As nursing shortage deepens, new formula presented to Health Ministry

A new formula presented by the Private Hospitals and Health Institutions Association (OHSAD) suggest that university students who have graduated with degrees in biology, physics and chemistry might be able to acquire nursing licenses to meet the demand. A recent example shows that an insufficient number of people are interested in nursing. The private Nene Hatun Hospital, for example, placed ads in newspapers for one doctor and many nurses. While a great number of doctors (25) replied to the advertisement for deputy head doctor, just one person applied for the nursing positions. The hospital needs nurses in all of its departments.

Currently 200,000 nurses are needed to meet the needs of the health sector in Turkey. In the face of this urgent need, Cevat Şengül, the undersecretary at OHSAD, told Today’s Zaman on Friday that thousands of university graduates with degrees in teaching in Turkey have no job. According to him, educators who have graduated with degrees in chemistry, biology and physics could be nurses after receiving six months of training. This may also solve the problem of unemployment among university graduates. This suggestion was presented to Health Minister Recep Akdağ. It is still unclear how the ministry will respond to this suggestion. After the adoption of a new law by the Health Ministry, foreign nurses and doctors will be allowed to work in Turkey starting in 2012, if they have the right qualifications and if they know Turkish. Roughly 5,000 to 6,000 foreign doctors are expected to begin working in Turkey, but there is no limit to the number of foreign nurses who can be employed since they are in great demand. But for the moment there are still problems regarding the implementation of the new law.