How can nursing retention and recruitment policies better respond to the needs of Slovenia’s health system?
This question brought international partners and national stakeholders together for 3 days of activities in Slovenia, including a discussion in parliament with the Commission for Social Care, Labour, Health and the Disabled about how to retain nurses in health promotion centres, a policy dialogue on increasing education requirements during recruitment to support health priorities, and a national conference organized by the Professional Group for Nurses in Management, a section of the Nurses and Midwives Association of Slovenia.
The activities were organized by the Ministry of Health of Slovenia, WHO/Europe and the Nurses and Midwives Association of Slovenia as part of the European Union(EU)-funded Nursing Action initiative.
Slovenia is facing increasingly complex health-care needs, requiring a highly qualified and adaptable nursing workforce. As health-care delivery, technology and professional roles evolve, nursing education must also adapt to ensure that education pathways and competencies remain relevant to current and future clinical practice.
Securing the role of nurses in health promotion
On 29 September, the parliamentary Commission for Social Care, Labour, Health and the Disabled discussed securing the role of nurses in Slovenia’s health promotion centres across the country. The Commission was addressed by the Ministry of Health, representatives of the National Institute of Public Health and the Nurses and Midwives Association of Slovenia, as well as representatives of health promotion centres and local communities.
During the meeting, it was noted that nurses make a vital contribution across the continuum of prevention – from health promotion, health education and counselling to early identification of risk factors, support for healthier lifestyles and continuity of care. Their expertise is also integral to strong multidisciplinary teams, in which health professionals work together to provide integrated services tailored to the needs of individuals and communities.
The meeting provided a valuable platform for national stakeholders to exchange perspectives on building a sustainable health and care workforce and further advancing accessible, integrated and people-centred preventive care in Slovenia.
The Commission issued a resolution that will now be forwarded to the Ministry of Health and the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia, with copies shared with all invited stakeholders.
Following this, on 30 September, the Ministry of Health organized a policy dialogue with WHO/Europe with a range of education stakeholders to explore ways in which education can be adjusted to strengthen nursing capacity to deliver on increasingly complex health needs.
Welcoming participants on behalf of the WHO Country Office in Slovenia, Sanja Vuzem highlighted what made the dialogue significant. “What makes today particularly valuable is the opportunity to bring together policy-makers, nursing professionals, educational institutions and other key stakeholders to explore how nursing education can evolve to meet the changing demands of health systems and prepare the nursing workforce for the future.”
Contributions came from representatives of Slovenia’s Ministry of Health, the WHO Country Office in Slovenia and WHO/Europe, as well as Estonia’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Finland’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Slovenian academic and professional partners included the National Institute of Public Health, Nurses and Midwives Association of Slovenia and its student section, and Angela Boškin Faculty of Health Care.
Nursing education: Where does Slovenia stand?
WHO/Europe recently published an analysis on the Slovenian nursing education market. The new analysis provided a starting point for the policy dialogue, where Alba Llop-Gironés, Technical Officer for Nursing and Midwifery, WHO/Europe, presented findings on Slovenia’s nursing education landscape.
The analysis shows that the profession faces significant strain, while career opportunities are expanding alongside changes in national legislation. Education and professional development are also being strengthened through increased training opportunities, mentorship, dedicated time for learning and benefits provided by employers and professional organizations.
The dialogue also marked the launch of Slovenia’s first 4 nursing-related clinical specialization areas:
wounds, stomas and continenceemergency conditions in health caremental health and psychiatric nursingintegrated adult nursing in primary care.
“The dialogue reflects Slovenia’s commitment to a more strategic and forward-looking approach to nursing workforce planning and development,” said Dragana Savić Kuleto, State Secretary at the Ministry of Health.
Learning from Estonia and Finland
Speakers from Estonia and Finland presented their nursing education systems and current workforce situations. Their contributions gave participants an opportunity to compare approaches.
Their experience shows that meaningful cooperation between nurses, policy-makers, educators, employers and other stakeholders can create sustainable developments that strengthen the profession and help retain nurses in nursing.
Gerli Liivet, National Representative for the Department of Human Resources for Health, Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia, stated, “Nursing development must be shaped with and by nurses. Nurses are the experts of their own profession. Their knowledge, experience and professional perspective must guide decisions about nursing education, roles, career pathways and the future development of the profession.”
Bringing it to nursing managers
On 1 October 2026, the conversation about how to retain nurses continued with Slovenia’s Professional Group for Nurses in Management. WHO shared findings of the EU-funded “Mental Health of Nurses and Doctors (MeND)” survey and explored strategies that can be implemented by managers. Dr Brigita Skela Savic of the Angela Boškin Faculty of Health Care shared findings from research on what the key drivers are for young nurses leaving the profession.
The study results clearly indicate that young nursing professionals are not leaving the field because of the profession itself, but rather because of their working conditions. Of particular concern is the finding that nearly a quarter of young employees are considering leaving the nursing profession, while more than a third are contemplating changing employer. The research confirms that manageable workloads, high-quality leadership, work-life balance and clear opportunities for professional and career development are key to retaining young staff.
Strong engagement and clear next steps
The 3 days emphasized the importance of strengthening nursing education and supporting Slovenia’s future nursing workforce. Building on the contributions of the day, the Ministry of Health underlined its wish to strengthen collaboration among all key stakeholders and to keep this group continuously active – not only occasionally, but as a lasting platform for developing nursing education and other areas of nursing.
“We really wish to strengthen the collaboration of all the important stakeholders and have this group continuously active, not just from time to time, but continuously, to really collaborate for development in education and in other fields in nursing,” said Lucija Rojko, Chief Nursing Officer, Ministry of Health, Slovenia .
Slovenia is the third country this year, from the 21 countries participating in the Nursing Action initiative, to bring findings to national stakeholders to design and implement new retention and recruitment strategies for nurses.