‘More countries than ever’ now have a government chief nursing officer (GCNO), but their roles in health policy and workforce planning are ‘unclear’, according to a landmark report from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO warned that a lack of clarity around the authority and role of GCNOs meant nursing perspectives were still being left out of ‘critical health system decisions’.
Marking International Nurses Day earlier this week, the WHO published its second State of the World’s Nursing (SOWN) report – setting out the latest data, trends and challenges within nursing across 194 countries.
It builds on the findings of the inaugural SOWN from 2020, and while it suggests some ‘global improvement’ in nursing shortages, it also warns that progress is ‘unevenly distributed’ across and within WHO regions.
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The report found that most responding countries (82%) reported having a GCNO or equivalent position – up from 71% on the 2020 SOWN report.
Countries that responded in the Western Pacific Region reported the highest percentage of GCNOs at 93%, followed by Africa and the Americas, both at 86%.
In England, the chief nursing officer (CNO) role currently sits within NHS England, while in other parts of the UK the CNOs are within the devolved governments. It is not yet clear what the impact of the planned abolishment of NHS England will have on the CNO role.
‘More countries than ever have a GCNO, indicating a prime opportunity for leveraging the leadership of these senior-most nurses,’ the WHO report said.
However, it suggested the scope of the role needed to be clarified and that nursing senior leadership positions should be strengthened to ensure they are able to input into world health policies.
‘Without clear authority and resources, GCNOs cannot effectively influence workforce planning or policy, leaving nursing perspectives out of critical health system decisions,’ the report noted.
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‘This governance gap affects everything from education planning to working conditions and, ultimately, patient care quality.’
It recommended that countries ensure GCNO roles and responsibilities ‘reflect a suitable level of seniority and linkages with broader health workforce policies and management’.
‘It is now incumbent upon countries to ensure that GCNO positions are adequately equipped with the requisite resources, political skills and especially authority and decision-making power to make positive contributions to health policy and nursing workforce planning,’ the report added.
Separately, the WHO SOWN report also explored the lack of mental health support and protections for nurses across the globe.
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The WHO warned that the ‘gap’ in mental health support for nurses was threatening workforce sustainability, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.
