Unsafe nurse staffing is putting patients at risk and accelerating burnout across the WHO European Region, according to a new policy brief from World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe).
Evidence consistently shows that when staffing levels fall below safe thresholds, patient harm increases and nurses face higher levels of stress, injury and mental ill-health. Safe nurse staffing means ensuring the right number and mix of appropriately educated and supported nurses are in place to deliver safe care in a specific workplace or environment.
In 2022, WHO/Europe warned that health workforce shortages were a “ticking time bomb,” projecting a shortfall of nearly one million health workers by 2030. Across several European Union member states, worsening…
