Nurse shortage remains severe in Estonia despite higher enrollment
Although interest in studying to become a nurse has increased, representatives of the Estonian Nurses Union say the country is still short at least 4,000 nurses. The need for specialist nurses is also steadily growing.
Admission numbers to the Tallinn Health University of Applied Sciences nursing program in recent years show strong interest in the profession. After the first round of admissions this year, there were 5.1 applications per nursing study place in the capital.
In Kohtla‑Järve, where the facility has a branch, competition was 3.7 applications per place, said Kristi Rannus, associate professor at the a health‑education institution's nursing department.
"So our problem right now is not a lack of interest in studying nursing. The question is rather how many we can train at once and how to make the best use of graduates' competencies in the health‑care system," she said.
Despite the high interest, Rannus said the need for nurses in health care remains large.
Estonian Nurses Union president Kätlin Lillemaa noted that Estonia currently has about 6.6 nurses per 1,000 residents, while the average in developed countries is around 9.2. To reach the OECD average, Estonia is short 4,000 nurses.
The need is also affected by the fact that, according to statistics, about 40 percent of nurses in Estonia are over 50 years old, and about 18 percent are older than 60, Lillemaa said.
"When we talk about a shortage of 4,000 nurses, then 40 percent of that would be needed to replace those retiring, 20 percent to cover workforce turnover, and the remaining 40 percent would be needed to increase the number of positions. In the past 10 years, nurses' independence and responsibilities have expanded significantly, and in recent years the number of people seeking help for mental‑health problems has grown sharply. With an aging population, chronic illnesses are more common, and nurses deal with many of these issues alongside doctors," Lillemaa explained.
New colleagues are also constantly being sought at Tartu University Hospital, where nearly 1,800 nursing‑sector employees already work. Right now, nurses are needed in the surgical service, said Saima Hinno, member of the hospital's management board and head of nursing and patient experience.
"Health‑care institutions operate according to how they are funded by the state, what contracts they have and what volumes those contracts cover. We must also consider changes in the population, such as the broader provision of mental‑health services. When these opportunities open up for us, we must find colleagues who can provide those services," Hinno said.
Speakers also noted that alongside general nurses, the health‑care system increasingly needs specialist nurses.
"A specialist nurse's competence allows them to make independent decisions within their scope of practice. The decisions a nurse makes during a consultation are agreed upon within the care team. This trend is growing, so the need is there," Hinno said.
"I argue that once we have filled the workforce gaps, we should start thinking about a future‑proof health‑care system — meaning that not everyone does a little bit of everything, but each patient group is cared for by specialists with the appropriate training. Then we can begin improving the quality and accessibility of health‑care services," Rannus said.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Argo Ideon
