Finland is expected to recruit about 30,000 new nurses by 2030 to meet the demands and obligations of the aging population set out in the government’s proposal to amend the Elderly Social and Health Care Services Act.
The legislation proposes a minimum quota of 24-hour care for nursing homes for seven caregivers for every 10 residents.
This has caused great concern about the shortage of nurses in Finland Teppo Kröger, Professor of Social Policy at the University of Jyväskylä and Director of the Center of Excellence for Aging and Care.
"Even in this decade, the need for recruitment is great. In the 2030s, the need for both services and staff will grow even faster as large age groups then become clients of care services," Kröger said.
Currently, about 50,000 health care workers work in round-the-clock care for the elderly.
Municipalities report ongoing recruitment problems
Recruitment problems are also reflected in a study by municipalities and associations of municipalities published by the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) on Wednesday.
According to the study, more than half of the municipalities occasionally had problems recruiting both nurses and health care workers, while a third of the municipalities reported suffering from recruitment problems, especially to meet the care needs of the elderly.
This means that nursing homes and home care units often remain understaffed, a THL expert Sari Kehusmaa told Yle.
"When qualified workers are not available, options are limited. Untrained staff and students must be used both in home care and around the clock. The use of both also attracts permanent staff, as their work needs to be supervised," Praise said.
Less interest in a careership
Although recruitment problems in the sector are not new, they are becoming more serious as young people are less interested in health workers. Annika Asla, a community nurse and shop steward with the Finnish Association of Practical Nurses (SuPer) in Helsinki.
"Caring for the elderly is not an attractive career option today. Helping clients in poor conditions makes work physically strenuous," he explained.
Professor Kröger of the University of Jyväskylä stated that the current recruitment problems reflect how employees have lost a significant part of their previous professional independence, as well as increasing conflicts in relationships with supervisors.
"Valuing and rewarding nursing does not meet staff expectations," Kröger said.
Source: The Nordic Page
