Portugal boasts a high density of nurses, with approximately 7.9 healthcare professionals per every thousand residents.
In Portugal, the nursing profession witnessed a significant growth in 2023, with a total of 83,538 professionals registered with the Order of Nurses. These professionals are primarily divided into general nurses, making up 70.7% of the total, and specialist nurses, comprising 29.3% of the workforce. The latter are further split into rehabilitation and medical-surgical specializations.
Data from the INE, Portugal's national statistics institute, indicates a continuous upward trend in the number of nurses per inhabitant since 1999. The regions of Coimbra and Terras de Trás-os-Montes boasted the highest density of nurses per thousand inhabitants in 2023, with figures of 15.2 and 11.6 respectively.
A large proportion of nurses in Portugal were employed in hospitals, accounting for 59.6% of the total workforce. The majority of these hospital-based nurses were found in public or PPP hospitals, with a significant minority working in private hospitals.
In terms of demographics, the average age of nurses in Portugal in 2023 ranged from 31 to 60 years old, with slightly over a fifth under 31. The IBGE also reported that nearly 12% of male nursing professionals were over 60, compared to 9% among female nurses.
The male-to-female ratio among nurses in Portugal stood at 20.9 male nurses for every 100 female nurses. Portugal, as a whole, employed 7.9 nurses per thousand inhabitants in 2023 [1][2].
[1] Source: INE (Portuguese National Statistics Institute)[2] Source: Order of Nurses (Portugal)[3] Source: IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) - Inclusion likely due to oversight or error, as the Institute is Brazilian, not Portuguese. The data provided does not appear to be directly relevant to the article.
- In the realm of health and wellness, Portugal witnessed a surge in the adoption of workplace wellness programs in 2023, aiming at fostering a balanced lifestyle for nurses, including mental health, fitness and exercise, and skin care.
- The science of mental health increasingly gained focus in Portugal, as evidenced by the rise in the number of therapies and treatments being offered, particularly targeted towards mens' health and womens' health.
- Alongside the physical well-being of nurses, the significance of nutrition has been recognized, with more emphasis on balanced diets and dietary plans being integrated into the health and wellness sector in Portugal.
- In the spirit of holistic health, the realm of science extends to skin care, with an increasing number of skin care products and treatments being developed and made available in Portugal to cater to a wider population.
- As the nursing profession continues to evolve, there is a growing interest in specializations beyond rehabilitation and medical-surgical fields, with an increasing number of specialist nurses focusing on nutrition, skin care, and mental health in Portugal.
