In recent years, the interest of young Europeans in health professions has collapsed, in particular for medical and nursing ones. It is a very interesting, coveted branch, where people are not put in the right conditions to be able to carry it out. In fact, less and less guys see in these paths a sustainable futurediscouraged by Infinite shifts and salaries that do not even cover the rent.
A crisis that embraces the health personnel in full, but the nursing professionin particular, is experiencing slow but inexorable agony, photographed by the relationship “What Do We Know About Young People’s Interest in Health Careers?”. The document collects data between 2018 and 2022 and attempts to identify solutions to arrest the bleeding of staff who are bleeding public health.
Nurses, a worrying drop in Italy
In Italy, the number of access to degree courses in nursing is decreased by 20% Between 2019 and 2022, going from about 30,000 to 24,000 annual applications. This is despite the increase of 15% of the places available in the degree courses, designed to fill the growing request for health personnel. The increase in the training offer, however, did not compensate for the escape of the new levers, more and more discouraged from logoing working conditions and not very reassuring perspectives.
Low salaries, stress and workloads discourage young people
The pandemic turned on the spotlight on the health personnelcelebrated in words but abandoned in fact. Inhuman shifts, hunger salaries and a professional consideration for historic lows have convinced many young people to turn off the hospital lanes. Why risk ending crushed in a system that grinds workers and leaves them to their destiny?
With less young people ready to wear the shirt, those who are already inside find themselves with unsustainable workloads. A mechanism that feeds a vicious circle and pushes more and more nurses to flee. 2024 is the year of the exodus: in the first nine months, over 20,000 nurses resigned, with a surge of 170% compared to 2023. It is not only theirs who throw the sponge: 7,000 doctors also said goodbye to the public service. Nursing Up speaks of a collapse situation, with an emorrhage of over 2,000 nurses per month which, if not argued, could bring the budget of the defections over 30,000 units by the end of the year.
The reasons for this abandonment are always the same: unmanageable workloads, nightmare shifts, humiliating salaries And a non -existent professional recognition. According to the union, 98% of nurses feel ignored by institutions and 75% would not recommend this career even to the worst enemy.
More and more often, those who leave do not just go to the private or to seek luck abroad: Many change completelytired of a job that takes away a lot and gives less and less. 71% of Italian nurses are forced to get into debt to arrive at the end of the month, while 75% said they no longer believe in the profession.
A shameful fact, that of remaining without money while working, even more absurd if we think we are still the eighth world economic power, but the salaries are stopped in the 90s, when we were the fourth. The problem is now not only cheap: it is the dignity that has gone by default. The unknown remains of what will happen in the next 10 years, when more doctors will serve.
OECD proposals to reverse the trend
To resolve the crisis of health personnel, the OECD suggests some strategies:
- Realline the salaries for European standards and improve working conditions to return dignity to the profession.
- Start awareness campaigns and educational programs in high schools to promote the sector.
- Create economic incentives and scholarships for students interested in these careers.
- Launch targeted programs to increase the male presence in the nursing profession.
