The Role of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centers: Perspectives of Future Global Nurse Leaders

The forces of globalization have shifted the way that healthcare is delivered and also how the global nursing workforce is conceptualized.1 and 2 Globally, the demand for healthcare is increasing, outpacing the growth in the workforce, primarily because of population growth, the aging population, and the increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases.3 This gap is known as the human resources for health crisis (HRH crisis).4 The deficits in the healthcare workforce are attributed to the aging healthcare workforce, experienced professionals leaving for better paying jobs, and labor migration both within and across countries.5 Moreover, globally, nursing workforce numbers are highly susceptible to political pressures, and a consistent workforce strategy has not been widely applied.6 Low- and middle-income countries experience an even greater workforce burden due to increasing demands for healthcare and are much more vulnerable to migration factors and the influence of pandemics.7 As more countries make a commitment for universal healthcare coverage, the demand for healthcare will continue to increase, and the HRH crisis will become even more acute. High-income countries are also not immune to this crisis as the demand for healthcare continues to grow in the face of and fiscal constraints.