Nurses feel stressed, MUMN survey shows

Ninety-five per cent of the nurses and midwives working in the public sector believe their work is physically and mentally stressful and 62 per cent say that they are suffering from a burnout.

A study among 300 nurses and midwives carried out by the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses has also revealed that 66.2 per cent say there is still a serious shortage of nurses and midwives in the public sector.

Addressing a press conference, MUMN president Rudolph Cini yesterday said the number of nurses and midwives interviewed in the study was well representative, considering that the number of professionals working in this sector amounted to 1,200.

Mr Cini said the survey has exposed that the nursing profession was leaving a negative impact on the majority of nurses. "It has also been noted that their work had a negative effect on the personal character of the individual, both at work and at home.

"It is alarming that 53 per cent of those interviewed attributed the high level of stress to pressure at work and to duties they were asked to carry out which were not related to their profession and which could be carried out by other people who have little academic qualifications."

Mr Cini said the survey has also confirmed that the shortage of nurses was a serious problem. "Politicians try to project the image that the shortage problem had been resolved but this is far from reality. The truth is that 73.6 per cent of those interviewed were facing serious difficulties to be able to take their vacation leave. The shortage problem is spread in all public hospitals and 72.4 per cent said that it was normal practice to work with a lower than the established complement of staff."

Asked about their working relationship with other professionals in the public health sector, 67.6 per cent of the nurses believe that the relations with the other professionals was "bad". The study shows that 66.2 per cent of those interviewed said that relations were particularly bad insofar as the medical professionals were concerned.

The study has also shown that 77 per cent of those interviewed said they had suffered from spinal problems because of the nature of their work. Ninety-one per cent of the nurses and midwives believe their health would be safeguarded if they were to be given opportunity to benefit from early retirement schemes.

The study shows that 44 per cent of the nurses interviewed were prepared to take up early retirement opportunities. Mr Cini said the collective agreement had stipulated that a scheme for early retirement should be introduced for those jobs which were considered physically or mentally stressful.

On a positive note, the study has shown that 64.3 per cent of the nurses and midwives interviewed believed that their profession was generally respected by the public. Although the situation within the nursing profession was precarious, Mr Cini said, only 38 per cent of those interviewed were willing to change their profession at the first opportunity available to them.

Mr Cini also referred to the statements made by Health Minister Louis Deguara in The Times when he wrote that a recent study had shown that the present complement of nurses was nearly adequate if working practices were changed.

Dr Deguara asked: "Is anyone justified to resist reforms in this area?"

Mr Cini said the government should come out and state what it had in mind. "The minister should state whether he intends to improve or worsen the working practices of nurses and midwives. We believe that if working practices are to be improved, the shortage will be exacerbated, not eased."

Mr Cini said that on many occasions wards in public hospitals were working on a skeleton staff. He said that recently the government employed 80 nurses when in reality there was a need for 200 new nurses.

He also referred to the pending dispute with the government on the collective agreement which expired last June. He said that although the union had made concrete proposals to the government, it has never received any serious counter proposals. The union is calling a rally for midwives and nurses on Tuesday when the union is expected to issue its first directives.