Tackling the Gender Pay Gap in Nursing: Time for Change in the OR and Beyond

2026-08-26

By Jaana Perttunen, EORNA President

The gender pay gap in healthcare is real. And yes, it exists even in nursing – one of the most female-dominated professions in the world.

Despite being the backbone of surgical care, perioperative nurses across Europe are still undervalued and underpaid. In 2025, that should no longer be acceptable.

Why Do Nurses Still Earn Less?

Nursing is rooted in care, compassion, and competence. But historically, it’s also been tied to outdated gender norms: caring professions are often seen as “natural” extensions of women’s roles and not paid accordingly.

Even today, data shows that male nurses consistently earn more than their female counterparts in the same roles and often climb the ranks faster. Across the EU, the average gender pay gap in health and social care hovers around 20%, according to the European Institute for Gender Equality.

Let that sink in. The people keeping operating rooms running smoothly, anticipating needs, managing crises, and protecting patient safety, are being shortchanged.

Why Are Perioperative Nurses Undervalued?

Perioperative nurses carry enormous responsibility:

We monitor life-critical patient data in real-time

We maintain sterility, prevent infection, and ensure the surgical team functions like a well-oiled machine

We often take on leadership roles within the OR with little formal recognition or title

But much of this labour is invisible and often goes unrecognised in salary negotiations, job classifications, and institutional hierarchies.

It’s not about asking for more than we deserve. It’s about being paid in line with our skills, education, and the critical roles we play in surgical outcomes.

Policies That Work: What Needs to Change

Tackling the gender pay gap in perioperative nursing requires both structural and cultural shifts. Here are five key areas that healthcare leaders, institutions, and policymakers must address:

Transparent Pay Scales Institutions must publish salary bands and pay structures, so nurses know what to expect and what to question.

Recognition of Clinical Specialisation Perioperative nursing is a specialist field. Formal recognition of advanced practice roles can, and should, translate to better pay.

Leadership Pathways for Nurses Too often, career advancement requires leaving the clinical floor. Systems should reward nurses who choose to lead from the OR.

Regular Pay Equity Audits Institutions should conduct routine reviews to identify gender and role-based discrepancies and act on them.

Inclusion at Decision-Making Tables Nurses, especially perioperative nurses, must have a voice in pay and policy discussions. No decisions about us, without us.

How Can Perioperative Nurses Advocate for Change?

It can feel daunting to push back against systemic issues, but we are not powerless. Here’s how perioperative nurses can take the lead:

Know Your Value: Keep track of your training, skills, outcomes, and responsibilities. Use data in conversations about pay.

Join Professional Networks: National nursing associations are a powerful way to support collective action, share resources, and build leadership. EORNA membership is open to national associations rather than individuals, but when your national association joins EORNA, it helps ensure your voice is represented at the European level. Encourage your national organisation to become a member so perioperative nurses across Europe are heard loud and clear.

Support One Another: Talk openly with peers about pay. Share resources. Mentor junior nurses to negotiate from day one.

Speak Up in the Workplace: Participate in staff forums, committees, or policy reviews. Advocate for fair practices.

Push for Policy Change: Where possible, engage with national nursing organisations and lobby for legislation that supports equal pay.

Final Thoughts: Equal Pay Is Not a Luxury

Fair pay isn’t just about personal compensation, it’s about respect, retention, and recognition.

When perioperative nurses are undervalued, it sends the wrong message: that our safety-critical work is expendable. That our expertise is optional. That our dedication is taken for granted.

EORNA believes that must change.

It’s time for institutions, policymakers, and the public to close the gap, not just in pay, but in how we value nursing work in operating rooms across Europe.

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