Nursing before and after COVID-19: inflows, outflows and self-employment
Abstract: In light of continuing (and increasing) shortages of nurses and increased rates of self-employment, cohorts of nursing-qualified men and women who were employed in the healthcare sector in January 2016 and January 2020 are followed for three years after this baseline, as well as traced back one year before the baseline month. Using administrative data from the Netherlands, everyone who is a member of these cohorts is included in the analyses. The in- and outflow of nursing-qualified workers in the healthcare sector is examined, as well as transitions to self-employment in the healthcare sector before and after COVID to identify recent changes in these patterns.
In addition, cohorts of nursing-qualified men and women who were not employed or who were employed outside the healthcare sector in January 2016 and January 2020, respectively, are constructed to assess any changes in the rate of inflow from these populations into healthcare sector employment. Finally, for comparison, we construct cohorts of men and women who were employed in the healthcare sector in January 2016 and January 2020 and have a qualification other than nursing, to assess their in and outflow of healthcare sector employment.