The nursing workforce crisis in Europe calls for a holistic wellbeing framework

19 July 2023

Europe is in the midst of a nursing crisis, with large numbers of nurses continuing to leave the profession. This is coupled with the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with nurses at the centre of care.

In our latest think piece, developed with the European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN), we see them not as separate crises, but as intertwined. To address the nursing and NCD crisis, we propose we should start by supporting nurses’ wellbeing in the workplace.

Our think piece is supported by insights from the EFN and the Royal College of Nursing, and outlines the areas that a holistic and comprehensive framework for nurses’ wellbeing should focus on:

safe working conditions
measures to protect mental health
fair pay
career growth opportunities
integration of new technological tools.

Solving the intertwined crises facing the nursing workforce and the growing burden of NCDs is no easy task, but putting the workplace wellbeing of nurses front and centre will be a step in the right direction.