International Report Stresses Need to Care for ‘Wellbeing of Nurses’

• The wellbeing of nurses around the world has been pushed to a breaking point, according to the latest International Council of Nurses report. 
• The report and an accompanying survey call for “long-term, sustainable strategies” to help nurses thrive once again. 
• A National Council of State Boards of Nursing reinforces the ICN data. 

Nurses around the world have been pushed to a breaking point and are grappling with “enormous physical, mental, and emotional pressures.” 

Dr. Pamela Cipriano, president of the International Council of Nurses, said subpar working conditions, low compensation, and the prevalence of workplace violence and occupational hazards are driving the crisis. Her comments come as the ICN unveils its “International Nurses Day 2025” report and a related survey. 

“We must take urgent and decisive action to put nurse wellbeing at the centre of health systems and enable nurses to provide essential care, support thriving populations and economies, and advance universal health coverage and the sustainable development goals,” Cipriano said. 

The report calls for “long-term, sustainable strategies” to bolster the wellbeing of nurses. 

“Neglecting nurse health leads to increased turnover, absenteeism, and errors, placing a substantial burden on national economies,” the report stated in its executive report. “Conversely, prioritizing nurse well-being yields significant returns through improved care quality, increased workforce retention, and stronger economic performance.” 

Diving into the Survey Results 

A shortage of nearly 6 million nurses worldwide could be in the near future as many countries turn to “short-term solutions” like international recruitment and “task shifting,” according to the report.  

The survey component featured interviews with 68 national nursing associations and focused on four areas: international mobility and migration; recruitment, retention and flexible employment support; accessible and safe care; and safety of the workforce. 

Among the findings are: 

• 48.4% of NNAs saw a “moderate or great increase” in nurses leaving the profession. 
• 72.1% reported little to no increase in salaries since 2021. 
• 86.2% reported nurses in their country experienced violence or hostility by patients or the public. 
• 64.2% reported their country has a nursing staff shortage, making a safe environment more difficult to achieve. 
• The top five factors contributing to immigration were: abundance of employment opportunities, internationally competitive salary, good healthcare infrastructure, low crime, and supportive national policy. 

An unrelated survey from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing supports the international findings. Released mere days after the ICN-related survey, NCSBN’s data shows that 40% of nurses plan to leave the workforce by 2029. The top five reasons reported are: stress and burnout, workload, understaffing, inadequate salary, and workplace violence. 

Finding a New Solution to for the Wellbeing of Nurses

Howard Catton, ICN’s CEO, stated in a news release that despite evidence of the workforce crisis, leaders haven’t taken the right steps to improve the situation.  

“We are used to nurses safeguarding society from catastrophic health outcomes when disaster strikes, just as airbags deploy to protect us in a collision,” he stated. “But without immediate action to invest in and care for our nursing workforce, we risk a dangerous future where no airbag will inflate, where we won’t have nurses to come to the rescue when we need them most. Recent developments such as US funding cuts to education, health, and international aid only adds to this risk.” 

But ICN developed a seven-step agenda to care for nurses and foster a more sustainable workforce: 

1. Ensure adequate staffing and skill mix for effective care. 
2. Invest in the right resources and equipment. 
3. Provide safe and decent working conditions. 
4. Support education, professional development, and optimal scope of practice. 
5. Build supportive, high-performing organizational cultures. 
6. Improve access to healthcare and well-being support. 
7. Value nurses with fair, competitive compensation.

The Bottom Line

An international report is the latest to back up anecdotal evidence of a nursing workforce crisis — and how the well-being of nurses factors into the crisis. Its findings revealed that even when trying to alleviate pressures, leaders take the wrong approach. However, a seven-layer process has been spelled out for healthcare industry leaders to adhere to in hopes of decreasing the shortage. 

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