Understaffing is endangering both nurses and patients and undermining healthcare quality, a groundbreaking new report from Global Nurses United (GNU) has revealed.

The report, titled Global Crisis, Collective Solution: Addressing the Worldwide Nurse Staffing Crisis, suggests collective action by nurses has proven the most effective in securing meaningful reforms across some jurisdictions, particularly nurse-to-patient ratios.

“Strengthening labour rights and empowering nurses to advocate for workplace improvements are essential components of any effective solution to the global nurse staffing crisis,” the report states.

“Extending and safeguarding nurses’ labour protections and our right to bargain collectively will therefore be of paramount importance in addressing the global staffing crisis.”

While there are multiple compounding causes for the nurse staffing crisis that require equally complex strategies, GNU asserts the primacy of building the collective power of nurses to effect change in their own working conditions from the ground up through organising, advocacy, and global solidarity.

For example, nurse-to-patient staffing ratios were achieved in places like California and Victoria through persistent collective organising and nurses exercising their protected rights.

“Fixing the global nurse staffing crisis will require more than education and investment: it will require strengthening labour rights and protections for nurses and all workers.”

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