The Shortage of Specialist Nurses in Sweden:

Sammanfattning: The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare reported in 2010 that there is a continuous shortage of specialist nurses in Sweden. The shortage of specialist nurses has arised parallel to the implementation of an individual wage system designed to enhance and benefit experience and specialization. This study seeks to clarify what the monetary payoff is for becoming a specialist nurse in order to investigate if there is a possible connection between shortage and low monetary payoffs. The results show that there is a low wage premium for specialists and that the specialization areas with the lowest wage premium correspond to those suffering from the largest shortages. This finding is important as it indicates that monetary incentives affect the shortage and also since it reveals shortcomings to the individual wage system. An explanation why the wage premiums are low is suggested to be the possibility of monopsony power in the labor market for nurses.