– I am glad that the Minister of Health was clear that we have not rolled up our sleeves and deserve more than applause, but I am provoked and worried about what kind of advisers Kjerkol has when she can describe the capacity she does, says leader Lill Sverresdatter Larsen in the Norwegian Nurses’ Association to Dagbladet.
After the press conference, the reactions have cleared in, she says.
– Just two hours later, I had received over 200 messages from angry nurses who react. What was this here? asks Sverresdatter Larsen.
The Norwegian Nurses’ Association told Dagbladet on Thursday that the intensive care capacity in Norway is now balances on a knife edge, and that if the development continues as it is now towards Christmas, the health service will collapse. Tired employees cry at work, and many consider quitting because they can no longer bear to stand in the demanding and long working days, said Sverresdatter Larsen.
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Day after day understaffed
One of the nurses who has contacted the Norwegian Nurses’ Association describes the press conference as one of the most provocative he has seen.
“As I understand it, the hospital situation is under full control according to today’s press conference. In my ward, both the head of the department, the head of the department, the assistant head of the department and the professional nurse have resigned since this summer and throughout the autumn. None of these positions are currently filled. Do not have figures on how many nurses have resigned “, is among what the nurse writes.
He continues:
“It is not suitable for everyone to be moved here and there in time and out of time, especially not over time. It is very demanding, and in addition not very patient safe. You are put in patient situations for which you do not really have the competence. We lack managers, professional nurses and nurses. In general, employees work overtime, double shifts and carry out understaffed day after day.
FEARS COLLAPSE: Lill Sverresdatter Larsen, leader of the Norwegian Nurses’ Association, says that the intensive care capacity is close to breaking point in several places due to a lack of employees. Photo: Bjørn Langsem / Dagbladet
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– Good training and plans
When Dagbladet confronts Minister of Health Ingvild Kjerkol with the Nurses’ Association’s descriptions of the situation at the press conference, she answers, among other things:
– It is not uncommon for the winter season to be tough for our health services, so you have good training and plans to deal with it. It is also important that the health services relieve each other within a health region.
Furthermore, the Minister of Health says that the health service has good training and competence in dealing with both crises and pressure on the combined capacity.
– And you have plans that you implement to handle increased patient influx. But that is also why we are today implementing measures that we hope and believe will have an effect on at least the patient influx of covid-19-infected and sick. So this is a situation I have a great understanding of, but the Norwegian health service is also very strong and flexible, so we do this so that we can get along well together through the winter.
Do not blame the corona
– Strong encouragement
Kjerkol says she understands that the situation is perceived as demanding, and that in the long run it is about educating, recruiting and retaining health personnel, and that the government has initiated long-term work with this – including through a health personnel commission.
– But is the emergency preparedness good enough, when health personnel have to be in that situation here for over a year and a half?
– I have a great understanding that it is experienced as demanding. Therefore, I also have a strong encouragement to all the rest of us to roll up our sleeves, get vaccinated, be home when we are sick and do what is possible for us to prevent waves of infection leading to an increased number of admissions.
New national measures
– New tough winter season
Assistant director of health Espen Rostrup Nakstad called the Norwegian health service “solid” when he was confronted with the Norwegian Nurses’ Association’s description of the capacity of Norwegian hospitals.
When asked if the preparedness is good enough, Nakstad answers:
– The burden is great and it is worrying that one has been in this for so long, and it is noticed by employees in the health service very well. At the same time, the health service has not collapsed now, and it is not in danger of collapsing. But it is in danger of entering another tough winter season with great wear and tear on employees and capacity challenges due to the pandemic in addition to other tasks. So therefore they recommend the measures that the government has now announced, says Nakstad to Dagbladet.
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