TAIPEI -- The number of students enrolled in undergraduate and junior college nursing programs in Taiwan dropped by 13.74 percent from the 2017 to 2023 academic years, while the number of vacancies offered by these programs decreased by 6.86 percent, according to the island's education department.

A health research institute in Taiwan estimated a significant shortage of nursing personnel this year, with a gap ranging between 15,000 and 24,000 individuals, local media reported Wednesday.

Lin Chin-tsai, a senior staff member of the Federation of Teachers Unions in Taiwan, noted that although the number of vacancies offered by nursing programs generally meets demand, a major issue is whether students actually pursue nursing careers after graduation. Lin pointed out that the long working hours and high stress associated with nursing have reduced its appeal to students.

Nursing programs in universities do not have corresponding specialized programs in vocational high schools, leading to a scattering of applicants across various majors, said Melody Wei, chief executive of a local academic counseling platform. She suggested that authorities should identify the issues and implement policy adjustments to address them.

Alongside increasing enrollment, more resources should be invested to improve the "high-risk, high-threat, low-reward" conditions of the nursing industry and make nursing a "trustworthy, attractive, and sustainable" career, which will surely help attract more young people to nursing programs, said Lin Shou-ju, vice president of the Taiwan Union of Nurses Association.