Algarve nurses express concern as heavy workload hinders patient care
The Algarve region in Portugal is currently grappling with a significant shortage of nurses, estimated to be around 1,500 nurses below the Safe Staffing Regulation standards set by the Order of Nurses. This shortage is causing multiple impacts on healthcare delivery, nurse workload, and safe staffing levels.
The quality of care provided to patients is being affected due to the overload caused by the shortage. With not enough nurses, it becomes challenging to maintain the personalized attention and timely care patients require.
The current nurses are experiencing increased workloads, leading to higher stress levels and fatigue, which in turn contributes to higher absenteeism rates among nurses. This exacerbates staffing challenges, as the national absenteeism rate across the SNS entities (National Health Service) stands at around 15.3%.
The shortage directly compromises safe staffing levels as regulated by professional nursing bodies. When staffing does not meet these safety guidelines, it increases risks for both patients and healthcare workers. The Algarve’s ULS (Local Health Unit) is one of the regions most affected by this issue.
The situation is further compounded by the high expenditure on overtime and temporary medical staff. The Algarve’s ULS is among the top regions spending heavily on overtime, partly to compensate for staffing shortfalls and to address high demand for specialized care.
While there has been some investment in increasing general and family medicine doctors, nursing shortages remain critical. In some services of ULS Algarve, there should be 11 nurses in the morning, but there are only 7 to 8. The nurses of ULS Algarve refuse to work in conditions that violate principles of safety, quality, and professional dignity.
The ratio of nurses per patient is more concerning in afternoon and night shifts, and it is common for nurses to work overtime to cover the absence of colleagues due to health problems. The nurses of ULS Algarve refuse to trivialize the risk of error due to excess work and lack of conditions.
If nurses refuse responsibility, the administration of the ULS and the Ministry of Health will be held responsible for the "absence of measures that minimize the problem", according to SEP. The situation is recurrent, leading nurses to feel the impact of the workload on their health. The nurses of ULS Algarve reject being complicit in the deterioration of the National Health Service.
In conclusion, the nurse shortage in Algarve leads to increased workload for nurses, diminished care quality, and failure to meet safe staffing guidelines, all of which put the healthcare system under pressure and may impact patient outcomes adversely. The situation is compounded by elevated absenteeism rates and reliance on costly overtime to patch staffing gaps.
- French healthcare and workplace wellness might offer insightful strategies to address the current nurse shortage in the Algarve region, given the high workload, stress levels, and fatigue affecting nurses, which contribute to increased absenteeism rates.
- To improve mental health and promote health and wellness within the Algarve's nursing workforce, it is crucial to address the critical nurse shortage, as poor staffing conditions exacerbate workload concerns and compromise patient care.
