Efforts to increase the number of nursing staff include apprenticeships, temporary staff and investing in well-being at work.
Päijät-Sote, which is suffering from a shortage of employees, is considering new ways to secure the availability of staff. According to a survey published by Yle on Tuesday, Päijät-Sote has about 180 nursing posts unfilled.
As a result, beds have been reduced, surgery is less frequent than planned and many shifts in acute services are managed separately. In addition, there have been reductions in the number of beds in service accommodation and some scheduled consultations have had to be postponed.
According to the welfare association’s board, the staff shortage in Päijät-Häme is exacerbated by the fact that the residents have a greater need for services than the rest of the country. According to the group, this is due to the age structure of the population and long-term social and economic problems.
According to Päijät-Sote, hundreds of students are offered internships and apprenticeships every year, and students in the field are actively recruited for gigs and summer jobs. Health and social care professionals who have studied abroad are trained for Finnish care tasks in cooperation with educational institutions.
One attraction for the industry is the practice agreed in Päijät-Hämee, where apprentices are paid for school days in addition to working days, which is rare in Finland.
Interest in health and safety education has been proactively increased by recruiting 200 middle school and high school aged youth for summer jobs in the previous two summers. In order to secure the supply of substitutes, long-term cooperation agreements have been made and temporary labor is used whenever possible.
Retention of existing staff is crucial
In its Tuesday meeting, Päijät-Sote’s board also stressed the measures to be taken to improve the work well-being and comfort of the current personnel.
More has been invested in supporting the ability to work and occupational health and safety. The aim is to train superiors in management and at the same time invest in new skills and career paths that ensure the development of skills.
To support the reconciliation of work and family life, Päijät-Sote has the benefits of a family-friendly workplace. According to the group’s board, reforms of the employee benefits and reward system are also being worked on.
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