Nurses have been highlighting understaffing
If they’re overdue a break, take a holiday
Ah but this is the HSE, in some roles if you're not on the holiday rota 2 years in advance not a hope of getting it!If they’re overdue a break, take a holiday
All the time while we have one of the highest number of nurses per capita in the EU!Nurses have been highlighting understaffing and unsafe conditions as long as I can remember.
That figure needs context as to whether they are full time or part time, public or private, clinical/research/managerial, hospital/GP/nursing home, etc. When you look at reports on this (OECD, etc.) they qualify those stats by saying that high numbers per capita can still mean staff shortages depending on demand and the scope of work performed. So if we have fewer doctors and healthcare assistants per capita then more of the work is done by nurses.All the time while we have one of the highest number of nurses per capita in the EU!
It would also need context of the demographics for Ireland versus other EU countries rather than just a raw 'per capita'.That figure needs context as to whether they are full time or part time, public or private, clinical/research/managerial, hospital/GP/nursing home, etc. When you look at reports on this (OECD, etc.) they qualify those stats by saying that high numbers per capita can still mean staff shortages depending on demand and the scope of work performed. So if we have fewer doctors and healthcare assistants per capita then more of the work is done by nurses.
Wouldn't it be the staff shortage numbers that need more context? If we have more than most, but still have shortages, then it's likely those we do have aren't deployed in the right areas?That figure needs context as to whether they are full time or part time, public or private, clinical/research/managerial, hospital/GP/nursing home, etc.
True, we have one of the youngest populations. 20% of our population is over 60 when the European average is 26%.It would also need context of the demographics for Ireland versus other EU countries rather than just a raw 'per capita'.
The picture is very complex.Wouldn't it be the staff shortage numbers that need more context? If we have more than most, but still have shortages, then it's likely those we do have aren't deployed in the right areas?
That's a really important point and creates massive duplication of processes within the HSE.The infrastructure and resources matter too. Other countries may have fewer nurses because they have modern electronic records which allow the staff to work more efficiently. There really is a lot more to it than measuring the whole time equivalents.
Eurostat account for all that...Some countries (e.g. Austria) only report the number of nurses working in hospitals, so their figures look much lower than ours.
Same in the hospital my wife works in, administration blame GDPR!A relative of mine was admitted to St. James's Hospital through one department and then again through a different department about 6 weeks later. He had two different patient numbers, two different sets of records and they had no idea that the other set existed. If that level of duplication exists within one hospital I can only imagine what it's like nationally.
How many different nursing grades and contracts are there in her hospital? How many variations of contracts are there in total?Same in the hospital my wife works in, administration blame GDPR!
Somewhere approaching infinity....it's one of the larger hospitals that subsumed other smaller hospitals over the decades, all the variations of contracts and T&Cs from the legacy hospitals remain. Things like leave and rosters are still managed via whiteboards and complex spreadsheets because the IT system can't cope with all the variations.How many different nursing grades and contracts are there in her hospital? How many variations of contracts are there in total?
Correct. The second highest, per 100,000 inhabitants, after Germany. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/stati...statistics_-_nursing_and_caring_professionalsAll the time while we have one of the highest number of nurses per capita in the EU!
And the cost (waste) probably run into the millions.Somewhere approaching infinity....it's one of the larger hospitals that subsumed other smaller hospitals over the decades, all the variations of contracts and T&Cs from the legacy hospitals remain. Things like leave and rosters are still managed via whiteboards and complex spreadsheets because the IT system can't cope with all the variations.
Yea, but the INMO calls them all front line staff and wants a bribe for them all for working through the pandemic. Judging by the calls to RTE this morning most of them don't want it and would rather see the money spent fixing things.Some countries (e.g. Austria) only report the number of nurses working in hospitals, so their figures look much lower than ours. Meanwhile we include nurses who may be lecturing or working in a lab which artificially inflates our numbers. It is easy to look at a headline figure but the data behind the numbers are nuanced and you quickly realise it is tabloid stuff.
Same in the hospital my wife works in, administration blame GDPR!
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