Recorded sessions on demand will be available 24 hours after the session ends

Abstract Body

Working in nursing is a calling, but why do so many people leave the profession prematurely? We can deduce that there is more to it. Work pressure is high and mental pressure takes its toll. Nurses are in short supply; according to WHO in 2030 there will be a shortage of 6 million nurses worldwide.

Retaining personnel will become even more important in the coming years. Due to the aging population the need for care will increase as will the average age of health care workers. The question is how are we going to retain our costly personnel? Nurses are, above all, the backbone of the care sector.

2020 is the year of the nurse. 2020 is also the year of COVID-19. During this crisis there has been applause for care workers. Nurses shouldn’t just be recognised and appreciated during crises. They should ­fundamentally receive more recognition and appreciation which does justice to their dedication, professionalism and great importance to society. Research shows that nurses do not primarily find job satisfaction in their salaries. One of the most important reasons to leave is the failure to be challenged. So how can we challenge nurses?

UMC-Utrecht wants nurses to develop themselves in such a way that they feel inspired and challenged to work there. They also want nurses to be prepared for the ever changing future. For this reason, UMC-Utrecht has developed an educational programme for continual professional development to ensure that we retain our nurses.