Neonatal Nursing Workforce: A Global Challenge and Opportunity

As the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) move to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure that progress continues and is sustainability, the quality and quantity of the workforce is being examined. The neonatal nursing workforce is an elusive concept as there are many challenges to accurately measuring the number of neonatal nurses working globally. Yet, the ability to describe the workforce-supply and demand is important as neonatal outcomes are directly linked to access to health professionals who are adequately trained. This article will describe the health care workforce and the need to re-examine the changing healthcare needs globally.