Background: The study addresses the supply and demand for nurses in Kuwait in the light of emerging variables such as increasing population, economic growth, changes in healthcare strategies and expansion of healthcare facilities. Objective: To project the future demand for nurses in Kuwait for the years 2007-2020 based on the period 1994-2006. Methods: Population projections were derived using the average annual natural increase rate of the 1994-2006 populations. The future demand for nurses was projected using the average nurse to population ratios for the years 1994-2006. Findings: The number of Kuwaiti indigenous nurses is declining at an average decrement rate of 3.3% per annum. There is a gap between the numbers of native and migrant nurses, which will be wider with time. In 2006, native nurses constituted only 6.6% of the nursing workforce; this affects the quality of provided health care owing to language, religions and socio-cultural barriers between foreign nurses and patients. Conclusions: The supply of indigenous nurses in Kuwait should be increased in order to deliver effective nursing care with shared culture and language in the modern healthcare system of Kuwait. This can be achieved through an improvement in recruitment and retention of indigenous nurses and nursing students. © 2009 International Council of Nurses.

Kuwait Recruitment and Retention Supply and Demand healthcare Population projections Nurse migration nursing Workforce Modelling

Needs Assessment education Forecasting Education, Nursing, Graduate nursing education Foreign Professional Personnel health care planning nursing demography human Health Planning Guidelines nursing staff Kuwait population growth Residence Characteristics foreign worker Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate Humans model Education, Nursing, Associate Personnel Staffing and Scheduling nursing assistant Nursing Administration Research personnel management Nurses' Aides Article manpower Nursing, Practical Personnel Turnover organization and management Personnel Selection nursing organization Models, Nursing Societies, Nursing public health National Health Programs