ICN: Nurse shortage creates global health emergency

The International Council of Nurses released a report last week saying the worldwide nurse shortage is a global health emergency. It calls on governments throughout the world to make sufficient investment in the nursing workforce and the health systems they work in. The report says stress, burnout, absences from work and strikes are symptomatic of the “perilous state of health care” and they “must be addressed urgently” to enable nurses to “take on their central role in the recovery of health systems globally.” Among the recommendations, the report calls for governments to assess the impact of their policies on the nursing workforce, expand the capacity of domestic nurse education systems and invest in the recruitment and retention of nurses. (ICN news release, 3/20/23)