The Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives (SK SaPA) once again draws attention to the critical shortage of nurses in the Slovak healthcare sector, which has been deepening over the years and reaching alarming proportions. Despite the fact that the nurses did not proceed with mass dismissals, the situation continues to deteriorate dramatically. The Ministry of Health, the government and the entire society must urgently reorient their attention to solving this crisis, because without nurses it is impossible to provide quality health care.

According to available data, more than 15,000 nurses are currently missing in Slovakia. With the current average age of nurses over 50, thousands more healthcare workers are expected to retire massively by 2030, causing an even greater collapse in healthcare delivery.

The statistics of the Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives clearly show a negative trend: - Number of registrations canceled in 2024: 2013 nurses and midwives left the profession. Number of canceled registrations for the first month of 2025: 267 nurses and midwives left already in January. - Number of new nurses and midwives - graduates: 414 graduates entered practice during the comparable period. - Total number of registered new nurses in accordance with Act 578/2004 Coll.: 1075 nurses.

This trend clearly shows that more nurses are leaving than entering the system, which in the long run leads to a deterioration in the availability of health care for patients. What needs to be addressed? In order to prevent further escalation of the crisis, it is necessary to immediately take systemic measures that will ensure:

  • Real compliance with personnel standards - Hospitals and facilities must have enough qualified nurses to provide safe and high-quality health care. Overloading of staff leads to burnout, increased error rates and nurses leaving abroad or outside the healthcare sector.
  • Competitive wages – Slovak nurses are paid worse than their colleagues in neighboring countries, which leads to their massive departure abroad. If they are to stay working in Slovakia, their wages must be adequate and reflect their demanding work and responsibility.
  • Solving mobbing and bossing - Humiliation and underestimation of nurses by doctors and management is still present in Slovak healthcare. This toxic approach destroys nurses' morale, reduces their motivation and leads to them leaving the profession.
  • Compliance with the Labor Code - Many nurses work in disastrous conditions, face illegal overtime, non-compliance with work breaks and violations of labor regulations. Such practices are unacceptable and must be dealt with rigorously.
  • Improvement of the working environment - Nurses work in inappropriate conditions that threaten not only their health, but also the safety of the patient. Lack of staff, lack of equipment and overload lead to reduced quality of health care and increase the risk of errors.
  • Support for long-term and community care - The Slovak health care system still lacks sufficient space for the development of the independent practice of nurses and midwives. Strengthening community and long-term nursing could not only improve the availability of care for the chronically ill and the elderly, but also enable nurses to fully utilize their competencies and professional skills.
  • Modernization and digitization of the healthcare system - Streamlining processes, introducing digital solutions and reducing the administrative burden can significantly contribute to better working conditions for nurses.
  • Management and support of the education of future nurses - It is necessary to invest significantly in the university education of new nurses, as well as in postgraduate education and specializations. Without well-educated personnel, it will not be possible to provide modern health care.

What threats will arise if this problem is not addressed?

  • Patients will wait much longer for health care, which can lead to worse health and higher mortality.
  • Hospitals will be forced to close departments or reduce services because they will not have enough staff to provide care.
  • Overworked nurses will more often make mistakes that can endanger the health and life of patients. - Young people will not have the motivation to study nursing, which will further exacerbate the problem in the future.
  • The insufficient development of community and long-term care will increase the burden on hospitals, while patients will not have access to the necessary care at home.

SK SaPA appeals to the Ministry of Health, the government and the whole society to stop ignoring this critical problem and take concrete measures to stabilize the number of nurses in the system. Every day of delay means putting patients at risk and another step towards the collapse of health care.

More: www.sksapa.sk

Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives (SK SaPA) is a self-governing state organization with pan-Slovak scope, headquartered in Bratislava, bringing together nurses and midwives. The main task of SK SaPA is to defend the professional, economic and social interests of the members of the chamber in medical, social, school and other facilities.