Germany turns to SA for trained nurses
Germany is facing huge shortages of medical nurses and is seeking trained nurses from Africa. This may be good news for South Africa as it is seen by other countries to have high training standards for medical professionals. However, South Africa stands to lose well-trained nursing professionals to Europe. NURSE SHORTAGE Germany is struggling with […]
Germany is facing huge shortages of medical nurses and is seeking trained nurses from Africa.
This may be good news for South Africa as it is seen by other countries to have high training standards for medical professionals.
However, South Africa stands to lose well-trained nursing professionals to Europe.
NURSE SHORTAGE
Germany is struggling with severe labour shortages across its economy. The European country is in discussions with South Africa to fill its nursing vacancies.
A 2022 report published by the National Institute for Health said Germany has been unable to fill up to 520 000 full-time nursing positions.
TALKS WITH SA
Deputy secretary-general of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa), Khaya Sodidi, said Germany wants South Africa to train nurses for them, especially the unemployed youth.
“We can confirm there are continuous engagements about nurses between Germany and SA, but nothing has been finalised just yet,” Sodidi said, per BusinessDay.
BENEFITS FOR SA NURSE WORKFORCE
This may be good news for unemployed nurses in South Africa. Sodidi says that there currently are up to 20 000 unemployed nurses in SA.
Germany’s demand for nurses might also help with South Africa’s alarmingly high youth unemployment figures.
Being able to train as a nurse in SA but having a guaranteed job placement in Germany may be a silver lining for young South Africans who battle to find employment opportunities in the country after their studies.
This would mean less unemployment in SA and be an opportunity for SA to showcase its training of nurses.
ALTERED WORK LANDSCAPE
The pandemic resulted in a paradigm shift in the way we work.
Some professionals have not returned to their places of work due to being able to work remotely while others have opted not to return to the same jobs, creating massive voids in specific sectors.
In some countries, there has been a surge in attrition rates in sectors like nursing and teaching.
This has resulted in predatory behaviour by some countries that entice trained professionals from other countries to come and work in their public services.
ENTICING FOREIGN NURSE PROFESSIONALS
African nursing professionals are likely to be enticed by jobs in Europe’s largest and most powerful economy.
High teacher vacancy rates in the United Kingdom resulted in that country offering attractive packages with relocation incentives to teachers from African countries including Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
GLOBAL HEALTH CRISIS
According to People’s Gazette the global health system is facing a labour crisis and an increasing shortage of nurses.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Council of Nurses (ICN) have revealed a global nursing shortage of 5.6 million nurses, with the greatest need for qualified nurses in South East Asia and Africa.