Nurses in Norway are facing increased workload pressures, particularly in municipal nursing homes and home care services, according to a recent survey conducted by SINTEF for the Norwegian Nurses' Association (NSF). More than 18,000 nurses participated in the survey, which focused on their daily work experiences and psychosocial work environment.
The report found that many nurses have seen their workloads rise over the past year. "Many nurses are experiencing great pressure, and the workload is greatest in the municipalities. At the same time, half of the nurse managers say that they have experienced staffing cuts in the past year," said Ose, a senior research scientist at SINTEF who led the study.
Over 60 percent of nursing managers reported unfilled positions in municipal nursing homes and home care services. This shortage has resulted in increased pressure on existing staff. Ose emphasized that strengthening municipal staffing is necessary. "Many municipalities are struggling to recruit nurses. Some end up choosing to hire people with lower qualifications. But that only exacerbates the problem for the nurses who are already there. We have to stop thinking that this is about getting more hands into service. What we need are heads and brains, nurses with expertise," Ose stated.
To address recruitment challenges, Ose suggested improving working conditions for nurses. This includes better planning for absences and avoiding minimum staffing levels that can lead to employee overload and health problems. Employers should also avoid scheduling shifts with short rest periods between them.
Ose highlighted increased wages as another potential solution: "This is about simple market mechanisms. Many nurses would also prefer a reduced workload. Increased staffing and better weekend allowances could also make working on weekends more attractive."
The report also recommended hiring more support staff so that nurses can focus on their core responsibilities rather than tasks such as cleaning or administrative work.
Significant shortcomings were identified in health, safety, and environment (HSE) practices among employers. Nearly 60 percent of nurses said regular reviews of working conditions do not take place, and over half reported lacking procedures for handling offensive behavior at work. "Employees need protection to avoid overload and health problems that result. This is what HSE and internal control are supposed to take care of. We find that this work has fallen quite short in the public sector as compared to the private sector," Ose said.
The report concluded that many healthcare workers lack adequate protection against workplace risks. "What we see is that in professions where you work with people, HSE work has not been adapted to the actual loads," said Ose.
Improved cooperation between workplace parties was suggested as a way to strengthen preventive HSE efforts. Additionally, Ose noted a need for better training for employees regarding technological changes: "Many nurses are only minimally involved when new technology or new solutions are being developed and implemented. Better cooperation between parties can help employees participate more in technological developments in various workplaces. This could provide better solutions and increase the likelihood that their implementation will be successful."
The survey marks the beginning of a long-term study tracking working conditions within Norway's health services over ten years. "We will now follow this sampling over ten years. This first survey included a certain predominance of older nurses among those who responded, and we'll introduce ways to also include more younger employees in our further work," Ose added.
