Health care institutes as attractive employer for nurses

Starting point of the project is twofold. On the one hand, health Care institutes in Flanders face serious problems keeping their nursing staff and attracting new nurses on the labour market. On the other hand, the number of chronic patients continuously increases all over the European Union. For most chronic patients and their families, the illness causes major changes in everyday life. They often suffer from loneliness, uncertainty about the future, changes in relational terms (dependence on others, changing gender roles, sexuality) and socially (labour, financial position). Problems range from psychosocial problems in the field of work, finances and dealings with others to serious psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety disorders and depression. An estimated 30% of people with a chronic medical condition develops as a result of his illness, severe psychiatric symptoms (source: ME / CFS documentation. From: Man and Science, Date: October / November 2003, Authors: M. Heijmans, L. Peters, M. Rich, P. Verhaak; http://www.mens-en-wetenschap.nl/nummers/2003-5/2003-5.html).

Confronted with chronic patients, nurses need to special skills. Nurses need to give patient education on self-management. The better the self-management, the more the patient can deal with his illness in everyday life. As argued above, there is also a need for professional psychosocial support to the patient. Here again, the nurse can play an important role.