The Minister of Health, Neophytos Charalambidis, expressed his intention and desire to meet nurses who do not currently practice the profession, in order to hear the reasons that led them out of the nursing sector, acknowledging that the shortages of nursing staff are one of the biggest challenges for the health system.
The minister's statements, in the "morning itinerary", come a few days after the discussion in the Parliamentary Committee on Health, during which data were presented according to which 1.450 nurses do not practice the profession in Cyprus, while reference was also made to 988 nurses under the age of 40 who do not renew their license to practice.
Mr. Charalambides clarified that he is not able to determine the exact number of nurses who are out of the profession, as, as he mentioned, he has heard different data. He expressed, however, the desire to get in touch with them, in order to record the reasons why they do not continue to work in the field of nursing.
"I wish to meet all the nurses who do not practice," the minister said, adding that he has heard various numbers and, therefore, cannot say with certainty how many there are.
As he explained, his goal is to listen to the professionals themselves and record their experiences and concerns.
In fact, he acknowledged that among the possible reasons for removal from the profession may include negative work experiences and low earnings.
"I want to listen to these people, to see why they left the system," he noted, mentioning as possible the bad experiences that some may have had, but also the amount of earnings.
The data presented to the Parliament
The issue of nurses who do not practice the profession had been highlighted during the recent session of the Parliamentary Committee on Health, in the context of the debate on staff shortages and the promoted employment of nurses from third countries.
A representative of the Cyprus Nursing and Midwifery Council had referred to 1.450 nurses who do not practice the profession in Cyprus.
Immediate and long-term solutions
Referring to the problem of the shortage of nurses in general, Mr. Charalambides described it as timeless and particularly important, pointing out that the health system is under intense pressure.
As he explained, the Ministry of Health approaches the issue through two directions: interventions that can yield immediate results and measures of a medium and long-term nature.
Among the immediate interventions he included the bills that are before the Parliament and concern the controlled employment of nurses from third countries.
In the medium term, the minister referred to the campaign to attract young people to nursing schools, pointing out that, according to the information he receives from universities, there is an increase in interest in nursing studies.
At the same time, he referred to a scholarship program for nursing students, which is part of efforts to strengthen interest in the profession.
According to the Minister of Health, today more than 6,000 nurses are employed, a number he cited in the context of his reference to the staffing of the health system.
Asked about collective agreements in the private sector, Mr. Charalambides noted that in some cases there are such agreements, clarifying that this issue does not fall within his competence.
