Self‐revocation of nurse licences in Finland – nursing response to deteriorating workplace and patient safety: Implications for future nursing action

AbstractAimTo communicate trends in nurse licence revocation in Finland and examine policies and legislation that have implications for future nursing responses to workplace hazards.BackgroundThe causes of the shortage of nurses working in Finland are multifactorial and complex. Nurses are joining trade unions and taking industrial action in response to the devaluation of their profession and the underpayment of nurses during the pandemic. The Health Care Professions Act in Finland allows nurses to apply voluntarily to withdraw or revoke their licence using online digital tools – and many are doing so as a last resort.DiscussionA declining nursing workforce is anticipated, with retiree trends increasing while nurse recruitment decreases over the next few decades. Nurses' remuneration and working conditions have suffered during the pandemic, and industrial actions organised by trade unions that include nurses have advocated for the policy and decision‐making process to improve, but with mixed results. The process of how legislation enables licence revocation in Finland is essential to understanding this new phenomenon.ConclusionAdvocacy for nurses, who are disadvantaged within the c