Profession Is 2,000 Workers Short, Says Nursing Head
Nursing Association director Ester Pruuden says the country needs 2,000 more nurses to bring the total to a needed 10,000.
She said on ETV that the figures were based on research. "We're in a situation where one-fifth of nurses are a deficit item. The result is that the existing people work under a truly heavy load. The other health care workers and I believe this is a really very important topic that requires a rapid solution," she said.
"The Nurses Union is not on strike currently, as in the light of the salary agreements from past years we have chosen a constructive and peaceable way of negotiations, which has resulted in significant raises for nurses in past years. We will support our colleagues with support actions," she added.
Pruuden said that nurses and caregivers were the group most sensitive to wages. "Nurses are highly dependent on the level of minimum hourly wage, and achieving an agreement is very important to them," she said. The default rise of 1-2 percent outlined in Health Insurance budget memoranda would not ensure regular raises.