Nurses are the cornerstone of health systems, delivering essential care amid mounting clinical, emotional and logistical challenges. However, systemic neglect has created a crisis in the global nursing workforce, with serious implications for public health and economic sustainability. Chronic understaffing, poor compensation, unsafe working conditions and rising attrition rates are threatening the ability of health systems to meet growing demand. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) 2025 report, Our Nurses. Our Future, sets out a compelling case for transforming how health systems support and retain nurses. It demonstrates that caring for nurses is not just an ethical necessity but also a vital economic investment.
A Worsening Global Workforce Crisis
The global nursing shortage is severe and growing. According to estimates cited in the ICN report, more than 30 million additional nurses may be needed to meet future health care needs. Yet governments often rely on short-term responses such as international recruitment or task-shifting to less skilled workers, strategies that fail to address the core issues of retention and working conditions. A 2024–2025 survey of 68 national nursing associations found that nearly half reported a notable increase in nurses leaving the profession, while 61.7% observed rising workload demands since 2021.
Nurses face significant safety concerns and deteriorating job satisfaction. Over 86% of respondents in the ICN survey reported exposure to workplace violence from patients or the public, while more than two-thirds experienced it from colleagues. Many work under extreme emotional stress, often without adequate resources or staffing. Burnout, moral injury and psychological trauma are now endemic. This creates a vicious cycle, driving nurses out of the profession and further straining those who remain.
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Financially, nurses are undervalued. More than 70% of national associations reported little or no pay increase since 2021. In real terms, over one-third of countries noted that nurse salaries had effectively decreased. Young people are also turning away from nursing careers due to poor conditions, low wages and lack of professional development opportunities. Unless countries address these foundational issues, the global shortfall of nurses will continue to deepen.
The Economic Value of Investing in Nurses
The ICN report outlines in detail how neglecting nurse well-being leads to economic inefficiencies. Every nurse departure is estimated to cost up to approx. €34,000 ($36,918) annually in recruitment, training and lost productivity. In aggregate, unsafe care accounts for 13% of global health spending, equivalent to around approx. €558 billion ($606 billion) per year. These losses are entirely preventable through long-term investments in staff health and system reform.
Conversely, prioritising nurse well-being delivers measurable returns. Investing in health systems can generate a return of $2–$4 for every dollar spent. When applied to the nursing workforce, better health and improved allocation of resources could raise productivity by 20%. McKinsey’s Thriving Workplaces report estimates that global investment in workforce health could unlock approx. €10.8 trillion ($11.7 trillion) in economic gains. Nurses, who represent 2.5% of the global workforce, could contribute approx. €92–€277 billion ($100–$300 billion) in productivity improvements alone.
Moreover, increased nurse density correlates with improved population health. A 1% rise in nurse numbers has been linked to a 0.02% increase in life expectancy. Each additional year of life expectancy is associated with a 2.4% rise in economic growth. These statistics reinforce the powerful role nurses play as economic drivers, not just health providers.
Strategies for Long-Term Workforce Resilience
The ICN’s “Caring for Nurses Agenda” presents a comprehensive plan for strengthening nurse well-being. Central to this is the need for safe staffing levels, access to professional development, decent working conditions and fair compensation. The Agenda calls for enabling nurses to work to their full scope of practice, modernising regulations and empowering nurse leadership. These reforms can increase job satisfaction and reduce attrition.
Workplace violence, a key factor in nurse burnout, requires urgent policy attention. While 68% of surveyed countries have some form of violence prevention policy, nearly one-quarter rated those policies as ineffective. Support for new nurses, mental health services and structured peer mentorship are often lacking. Yet, as case studies from Australia and Finland show, targeted interventions can drive positive change. Finland’s shift to nurse-led care models improved outcomes and job satisfaction. Australia’s nurse-led mental health programme offers peer-based support for stress, burnout and trauma, helping to retain professionals in the field.
Another major issue is skill underutilisation. The report shows that 79% of nurses believe they are overqualified for their daily roles. This mismatch not only demoralises staff but also wastes critical human capital. Streamlining administrative tasks, adopting digital tools and expanding advanced nursing roles are essential to boost system efficiency and job fulfilment.
Improved working environments deliver clear results. The EU-funded Magnet4Europe initiative reduced burnout by nearly 18% and halved the proportion of nurses intending to leave. Quality of care ratings rose by over 11%, and negative patient safety outcomes dropped by 17.5%. These examples prove that strategic, evidence-based reforms can transform care delivery and retain talent.
The evidence is overwhelming: neglecting nurses harms health systems as well as economies. The ICN 2025 report makes it clear that sustainable care depends on workforce resilience, which in turn relies on meaningful investment in nurses’ health, safety and career development. The cost of inaction is immense, both in financial terms and in human lives. By implementing long-term strategies based on the “Caring for Nurses Agenda,” governments can reverse the cycle of burnout and attrition and build a stronger, more responsive health system. Caring for nurses is not only an ethical responsibility—it is an economic strategy for global well-being.
Source: International Council of Nurses
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