Exhausted Iva nurses’ cries for help: “We can no longer cope”

Last year, the assistant nurses at Karlstad Central Hospital worked 2,627 overtime hours, which is over 800 more than the year before. And only in January this year, the figure was 563 hours of overtime, now in March it is up to over 2200 hours, according to the assistant nurse and safety representative Jenny Bill.

“We can no longer bear it”

“We can no longer, either physically or mentally, work so much overtime.” This is what safety representative Jenny Bill writes in a letter from Kommunal to the employer, in which they request measures to have a sustainable work environment.

Sick leave has also increased. Last year it was a little over 7 percent and so far this year you see almost a doubling: 13 percent.

Hear safety representative Jenny Bill talk about the strained situation and hear operations manager Karl Silvhamn’s answers about patient safety and recruitment.

Some measures have been taken

According to operations manager Karl Silvhamn, certain measures have been taken. Among other things, five new assistant nurses have so far been trained and started working. The region also offers conversational support to employees who are at risk for sick leave.

But according to Jenny Bill, that’s not enough.

– It takes a long time to become an accustomed IVA nurse, we must get external help for it to be sustainable, says Jenny Bill.