The shortage of nurses has been a problem for years and currently the healthcare system is short of 8,000-12,000 nurses, said Ankica Prasnjak of the Croatian Nurses' Union.
At the same time, more than 2,000 nurses are registered with the Employment Service and a ban on hiring in public services is in force, while a growing number of nurses and medical technicians are leaving the country in search of work, Prasnjak said, adding that according to some estimates, 500-600 nurses had left the country over the past year.
The theme of this year's International Nurses Day is "Nurses: A Force for Change: Care Effective, Cost Effective", putting emphasis on the link between efficient nursing and total treatment costs.
"Decisions which every nurse makes several times a day can mean a real difference for healthcare efficiency and cost-effectiveness," said Mirjana Dumancic, president of the national association of nurses.