{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,20]],"date-time":"2026-09-20T04:35:10Z","timestamp":1789878910176,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,22]],"date-time":"2025-01-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1737504000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nursing Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: The uneven distribution of nurses in Albania is a major problem that compromises equitable access to health services. Rural and less developed regions suffer from a chronic shortage of nursing staff, while urban areas attract health professionals. This study aims to quantify the inequalities in the distribution of nurses in Albania, analyzing the nurse-to-population ratio and its impact on the quality of healthcare. The main objective of this study is to examine the distribution of the nursing workforce in Albania and assess regional disparities, using the Gini coefficient and the Human Development Index (HDI) to measure and compare inequalities between regions. Methods: This descriptive\u2013analytical study was conducted in 2024. The data were collected from official sources, including the Albanian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO). The Gini coefficient and the Lorenz curve were used to analyze the distribution of nurses in relation to the population and HDI of the different regions. The analysis included data on the number of nurses, population, and regional socioeconomic conditions. Results: The average nurse-to-population ratio in Albania is 28 nurses per 10,000 inhabitants, with significant variations between regions. Tirana has the highest ratio (60 nurses per 10,000 inhabitants), while Kuk\u00ebs and Dib\u00ebr have the lowest values (10 per 10,000 inhabitants). The calculated Gini coefficient is 0.0228, indicating a very low level of inequality in the distribution of the nursing workforce. Conclusions: Inequalities in the distribution of nurses in Albania require targeted policy interventions. Policies are needed that incentivize health workers to work in less developed regions, through economic incentives, infrastructure improvements, and lifelong learning programs. These interventions are essential to reduce disparities and ensure equitable access to health services across the country.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nursrep15020030","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,22]],"date-time":"2025-01-22T03:40:17Z","timestamp":1737517217000},"page":"30","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Inequalities in the Distribution of the Nursing Workforce in Albania: A Regional Analysis Using the Gini Coefficient"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3623-9342","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Blerina","family":"Duka","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University \u201cOur Lady of the Good Counsel\u201d, 1000 Tirana, Albania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alketa","family":"Dervishi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Technical Medical Sciences, University of Medicine, 1005 Tirana, Albania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-9779-3978","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eriola","family":"Grosha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0091-7524","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dhurata","family":"Ivziku","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Professions, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gennaro","family":"Rocco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre of Excellence for Nursing Scholarship, OPI, 00136 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3508-2352","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandro","family":"Stievano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre of Excellence for Nursing Scholarship, OPI, 00136 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4828-8811","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ippolito","family":"Notarnicola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre of Excellence for Nursing Scholarship, OPI, 00136 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Department Medicine and Surgical, University of Enna \u201cKore\u201d, 94100 Enna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2129","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(22)00532-3","article-title":"Measuring the availability of human resources for health and its relationship to universal health coverage for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019","volume":"399","author":"Haakenstad","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112","DOI":"10.1186\/s12960-021-00651-7","article-title":"Employment and working conditions of nurses: Where and how health inequalities have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic?","volume":"19","author":"Benach","year":"2021","journal-title":"Hum. 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