TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan claimed on Sunday (Nov. 12) that he remains unclear about the reasons for nurses' dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Examination's decision to lower the entry standards for the national examination for nursing personnel.
Hsueh stressed that the ministry's decision on Thursday to lower the exam thresholds aims at addressing and alleviating staff shortages, saying, "I do not know why they are discontented."
Amidst ongoing nursing staff deficits, the health minister explained that the nursing industry has continuously put forth demands to address staffing issues, and the goal is to enhance the pass rate in the national examinations to boost the nursing workforce.
Contrarily, the National Taiwan University Hospital Union (NTUH) articulated its position in a social media post on Saturday, suggesting that what Taiwan lacks is conducive workplace environments to retain nurses, instead of residing nursing licenses.
The NTUH argues that both ministries need to conduct adequate discussions, as the policy change lacks comprehensive explanations and related support measures, and urged hospital management to improve the workplace environment to better handle staffing predicaments.
