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Crisis in the health sector: Impact on nurses' working conditions
Alberto Granero-Lázaro1, Josep M Blanch-Ribas2, Juan Francisco Roldán-Merino3
1Centro de Salud Mental, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitario, Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Parc Taulí I3PT, Sabadell (Barcelona), España.
Abstract:
In a context of economic crisis and policies to reduce the public deficit, the budgets of the Catalan Health Institute (CHI) were cut by 15.33% between 2010 and 2014.
Objective:
To assess the perceived impact on nurses' work conditions of measures to contain health spending.
Method:
The study design was descriptive and transversal. A sample of 1,760 nurses from the province of Barcelona answered a questionnaire on the perceived impact of health spending containment measures implemented in their workplace during the early years of the crisis.
Results:
Among the main aspects of the perceived impact of these measures, 86.6% of the nurses identified a pay cut and an increase in the following relevant parameters of their working conditions: number of hours worked (66.7%), final ratio of treated patients (35.2%), task complexity and workload (75.3%), rotation through various departments (31.5%), work shifts (21.4%) or work areas (23.4%), job insecurity (58.4%) and loss of employment by dismissal (6.6%) or non-renewal of contract (9%).
Conclusions:
The perceived impact of the crisis showed a triple negative component: Pay cut, work overload and job insecurity. As a combined effect of this multiple trend, the nurses acknowledged a deterioration in their working conditions and quality of working life.