The Clinical Hospital Centre (KBC) in Split has decided to offer scholarships for medical school students in a bid to address the shortage of nurses, and the future nurses who receive this support will be required to work in the hospital for the same length of time as the duration of their scholarship.

“We have advertised vacancies for about a hundred nurses, but have received only 17 applications, including some from those who are already working but would like to switch to permanent positions. Faced with this situation, where we are always out of sync with needs and possibilities, and after observing the experiences of the general hospitals in Pula and Zadar, we have decided to announce a call in the spring aimed at students who are training to become nurses in medical schools in Split and Sinj,” KBC Split director Krešimir Dolić announced.

Dolić told Hina that they are constantly facing a chronic shortage of staff, especially nurses, which is not only a problem in Split and Croatia but a global issue.

The exact number of scholarships has not yet been determined, but it is expected that around ten scholarships will be offered to high school students in their third to fifth year, who would be required to work at the KBC Split for the same number of years as they received the scholarship, after completing their education.

In addition, the hospital plans to offer about ten scholarships to nursing students at the Department of Health Studies at the University of Split, thereby obligating them to work at the hospital as well.