Mohammad Sharifi Moghadam, the Secretary-General of Iran’s Nurses’ Home, stated that “thousands of nurses are unemployed” and despite the large number of unemployed nursing graduates, there is very little interest in official job advertisements in major cities. He said no candidates have yet come forward for the recruitment of 10,000 to 12,000 nurses.
On Friday, August 2, Sharifi Moghadam told the state-run ILNA news agency that the “uncontrolled expansion of nursing school capacities” in Iran does not help resolve the employment crisis among nurses.
He reported that many nurses have migrated abroad and added, “Many have chosen to stay home rather than work as nurses, and some have turned to other jobs.”
In recent years, nurses in various cities have repeatedly held protest gatherings over their professional and livelihood issues, but their demands have yet to be fully addressed.
Nurse Shortage Leads to Closure of Hospital Departments in Iran
ILNA reported that the July salaries of many nurses across different cities were significantly reduced—by as much as 80 to 100 million rials (approximately $90 to $112) in some cases—once again sparking their outcry.
It is worth noting that the base salary in Iran is around 150 million rials (approximately $167).
The news agency also emphasized that nurses had previously protested against the coercive treatment by Iranian regime officials.
According to the report, nurses who have protested against low wages, harsh working conditions, and being forced to work overtime have faced punitive actions such as dismissal, forced relocation, or suspension from service.
The Secretary-General of the Nurses’ Home also commented on the dire conditions, stating: “Low salaries and inadequate and irregular payments pose a serious threat to retaining this vital workforce in the country. We are genuinely facing a shortage of nurses, and this shortage has become evident during various national crises.”
Why Are Nurses Not Responding to Recruitment Calls?
After five years, the Ministry of Health announced a recruitment call for 10,000 to 12,000 nurses, but the positions remain unfilled.
This is despite the fact that there are currently around 80,000 nursing graduates in the country. However, even these graduates are not responding to the official hiring announcements.
The Secretary-General of the Nurses’ Home said that the lack of response from nurses to the latest recruitment call is due to “a decline in motivation to enter the profession and its structural issues.”
Sharifi Moghadam added: “Unfortunately, certain management behaviors at the ministry, hospital, and university levels have forced nurses to quit their jobs, migrate, or change professions. Working and living conditions must be improved in order to retain skilled professionals.”
Regarding the consequences of this crisis on the healthcare system, he said: “Given the current crisis and the lack of trust between nurses and the Ministry of Health, we are facing serious problems in the health system, and these issues may worsen in future crises.”
Previously, the Secretary-General of the Nurses’ Home had reported patient deaths in Iranian hospitals due to a critical shortage of nurses.
In November 2023, he announced that “over 3,000 nurses” leave Iran each year, yet according to him, the Ministry of Health does not recruit even that many to replenish the healthcare workforce.
According to global healthcare benchmarks, there should be either three nurses for every 1,000 citizens, or two active nurses per hospital bed in the country’s healthcare system.
Previous reports have indicated that Iran’s nursing workforce is only “half” of the minimum required standards for a functioning healthcare system.
