On International Nurses Day, observed every May 12, the CELP underscored the critical role of this profession, which constitutes the largest healthcare group in the archipelago, with nearly 16,000 professionals. These individuals form the backbone of the system, providing constant care and protection to citizens.
The collegiate organization insists that, to address current challenges such as the rise in chronic diseases and demographic aging, it is imperative for public authorities to better recognize and support nurses. Their demands should not be viewed as sectoral, but as vital measures for the healthcare system's viability.
“"The most cost-effective intervention to prevent the organizational collapse of the healthcare system is to invest in nursing, prevention, and care."
According to data from the General Council of Nursing (CGE), Spain faces a structural deficit of 100,000 nurses, with a ratio of 6.36 nurses per thousand inhabitants, significantly below the European average of 8.19. This is compounded by the forecast of over 50,000 retirements in the next decade and the emigration of more than one thousand nurses annually in search of better working conditions.
The deficit is exacerbated by difficult working conditions, including patient overload, job insecurity due to temporary contracts, blocked professional development, and an increase in assaults. In 2024 alone, 2,525 assaults on nurses were recorded in Spain. This situation has led to 67% of professionals suffering from anxiety and 33% from depression, with 39.4% expressing their intention to leave the profession within the next ten years.
To reverse this trend, the CELP proposes an urgent investment strategy in the profession, including a new patient-centered comprehensive care model, a new Framework Statute to reclassify nurses to group A1, the full development of specialties, promoting nursing profiles in management positions, and a reform of the Medicine Law to establish full prescribing authority for nurses.
