Faced with a shortage in the sector, what can be done to boost the appeal of the nursing profession in Brussels? To answer this question, BECI, in partnership with CareForce One, a human resources team specialising in the healthcare sector, has brought together the players in the sector.
In Brussels, the nursing profession is no longer appealing. Since the nursing degree course was extended in 2016 (from 3 to 4 years), the French Community has seen a drop in students of around 20%. After the Covid-19 pandemic, there was also a drop of around 20-25% in vocations in schools.
According to the former Minister for Higher Education in the Government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Valérie Glatigny, enrolment in nursing studies has fallen from around 4,000 students in 2015-2016 to around 2,323 in 2020-2021, a drop of almost 40% in five years.
Yet, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) points out, ‘nurses are the backbone of health services’. So, without them, ‘how can we contribute to achieving the mission of healthcare institutions?’ asks Stéphanie de Patz, co-founder of CareForce One, a human resources company specialising in the healthcare sector.
Declining attractiveness
At a round table discussion organised by BECI in partnership with CareForce One, Brussels healthcare professionals identified the major interrelated challenges posed by the shortage of nursing staff.
First of all, in addition to the fact that studies are being extended, without the benefit of a Master's degree, internships in the nursing sector sometimes lack supervision, which discourages people from continuing their studies. According to Le Spécialiste, the source of socio-professional information for Belgian specialist doctors, only 60% of working nurses have a degree. In Belgium, diplomas from other countries are not recognised (as is the case with Ukrainian diplomas, for example).
As a result, the fall in the number of students is leading to a shortage of staff, of around 10%, with situations varying from unit to unit (hospitals, medical homes, residential services and retirement and care homes). At the same time, the number of long-term patients is increasing.
The speakers at the round table also noted that secondary schools systematically steer pupils towards university courses, which are perceived to be better for their grades.
Time to react
Given these findings, how can the attractiveness of the nursing profession be improved? Firstly, the guests at the round table stressed the importance of working conditions for healthcare staff, and recommended reducing the number of patients per nurse (from the current 12 to 8). Although this would cost almost 500 million euros, this sum could be taken from the White Coat Fund, an initiative aimed at developing employment and working conditions for care staff.
The promotion of diplomas was also put on the table. It is advisable to raise them to Master's level, and to ensure the rapid equivalence of professional certificates. In addition, informing and raising awareness among young people about careers in the healthcare sector, and improving the supervision of work placements, would encourage students to continue their studies.
‘Guaranteeing the level of performance of the healthcare sector, which is one of the best in Europe, will make us more attractive both nationally and internationally,’ says Jan De Brabanter, CEO a.i. of BECI, adding: ’The results of this round table will be presented to the future Brussels government, in the hope of shaping policies and initiatives that will make the nursing profession more attractive, sustainable and fulfilling.'
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