Event highlights
A coordinated, long-term and implementation-focused approach is needed to ensure the effective and sustainable use of nursing resources. This was the main conclusion of a joint workshop held on 3 September 2025 by WHO/Europe and the Norwegian Directorate of Health, as part of the European Union-funded Nursing Action project.
“It wasn’t just any meeting or workshop, it was a chance to bring social partners with government together to build a common understanding of what we understand to be the problem, what the possible solutions are and what we can pursue,” said Margrieta Langins, Nursing and Midwifery Policy Adviser at WHO/Europe.
The workshop was designed as a policy dialogue combining plenary presentations and café-style discussions. It gathered participants from universities, municipalities, county governments, health trusts, trade unions, user groups, relevant directorates, the Norwegian Centre for Rural Medicine, and the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS). For many participants, it was the first time they had gathered across professions to collectively address Norway’s nursing workforce challenges.
Chief Nursing Officer of Norway Liv Heidi Remo said the timing was deliberate. “The purpose was to bring together relevant stakeholders to share experiences and perspectives, and to gain insight into effective measures and where the challenges are greatest,” she explained. “We also wanted to present the Nursing Action project and what the data tell us about the current situation in Norway.”
A timely policy dialogue
The programme opened with presentations on Nursing Action’s early findings, alongside examples from Norwegian initiatives that have achieved promising results.
These were followed by a series of dialogues focused on different aspects of a core theme: How can Norway retain, develop and recruit nurses for the future? Each of the 4 dialogues was guided by a key question:
- How can municipalities and specialist health services collaborate more effectively?
- What knowledge is needed to make the best possible use of nursing resources?
- What needs to be developed or strengthened to retain nurses?
- How well is today’s nursing education aligned with workforce needs?
Remo said the format helped create a solutions-driven atmosphere. “We structured the meeting to encourage open reflection. The combination of evidence-based presentations and café dialogues allowed participants to share both concrete experiences and broader structural perspectives.”
WHO/Europe and Nursing Action: bringing global insights to national challenges
Remo emphasized the value of WHO’s support. “WHO and Nursing Action have brought global attention to the nursing shortage and the need for strategic action,” she said. “This has inspired efforts in Norway to elevate the issue and create a structured arena for collaboration among education, municipalities, health trusts and unions.”
She added that the “support, enthusiasm and inspiring input” from WHO/Europe’s nursing and midwifery team has been crucial for the progress of the project.
Strong consensus: cooperation, data and leadership must improve
Across all discussion groups, key messages were consistent. “The conversations embraced both structural conditions and concrete experiences, and pointed to the need for holistic efforts and long-term thinking,” Remo said.
Participants stressed that municipalities and specialist health services must cooperate more closely, supported by national workforce projections, aligned incentives, shared positions and a common professional culture. Better and more detailed data on education pathways, occupational groups, part-time work, shifts and workload were identified as essential to planning.
“We need a common understanding of figures and projection models,” Remo noted, “and more detailed data on where different groups work and why nurses choose to work less.”
Participants also called for strengthened clinical career paths, improved working conditions, investments in technology, adapted roles for senior staff, and a stronger emphasis on competence development and leadership as a distinct discipline.
Education and retention: interconnected priorities
Discussions on retention and education revealed that efforts to keep nurses in the profession must go hand in hand with ensuring graduates are ready for real-world practice. Participants questioned whether Norway is “educating the professionals we need for the health-care services of the future”, pointing to the need for more relevant and high-quality practical training and stronger collaboration between universities and health services.
Technology, mentoring opportunities and flexible working arrangements – particularly for senior staff – were highlighted as practical steps to improve retention.
Strong engagement and clear next steps
The workshop was widely praised for its broad stakeholder involvement and solution-oriented structure. Participants expressed strong interest in continued dialogue.
Based on the workshop, next steps include:
- development of the Health Workforce Plan 2040 (a white paper);
- continued improvement of data and analysis;
- promotion of Nursing Action in national arenas, including the Nursing Congress in Bergen (25–27 November 2025); and
- a follow-up policy dialogue on 2 June 2026, with an expanded group of participants, including European partners from Nursing Action.
Implementation will be decisive
For Remo, the message is clear: Norway largely knows what needs to be done – the challenge is doing it.
“The principles of holistic efforts, competence development and cross-sector collaboration were clearly reflected in the dialogue, along with the need to strengthen leadership and management,” she said.
Ensuring that these insights translate into coordinated, sustained action will determine whether Norway can build a resilient nursing workforce for the future. Whether the country succeeds in moving from planning to implementation will shape the sustainability and quality of its health services for decades to come.