No Nurse Shortage in Belgium, but Support Staff Needed

Belgium’s largest professional nursing association, Netwerk Verpleegkunde (Network Nursing), is pushing back against the prevailing narrative of a nationwide nursing shortage. In a striking message released as the organization marks its 90th anniversary, the association argues that the real crisis lies not in a lack of nurses, but in a critical shortage of support staff — personnel who handle non-core tasks so that nurses can focus on patient care.

According to VRT NWS, the association’s general coordinator Ellen De Wandeler stated plainly: “It may sound strange, but we state that the shortage of nurses is relative. We mainly lack support staff.”

The Hidden Burden on Nurses

Research conducted by the association reveals a startling picture of how nurses spend their time. More than 80 percent of nurses report serving and clearing meals, while approximately 60 percent handle patient transport — tasks that fall well outside their core medical responsibilities. The problem is compounded by scheduling: most support staff leave at 5 PM, after which these non-core duties shift entirely to nurses.

“Continuous support is essential,” De Wandeler told VRT NWS. The association argues that this misallocation of skilled labor not only wastes valuable clinical expertise but also contributes to burnout and job dissatisfaction among nursing professionals.

Structural Problems in Belgian Healthcare

Netwerk Verpleegkunde identifies two fundamental structural issues driving the perceived shortage. First, Belgium’s hospital supply is too large and fragmented, with nurses spread thinly across too many departments and services. “Our hospital supply is too large and too fragmented,” De Wandeler explained. “That’s why staff are deployed in too many different ways.”

Second, the financing model has not kept pace with the breadth of services offered. In an opinion piece co-authored by De Wandeler and Luc De Munck, the organization notes that nursing legislation has remained largely stagnant for decades, failing to adapt to the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.

Legislative Changes on the Horizon

That may soon change. New legislation expected before summer 2026 aims to improve care coordination, allowing healthcare providers to better detect who needs what care and who is best suited to provide it. “The legislation around nursing has stood still for decades,” De Wandeler said. “Through new legislation that should be in place before summer, we can detect who needs what care and who is best deployed for it.”

The reform represents a significant shift in how care delivery is organized, moving toward a model where nurses are supported by adequate administrative, logistical, and maintenance staff.

A 90-Year Legacy of Advocacy

Founded in 1936 as the Vereeniging voor Katholieke Verpleegsters en Vroedvrouwen der Vlaamsche Gouwen in België (VKVV), Netwerk Verpleegkunde has been at the forefront of nursing advocacy for nine decades. The organization played a pivotal role in securing the 1974 law on nursing practice, which established nursing as an autonomous profession distinct from medicine — a milestone that followed a historic protest of 17,000 nurses in Brussels in 1971.

Renamed to Netwerk Verpleegkunde in 2022, the organization now represents over 6,500 members in Flanders and Brussels. Its history page documents a rich legacy of professional advocacy, from the protection of the nursing title in 1946 to the establishment of the annual Week of Nursing in 1975.

The Demographic Challenge Ahead

While the association’s message offers a nuanced perspective on current staffing, it does not downplay the long-term challenges facing Belgian healthcare. The aging population — with the peak of demographic pressure expected around 2040 — will continue to increase demand for care services.

“The older people get, the more care they need,” De Wandeler warned. “We won’t be able to absorb the peak of aging in 2040 alone.”

A related report from VRT NWS highlights that care services are also seeking simpler rules to recruit foreign nurses, as foreign diplomas often do not meet Belgian standards and facilities must provide Dutch language courses. Meanwhile, a study by the Flemish Steunpunt Welzijn, Volksgezondheid en Gezin found high staff turnover in the care and welfare sector, though many workers remain within the sector.

What’s Next

The upcoming legislative reforms represent a potential turning point for Belgian healthcare. If the new laws succeed in restructuring care coordination and bolstering support staff roles, nurses could be freed to focus on the complex medical care they were trained to provide. For Netwerk Verpleegkunde, now celebrating 90 years of advocacy, the goal remains clear: empower nurses through professional autonomy, ensure continuous support, and build a healthcare system capable of meeting the challenges of an aging population.