Swiss nurses warn of deterioration of hospital care

Nurses in Switzerland on Wednesday warned of serious understaffing in hospitals, saying hospital care for long-term patients was becoming inadequate and nurses were increasingly suffering from burnout.

Nurses in Switzerland on Wednesday warned of serious understaffing in hospitals, saying hospital care for long-term patients was becoming inadequate and nurses were increasingly suffering from burnout.

The Swiss Association of Nurses, addressing a news conference in the capital Berne, said there was a shortage of about 500 nursing staff in the first half of this year alone.

At the same time, the number of the chronically ill in Swiss hospitals and health care institutions has significantly increased, the association said.

The main victims are the chronically ill or those patients who need long-term care — a situation which results in not enough human contact between nurses and patients and yet more medical problems.

The association criticised the Swiss health care system as financially too one-sided.

“It is a bad idea to keep investing mainly in medical research and progress while at the same time neglecting the daily care of patients by nurses,” said association President Monika Müller-Angst.

Many nurses not only suffer from burnout but are also frustrated because they cannot look after their patients as well as they would like to, one nurse told the news conference.

The association said the priorities of medical and health care in Switzerland must be redefined. It said medical care, nursing and the prevention of illnesses must be better coordinated and patients should be more actively involved in what kind of care they want.


From staff and wire reports.