The lack of nursing and midwifery staff in Cyprus is now a fact, which we must deal with effectively, said the Minister of Health, Michalis Damianos, addressing the young men and women, who are still in the process of choosing their studies, for the next academic year, but also to students of Secondary Education, an invitation to seriously consider the possibility of choosing studies in nursing and midwifery.
Speaking at a press conference for the launch of the Information Campaign for the Promotion of the Nursing Profession with the central message "Invest in life with studies in nursing and midwifery", he stated that it is a fact that in recent years, in our country, there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of newly entering undergraduates nursing students in our Universities, TEPAK and Private Universities, which have Nursing Departments/Schools.
It is important to note, he continued, that in Cyprus the unemployment rate of nurses is zero, while at the same time the nursing profession appears to be in significant demand, and it is predicted that in the coming years, the needs for nurses in the Health System of our Country will remain high .
According to the records of the Superintendent of Private Hospitals, Mr. Damianos said, there are new Private Hospitals, which are in the process of obtaining a license to establish and operate, some of which have secured a license to establish and are in the process of securing a license to operate.
It should be pointed out, he continued, that in the process for a license to establish and operate, there are also existing Private Hospitals, which will undergo conversions/expansions, which require an increase in the number of nursing staff.
Most of the beds, he clarified, concern General Nursing Departments and a small number of beds concern TAEP and ICUs. It is estimated that 470 nurses are required for their proper staffing. In addition, it is expected that a significant number of nursing and midwifery staff from the OKYpY Hospitals and Structures will retire (due to age).
Listening to these needs, the Ministry of Health said, decided for the year 2024, to allocate the largest amount from the Health Enlightenment Fund, for the implementation of a communication campaign to attract young people to choose studies in nursing and midwifery. Our campaign, he noted, will be disseminated in almost all mass media such as: television, radio, outdoor signs (billboards), portals, social networks (social media) in cooperation with the Press and Information Office.
As he said, the communication campaign to attract young people to study nursing and midwifery is only one part of the actions of the Ministry of Health for the promotion and development of the nursing and midwifery profession.
"With the cooperation of the Directorate of Nursing Services, the Cyprus Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Pancypriot Association of Nurses and Midwives (PA.SY.NM) and the Universities (TEPAK and private) that have Schools of Nursing, an informative presentation was developed for the Nursing and Midwifery profession, which was presented online by the Director of Nursing Services, to the Counselors of Counseling and Vocational Education, of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth", he added.
The Minister said that the Health Systems, both in Europe and in Cyprus, are called to manage the challenge that arises and concerns the availability of the workforce in the Health Sector.
"Undoubtedly, the ability of all Health Systems to provide quality health services, which primarily ensure the safety of citizens and at the same time respond to changing health needs, depends to a large extent on the availability of the workforce, which is required to possess the necessary scientific knowledge and skills," he added
Cyprus, Mr. Damianos continued, is one of the few countries in the world that maintains a single university level of nursing, which ensures quality nursing care and makes it a model in the international Nursing Community.
He said that Nursing is the whole of a scientific body of knowledge, research and necessary specialized practices - it is an offer of health, as a separate science, with social sensitivity, with respect for the human being, in all stages of health and illness, throughout the course of his life, even before his conception and birth, until old age and death.
Mr. Damianos noted that the nursing profession is a leading factor that contributes to high-quality health systems, as it covers a wide range of activities, ranging from prevention, the implementation of health promotion programs, patient care and rehabilitation, to research . He practices, he said, in primary health care structures, community nursing, community midwifery, home nursing, school health, in secondary and tertiary health care structures, in OKYpY hospitals, in private hospitals, in geriatrics, in rehabilitation units, in clinics mental health, ambulance service, education and research.