actions that provide more frontline nurses. We need more highly qualified and motivated nurses at the bedside, and we need them now.

Implications for the profession: Nurses must engage with policymakers and stakeholders to advocate for effective and sustainable solutions to the health workforce crisis, such as increasing investment in education, training, and retention of nurses and ensuring fair and ethical recruitment practices across countries.

Impact:

• What problem did the study address?

• What were the main findings? The paper urges the European Parliament’s SANT Committee to act on the EU and Europe’s healthcare workforce crisis. It argues that MEPs need to focus on concrete actions instead of endless promises and recommendations that will end up on bookshelves. When drafting an Own Initiative Report in the SANT Committee, the paper calls for safe staffing policies and practices to improve the recruitment and retention of frontline nurses.

• Where and on whom will the paper have an impact?

The paper affects policymakers, health managers, nursing leaders, and educators. It is essential for these stakeholders to work together and execute strategic initiatives that guarantee sufficient, safe, and skilled nursing staff across all environments and nations. Additionally, the paper speaks to nurses, encouraging them to engage in EU policy discussions.

Patient or public contribution: No patient or public contribution.

What does this paper contribute to the wider global nursing community?

• The paper provides policy analysis and proposes concrete, focused actions that the SANT Committee members working on an Own Initiative Report can adopt as strategic initiatives to address the current nurse shortage in the European Union and Europe.