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- 29 September, 2023
- Filip Leskovsky
The Cabinet approved a 12-step incentive program to address the shortage of nurses on Thursday.
Key aspects of the plan include changing the way hospitals report nurse-to-patient ratios for each shift and changing the frequency and structure of the national nursing exam.
In addition, the plan includes measures to improve working conditions for nurses, such as providing financial incentives and higher wages for working night shifts. If hospitals are able to meet all the new nurse-to-patient standards, they will be rewarded with an NT$1 million (US$31,000) bonus to be distributed to its nursing staff.
Deputy Health Minister Jih-Haw Chou (周志浩) says that this plan will help to ensure that Taiwan has the nursing workforce it needs to provide quality care to its citizens. He says parts of the plan will likely be put into action in 2024 and be fully implemented within two years.
The Health Ministry estimates that the 12-point plan will cost about NT$18 billion (US$560 million) per year to implement. The ministry projects that the plan will increase the number of nurses in Taiwan by 67,000 to 78,000 by the year 2030.
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