Nurse-to-patient ratio on overnight shifts rises at Taiwan's medical centers: Minister

Taipei, March 15 (CNA) The compliance rate of the required nurse-to-patient ratio on overnight shifts at medical centers across Taiwan rose significantly in January from the monthly average last year, according to Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源).

Despite the current shortage of nurses, the ratio increased from a monthly average of 30-40 percent in 2024 to 63 percent in January this year at medical centers, which are at the top of Taiwan's three-tier hospital classification system, Chiu said Saturday.

"Meeting the nurse-to-patient ratio standard for overnight shifts at medical centers has been challenging," Chiu said at an event held by the Taiwan Union of Nurses Association in Taipei.

Established in March 2024, the nurse-to-patient ratios for the country's 23 top-tier medical centers were set at 1:6 for day shifts, 1:9 for night shifts, and 1:11 for overnight shifts, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW).

In Taiwan, day shifts for nurses typically run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., night shifts from 4 p.m. to midnight, and overnight shifts from midnight to 8 a.m.

According to Chiu, there were 193,503 nurses working in Taiwan's private and public health care facilities as of February, an annual increase of 3,531.

In hospitals only, the annual increase was 1,433, but there is still "a gap that has yet to be filled," he said.

Citing data valid as of January, Chiu said the overall compliance rates for the required nurse-to-patient ratio were 59 percent at medical centers; 49 percent at regional hospitals, which are second tier; and 86 percent at district hospitals, the third-tier health facilities.

"To address the increasing demand for nursing care, the MOHW will continue to strengthen its nursing workforce policies to retain nursing staff," Chiu said.

As part of the government's efforts in that regard, NT$3.82 billion (US$115.89 million) in incentives has been disbursed over the past year to help meet the required nurse-to-patient ratios, including at hospitals on overnight shifts, he said.

An amount of NT$6.69 billion has also been allocated for nurse-targeted incentive programs in 2025, which will be launched once the budget is approved, the health minister said.