Finnish Union of Practical Nurses highlights crisis in healthcare sector amid severe staff shortages

Customers are more ill, demand has increased, and work has become physically tougher. Päivi Inberg, the newly elected chair of the Finnish Union of Practical Nurses (SuPer), describes the changes faced by practical nurses in grim terms. She speaks from her previous workplace at the Vaahterakoti, a unit for enhanced service housing in Järvenpää, where she spent a significant portion of her career after qualifying as a practical nurse in the 1990s, primarily working with the elderly.

A common term emerges when discussing public social and healthcare services: crisis. Deficits in welfare areas are growing, and a chronic staff shortage is undermining the sector’s ability to retain and attract workers, forcing regions to rely on expensive temporary staff. The government’s plan to decrease the nurse-to-patient ratio impacts care for residents in facilities like Vaahterakoti.

Inberg criticized the government’s flip-flopping policies, highlighting a recent decision to reduce the nurse-to-patient ratio from 0.65 to 0.6, set to take effect next January. She warns that this change will negatively affect the ability of practical nurses to provide quality care, especially to the elderly, who will suffer from limited interaction and activities.

According to the Municipal Pensions Institution Keva, the shortage of practical nurses reached almost 9,000 in 2022, with forecasts indicating a worsening situation as many are expected to retire in the coming years. Inberg emphasizes that improving job wellness, ensuring adequate recovery for nurses, and providing good management are crucial to addressing these challenges.

Concerns also arise regarding the potential impact of wage negotiations on public finances, with calls for increased funding amidst rising welfare area deficits projected to exceed €1.4 billion this year. Inberg notes that effective collaboration among nurse unions is essential for enhancing the sector’s appeal and ensuring fair wage increases compared to higher-paying industries.