The European Federation of Nurses Association (EFN) has published a new country-by-country report on the impact of the economic crisis on nurses and nursing in Europe.
The report illustrates the current and future challenges facing the nursing profession, and offers a view of the specific dynamics in each country, as well as a tool to take action and tackle these challenges. Since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008, the EFN and its member associations have been monitoring the effects on nurses and nursing. Paul de Raeve, secretary general, EFN, said: “The effects of the financial crisis on nurses and nursing are clear: an actual reduction in nursing posts across Europe, nurses’ pay cuts and salary freezes, diminished recruitment and retention rates, and observed compromises in quality of care and patient safety. This has resulted in nurses all over Europe working harder to maintain quality standards, while being asked to provide more for less. Lack of equipment, reduced supplies and inadequate staffing are placing patients’ lives in danger on a daily basis all over Europe. In order for nurses to be able to maintain quality standards, concrete action must be taken to address the working conditions and education of nurses.” The EFN members are now calling for attention to this problem, and has urged the EU to take notice to enable nurses across Europe to maintain the high standards they are trained to uphold.
