Nurses are key players in
health promotion and
disease prevention and the backbone of
health care systems worldwide.
Nurses work on the front lines of
disease prevention,
health promotion, and
health management and are often the unsung heroes in
health care facilities and
emergency response. Despite the critical
role they
play in
health care, there is a
nursing shortage across the world that
will affect the delivery of competent
nursing care. This
document highlights key action points for targeted
investment in the
nursing workforce and calls on Member States to strengthen
nursing within the context of their own country efforts.
Suggestions for action and
strategies for strengthening the
nursing workforce in
primary health care services through
investment in
education, jobs,
leadership, and service delivery are provided. It also provides information for country stakeholders with a strategic
role in addressing
health access barriers and attending to the
health needs of the
population, especially groups living in conditions of
vulnerability, in rural and remote
communities, and in places with a low density of other
health professionals.The objective is to facilitate the efforts of stakeholders in implementing
resources required to help countries in the Region of the
Americas advance
universal health and
achievement of the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by advancing
nursing workforce capacity. This includes
governments and policymakers as well as academic institutions and educators;
nursing professionals;
nursing unions, councils, and professional
associations; and regulatory bodies. This
policy brief was developed by
PAHO through new analyses, expert
consensus, and reference to existing
PAHO and
WHO guidance and
literature on
investments in the
nursing workforce in the Region of the
Americas.