Behind the stability displayed by the CHL, several hospital roles still struggle to attract enough qualified candidates.
Luxembourg's healthcare system remains heavily dependent on cross-border workers, while the number of graduates trained within the country remains insufficient.
Demanding schedules, an exacting profession and the new priorities of younger workers are profoundly transforming attitudes to hospital work.
"If the borders had been closed during the Covid pandemic, Luxembourg would not have been able to manage the crisis." This observation from Daniela Collas, Director of Care at the CHL, sums up a reality well known to Luxembourg's hospital sector: its strong dependence on cross-border workers.
In French border areas, more than one in nine healthcare professionals works abroad, half of them in the Grand Duchy. Of these, 53% are nurses. This is revealed by a study published by INSEE in March 2026. It highlights a strong dependence on external labour and also places strain on cross-border living areas, which face their own recruitment difficulties.
At the CHL, Luxembourg's leading public hospital, 3,000 employees currently work on site, including 1,194 nurses. Despite the imbalances observed elsewhere, the institution says it is not experiencing a shortage in this role.
The recognition of foreign qualifications does not, according to the CHL, represent a significant obstacle to recruitment. Equivalency procedures exist and allow access to positions for healthcare workers trained abroad, including cross-border workers.
"The CHL is becoming increasingly attractive," says Olivier Schmitt, who has been Director of Human Resources for two years. The hospital receives more than 9,145 applications per year. But this finding does not apply to every role.
"In Luxembourg, very few people train for this profession."
The real shortage concerns medical-technical assistants in surgery. "In Luxembourg, very few people train for this profession," explains Daniela Collas, who oversees 1,753 care staff.
Behind this difficulty, the Director of Care identifies a structural need: the country does not train enough healthcare professionals. For the past two years, various nursing bachelor's degrees have been available at the University of Luxembourg, in addition to the higher technician's certificate at the ENSA, Luxembourg's National School of Health. But cohort sizes remain limited, with a maximum of 30 to 50 students per year. "That is not enough," she says.
For Olivier Schmitt, the issue goes beyond the simple volume of graduates. He advocates for more work-study programmes and hands-on immersion. "You need to be in step with the demands of the field." In his view, students must develop both academic knowledge and the technical skills involved in patient care.
"When a young person starts working in a hospital, they no longer stay there for their entire career."
The lack of attractiveness of care work also remains a central issue. "The profession does not have an attractive image," acknowledges Daniela Collas. Physical demands, night shifts, weekends, intense pressure - the constraints remain considerable. She also believes that the historical image of the nurse as a mere "executor" continues to weigh on vocations.
Attitudes to work are also shifting. "When a young person starts working in a hospital, they no longer stay there for their entire career," she observes. The same finding emerges from the human resources side. Olivier Schmitt points to a Generation Z that is more attentive to work-life balance. "The sense of self-sacrifice we knew in the past has disappeared," he notes. In his view, young professionals are seeking greater flexibility and show less interest in management roles.
Should nurses simply be paid more to solve the problem? "I am not convinced," replies Olivier Schmitt. "The system is already generous. The real challenge lies in the recognition of work and the human consideration shown to teams."
The issue therefore goes far beyond pay alone. Local training, working conditions, evolving professional expectations - the shortage of care workers in Luxembourg appears above all as a symptom of a hospital model in transition. And in a country where hospitals rely heavily on cross-border workers, the question becomes as much a strategic one as a healthcare one.
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