Nurses' work environment, occupational health, and attrition from the profession

We aim to determine whether nurses experience more health-related attrition from work, and how much of this attrition is explained by the work environment nurses are exposed to, compared to other occupations with equivalent higher education requirements.

Furthermore, we will investigate how many nurses become disabled and which diagnoses form the basis for disability benefits. Additionally, we will examine whether there are gender-based differences in who is granted disability benefits with occupational injury compensation.

The data foundation for answering these research questions consists of register data from Statistics Norway (SSB) and various health registries (the Norwegian Patient Registry and the Cancer Registry).

Furthermore, we will use job exposure matrices developed based on SSB's surveys on living conditions and work environment, as well as rulings from the National Insurance Court concerning disability benefits with additional benefits regarding occupational injures.

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The population in Norway is aging and many are becoming more frail, creating growing challenges for health and care services that already report significant shortages of qualified health personnel.

In 2024, Norway lacked 4,300 nurses and specialist nurses, and projections indicate that this shortage will increase dramatically to approximately 30,000 by 2040. In combination with educating more nurses, it is therefore also crucial to retain nurses who are already in the profession.

Nurses have a physically demanding work life, characterised by heavy lifting and awkward working positions. Additionally, they experience psychological strain at work due to high task demands combined with low control and limited opportunities to manage their workday.

Research shows that workers in occupations with high levels of mechanical and psychosocial strain, so-called "combined exposures", have a higher probability of transitioning to health-related benefits, reduced employment and exit from working life.

In connection with Official Norwegian Reports (NOU) 2025:5 "Women's Occupational Health – Knowledge and Measures", one of the background reports (Hermansen et al. 2025) identifies nurses as one of the largest occupational groups exposed to "combined exposures".

Purpose

The purpose of this research project is to contribute new knowledge about developments in nurses' work environment and occupational health over the past 20 years.

Using National Insurance Court rulings, we will also examine whether women in health and care have a lower probability of being granted disability benefits with occupational injury advantage compared to men in male-dominated occupations, when the work situation causing the injury is equivalent.

The findings can inform targeted preventive measures to retain nurses in the profession, while also ensuring fairer treatment of occupational injuries in female-dominated occupations. Key target groups include nurses, unions, healthcare employers, and policymakers in health and work environment policy.

Given the growing need for nurses, this knowledge is particularly important for workforce retention in the sector.

Project participants

Åsmund Hermansen
- Professor
- +47 672 38 035
Julia Köhler-Olsen
- Professor
- +47 672 38 052
Borghild Løyland
- Professor
- +47 672 36 143
Ida Hellum Sandbekken
- Associate Professor
- +47 672 36 822
Camilla Holm Soelseth
- Academic Librarian
- +47 672 37 185

External participants

Tom Sterud, The Norwegian National Institute of Occupational Health (STAMI).
Aapo Hiilamo, Laboratory of Population Health, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Germany.

Research groups

Quality of Life

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Purpose

Project participants

Åsmund Hermansen

Julia Köhler-Olsen

Borghild Løyland

Ida Hellum Sandbekken

Camilla Holm Soelseth

External participants

Research groups

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Purpose