The State of Global Nursing: Latest Shifts, Challenges, and Wins in Healthcare 

When most people think of nurses, they imagine kind faces at the bedside or skilled hands administering treatment. But today, global health and nursing have evolved far beyond traditional caregiving. Nurses are policymakers, researchers, innovators, and leaders who shape the future of healthcare delivery. Their influence is global, spanning from rural clinics in Africa to urban hospitals in North America, and from community health programs in Asia to critical care units in Europe. 

The state of global nursing in 2025 is both inspiring and alarming. On one hand, more nurses are entering the workforce, diversity is increasing, and advanced practice roles are reshaping care delivery. On the other hand, uneven distribution, underemployment, and worsening mental health challenges paint a sobering picture.  

The latest updates from September 2025 highlight both progress and the struggles still faced by this profession. Understanding these shifts is not just about healthcare workforce planning; it is about safeguarding the health of future generations. 

Global Nursing United States: Bottlenecks in Education and Retention 

The U.S. continues to grapple with a severe nursing shortage, compounded by a lack of educators. 

• Faculty shortages: Thousands of qualified applicants are turned away from nursing schools each year due to a lack of faculty and clinical placement sites. (AACN, 2025) 

• Workforce demand: An estimated 189,100 registered nurse practitioner global health openings will occur annually through 2034, driven by retirements and expanding healthcare needs. (NurseJournal, 2025) 

• Burnout risks: High turnover in specialty areas like geriatrics, mental health, and home health continues to put patient care at risk. 

Important notes: Unless systemic issues, particularly the shortage of nurse educators are addressed, and stronger retention and well-being strategies are implemented, the U.S. faces the risk of an even deeper nursing shortfall over the next decade. Strategic investments in nursing education, faculty recruitment, workplace support, and career development are critical to ensuring a resilient healthcare system. 

United Kingdom: Expanding Training and Early Recruitment 

The UK’s NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan is one of the boldest responses to nursing shortages globally. 

• Training expansion: Nursing and midwifery training places are being scaled up by nearly 92%, aiming for 38,000 seats by 2031/32, with new places rolling out from September 2025. (NHS England, 2025) 

• Early recruitment: Employers are now recruiting nurses in global health and midwives before vacancies arise, to prevent workforce gaps. (Staffing Industry, 2025) 

• Safety concerns: Reliance on flexible staff (temporary or agency workers) is raising alarms about patient safety, with 1 in 5 nurses warning that unsafe staffing levels could harm patients. (Staffing Industry, 2025) 

Important Notes: The UK is taking bold steps to secure its nursing future through expanded training and early recruitment. Yet, without tackling immediate issues like pay, workload, and reliance on agency staff, short-term pressures could undermine these long-term gains. 

Global Health and Nursing in Germany: Strong Numbers, but Heavy Reliance on Migration 

Germany has one of the largest nursing workforces in Europe, but shortages persist. 

• Workforce size: About 559,000 nurses in global health and midwives are employed in German hospitals, one of the highest in the Europe. (Euronews, 2025) 

• Foreign recruitment: Germany is increasingly turning to international recruitment, particularly from Southeast Asia. (Tern Group, 2025) 

• Regulatory hurdles: European infringement proceedings are underway against Germany for delays in recognizing professional global nursing qualifications from other European countries, limiting mobility. (EU News, 2025) 

Important Notes: Germany’s nursing workforce looks stable on paper, but this strength is heavily dependent on foreign-trained professionals. Lengthy recognition processes and bureaucratic hurdles slow down integration. This means, even with sufficient recruits, the system struggles to fill vacancies quickly and efficiently. 

France: Sizeable Workforce, Stalled Recognition 

France also ranks high in nurse and global health numbers but faces systemic challenges. 

• Hospital nurses: France employs 386,000 nurses in hospitals. (Euronews, 2025) 

• EU Nursing Action initiative: France is participating in WHO-Europe’s multi-country program to improve nurse retention and working conditions. (WHO Europe, 2025) 

• Recognition delays: Like Germany and Italy, France faces infringement proceedings for failing to implement EU rules on recognizing qualifications from other European countries. (EU News, 2025) 

Important Notes: France currently maintains a solid nursing workforce, but without smoother pathways for mobility and better working conditions, it risks bottlenecks that could strain care delivery and limit its ability to respond to rising healthcare demands. 

Italy: Progress, but Geographic Gaps 

Italy’s nursing workforce is substantial yet unevenly distributed. 

• Hospital workforce: Italy employs 286,000 hospital nurses in global health. (Euronews, 2025) 

• EU recognition issues: Like France and Germany, Italy faces infringement proceedings for failing to fully recognize qualifications of European nurses. (EU News, 2025) 

• Retention efforts: Italy is part of WHO’s Nursing Action initiative, aimed at boosting retention and addressing shortages. (WHO Europe, 2025) 

Takeaway: Italy’s nursing workforce remains uneven, with shortages hitting certain regions harder than others. Unless geographic disparities and regulatory barriers are addressed, efforts to stabilize the profession will fall short of meeting national healthcare needs. 

Turn to MDForLives for the Latest Global Insights 

As September 2025 has shown, global nursing is at a crossroads – inspiring reforms and expansions are underway, yet systemic gaps persist. Addressing shortages, supporting mental health, and improving recognition processes are all part of a shared global journey. 

We, team MDForLives, are here to support that journey! By offering nurses a single, trusted hub for the latest global updates, professional insights, and thought leadership opportunities (that’s rewarding!), MDForLives helps ensure that no nurse stands alone in facing these challenges.  

Together, we can build a healthcare system where nurses in global health thrive as much as patients do.

FAQs

Q1. What is global nursing?

Global nursing refers to the role of nurses in improving healthcare across countries and cultures. It goes beyond bedside care to include policymaking, education, research, and international collaboration, ensuring better health outcomes worldwide.

Q2. Why is global nursing important in 2025?

Global nursing is crucial because healthcare systems everywhere face common challenges: workforce shortages, aging populations, mental health crises, and unequal access to care. Nurses are at the center of solving these issues through innovation and leadership.

Q3. What are the biggest challenges facing nurses in global health?

Key challenges include nursing shortages, uneven workforce distribution, burnout, limited recognition of qualifications across borders, and underinvestment in education and training. These issues affect both patient care and the sustainability of healthcare systems.

Q4. How are nurse practitioners contributing to global health?

Nurse practitioners play a growing role in global health by providing advanced practice care, filling physician shortages, leading community health programs, and contributing to research and policy that shape healthcare delivery worldwide.

Q5. How can nurses engage with global health initiatives?

Nurses can join international organizations, participate in research, contribute to policy advocacy, or register with platforms like MDForLives that connect healthcare professionals with global insights and opportunities.