A substancial number of EU nurses is approaching retirement age, with limited younger replacements entering the profession. Nurses often face challenging working conditions, including long hours, high patient-to-staff rations, low salaries and emotional strain. Many nurses report burnout, impacting retention rates and discouraging vocation in young people.
Competition among EU countries to attract and retain medical professionals further exacerbate the situation. Aware of the problem, the EU is developing a 3-year initiativeto launch new, better training programmes to attract young students to the nursing field.
