Nursing – problems with its position in the health care system

Nurses, the bulk of health care staff, provide care for people of any age, family, group and community backgrounds, the sick and the healthy coming from different environments. Although recognised as an autonomous medical profession, they do not occupy the right position in the health care system. According to the International Council of Nurses (ICN), nurses can have a significant influence on the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire health care system by performing various tasks and making daily decisions within the framework of executing professional practice. They can also have an important contribution to the process of planning health care, making decisions and the development of effective policy within health care. However, it requires meeting certain conditions, which should include: efficient and well-managed health care system, proper financing system of health services, clearly defined competences of nurses, access to modern methods of care, and also the size of qualified and motivated personnel. This paper presents the problems with the position of nursing in the health care system considering different conditions.