Education minister Claude Meisch is pictured speaking on Monday Luxembourg Government

Education minister Claude Meisch is pictured speaking on Monday Luxembourg Government

A 2019 audit of the health sector revealed that 62% of health professionals lived abroad because of the high cost of living in Luxembourg, while the country had lost its attractiveness leading to recruitment difficulties.

On Monday, health minister Paulette Lenert (LSAP) along with education minister Claude Meisch (DP) and greater region minister Corinne Cahen (DP) outlined the country’s latest steps to increase its autonomy for health sector worker numbers.

The reform focuses on creating new training programmes at the University of Luxembourg, including a bachelor's degree programme for general care nurses starting in 2023/24. The programme would last three years and be accessible to holders of a secondary school diploma.

Also planned are four bachelor programmes in "Specialised Nursing" (180 ECTS) in the following four specialties: medical technical assistant in surgery, nurse in anesthesia and resuscitation, nurse in pediatrics and psychiatric nurse.

Expected to begin in 2022/2023 or 2023/2024, they will be accessible to holders of a Nursing in General Care and to any other person holding a recognised diploma of nursing in general care.

In 2023/2024, the university will launch bachelor programmes for midwifery and radiology medical technical assistant training, accessible to holders of a secondary school diploma.

Lastly, a bachelor's degree programme for nurses “plus” will be introduced, spanning three years and leading to the diploma of general care nurse, followed by a one-year course of study leading to the diploma of “plus” nurse. This new training will include additional and more advanced tasks to meet the growing demand for highly specialised nursing care.

"The reorganisation of the training of health professions is an investment in quality. The last few months have shown that our health and the health of our loved ones is an absolute priority. Teaching the professions of general care nursing and certain specialties is a priority,” said Meisch.

The new courses come after the University introduced a new bachelor in medicine in 2020. There are plans to add a master’s in future.