TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Executive Yuan approved a report to financially bolster the nighttime shift of nurses on Thursday (Sept. 28).
Subsidies for the "night" and "graveyard" shifts will range from NT＄400 to NT＄600 and NT＄600 to NT＄1,000, respectively, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW).
Under the ministry's plan, district hospitals could offer NT＄400 and NT＄600 per shift; regional hospitals, NT＄500 and NT＄800; and medical centers, NT＄600 and NT＄1,000, respectively.
With roughly 81,124 general acute beds and 57,040 beds, the required funding per year is estimated at around NT＄4.3 billion.
Tsai Shu-feng, director of the Department of Nursing and Health Care, MOHW, announced that the Ministry of Education will invest in nurse training from 2024 to 2030.
The Examination Yuan will likely complete a national exam plan by 2023, reducing the length of the exam by 50 questions to advance the overall development of nursing staff.
From 2024, three key initiatives anticipate rewarding night shift nursing staff and implementing a three-shift patient-to-nurse ratio incentive.
Nurses working 20 "night shifts" per month could see an additional NT＄8,000 to NT＄12,000, while those on 20 "graveyard shifts" could gain NT＄12,000 to NT＄20,000.
