Nursing interest rises, but Estonia still lacks 4,000 nurses

Interest in studying nursing has grown, but Estonia still lacks at least 4,000 nurses, ERR reported. The need for specialist nurses is also increasing.

Admissions figures from Tallinn Health Care College show strong interest in the profession. After the first admissions round this year, the college received 5.1 applications per place on its nursing programme in Tallinn. At its branch in Kohtla-Järve, the figure was 3.7 applications per place.

“Our problem is not currently a lack of interest in studying nursing. The question is how many people we can train at once and how best to use graduates’ skills in healthcare,” said Kristi Rannus, associate professor at the college’s nursing department.

However, demand for nurses remains high, Rannus said. Kätlin Lillemaa, president of the Estonian Nurses Association, said Estonia has about 6.6 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants, compared with an average of about 9.2 in developed countries. Reaching the OECD average would require 4,000 additional nurses.

The need is also affected by the age of the nursing workforce. About 40 percent of nurses in Estonia are over 50, while around 18 percent are older than 60, Lillemaa said.

Of the 4,000 additional nurses needed, 40 percent would replace those retiring, 20 percent would cover staff turnover and the remaining 40 percent would allow healthcare providers to expand the number of positions, Lillemaa said. Nurses’ independence and responsibilities have increased significantly over the past decade. More people are seeking help for mental health problems, while an ageing population has increased the share of chronic illnesses that nurses address alongside doctors.

Tartu University Hospital, which already employs nearly 1,800 people in nursing-related roles, is also continuously seeking new staff. Nurses are currently needed, for example, in its surgical services, said Saima Hinno, a member of the hospital’s management board and its head of nursing and patient experience.

Hinno said staffing needs depend on state funding, contracts and their volumes, as well as demographic changes, such as the wider provision of mental health services. If new opportunities to provide services become available, healthcare institutions must also find staff to deliver them.

Speakers at the discussion said the healthcare system needs more specialist nurses in addition to general nurses. Specialist training allows nurses to make decisions independently within the limits of their competence, including decisions made during appointments that have been agreed upon by the treatment team.

Rannus said that once staffing shortages have been addressed, Estonia should begin building a healthcare system that is resilient for the future. Instead of having everyone perform a little of everything, specialists with the appropriate training should care for specific patient groups, allowing the system to improve the quality and availability of healthcare services.