"I have a dream": Children's hospital nurse hopes for more nurses and greater recognition of the profession

A nurse at the Children's Clinical University Hospital, Ieva Kalniņa, has shared her outlook on the future of the nursing profession in Latvia, expressing hope that the situation in the sector will improve over the next four years.

Kalniņa works daily with children, providing care at one of Latvia's leading specialized pediatric medical institutions. Her stated wish touches on two connected issues — the number of nurses working in the field and how the profession is regarded by society.

Shortage of nurses and professional standing

According to Kalniņa, there is currently a shortage of medical nurses in Latvia, and she hopes this deficit will shrink over the coming four years. At the same time, she stresses the need to raise the prestige of the profession, so that nurses' work is valued in a way comparable to how it is regarded in other countries, where the profession enjoys greater public and institutional recognition.

Kalniņa's remarks reflect a broader challenge facing the healthcare sector as a whole — a shortage of staff and the need to improve the profession's status in order to attract and retain new workers in the field. Her statement can be seen as a call for the public and decision-makers to pay closer attention to nurses' working conditions and compensation.

The hospital employee described her wish as a dream connected to her vision for the future of the profession in which she works.