Page 63 - 2022 Taiwan Health and Welfare Report

(1) Increasing the number of nurses and reducing their turnover/vacancy rates:
At of the end of 2021, 185,015 registered nurses worked in Taiwan, an increase of over 48,000 compared to before nursing reforms were enacted. The turnover rate fell from 13.14% in 2012 to 10.13% in 2021. The total vacancy rate fell from 7.2% in 2012 to 4.7% in 2021.
(2) Reducing Workloads and Improving Nurse- Patient Ratios and Work Conditions
A. In 2015, nurse-patient ratio became a hospital evaluation item. The evaluation criteria is the "all-day average nurse patient ratio for hospital acute ordinary beds": Medical centers: ≦9 people with day shift average nurse-patient ratio of ≦7 people, regional hospitals: ≦12 people, and local hospitals: ≦15.
B. Tie-in of nurse-patient ratio to hospitalization insurance bonus: starting from 2018 onward, the bonus bracket has been expanded once more to 2-20% as a way to encourage hospitals to achieve the necessary threshold for nurse-patient ratio.
C. Promotion of the legislation of nurse- patient ratio: Amendments to the nurse- patient ratio were published on February 1, 2019 in the "Establishment Standards for Medical Institutions" (Medical centers ≦1:9, regional hospitals ≦1:12 and local hospitals ≦1:15). The amendments became effective on May 1 of the same year.
D. The MOHW launched the platform for nursing personnel to report workplace disputes on February 1, 2018. By the end of 2021, a total of 1,575 reports were made. Investigation reports were made public monthly. Of the total, some 16% were penalized. Given the ongoing pandemic, this reporting mechanism also became a channel for nursing personnel to present their views, which were addressed promptly or relayed to other competent authorities when warranted. In turn, it proved effective in bolstering the support of frontline nursing personnel in the fight against the pandemic.
The MOHW has installed a website specifically for nursing personnel. Besides integrating information related to the profession, emphasis is placed on interactions through live streams, policy dialogues, and dispute reporting in order to help nursing personnel resolve whatever difficulties they may encounter, and engage in public affairs.
(3) Raising Salaries and Benefits
Ministry of Labor surveys have shown that nurse salaries at average NTD 46,752, increased by approximately 16% since 2011.
(4) From 2018 the MOHW has continued to support involvement in innovative community care by nurses and building of local home nursing care brands and models through the evaluation system, guiding establishment, empirical training, technology application, incentive for application and public funding of masters degrees etc. to satisfy the public's care service needs; the number of home care clinics in 2021 was 713, an increase of 32.5% compared to 538 clinics in 2017; we also provide diverse employment models to extend the life of nurses and increase practice rate.
Chapter 4 Health Care Quality
▏Section 1 Patient Safety and Quality of Medical Care
The MOHW has aimed to improve the quality of patient-centered services and establish a hospital evaluation/accreditation system, annual objectives for healthcare quality and patient safety, and a patient safety reporting system. Significant achievements in 2021 are as follows:
1. The MOHW drew up the "2020-2021 Taiwan Patient Safety Goals for Hospitals and Clinics" (Table 4-5).
2. The Taiwan Patient Safety Reporting System (TPR) has been used to effect a patient safety culture. In 2021, 15,494 healthcare organizations participated in the TPR, and preliminary statistics indicate that around 89,615 cases were reported.
04
61
Health Care