Thursday, 30th October 2008 - 16:01CET

Nurses' action "a success"

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) said today that its directive for nurses to refuse non-nursing duties is being followed by all its members.

The directive came into force this morning as the union presses the government to engage more nurses in view of a staff shortage.

MUMN president Paul Pace said the union had been careful to emsure that its directive did not affect patient care and as a result there were no unusual queues or delays.

He said that the only service which has been stopped and which could have affected some people was 'bloodletting' in health centres.

Mr Pace said nurses who work in the operating theatres, the Emergency Department, the Intensive Therapy Unit and the Renal Unit have been exempt from the directive.

"We are not asking for more money but for more staff in order to give patients a better service. At Mater Dei there is a shortage of 187 nurses and some nurses at Mount Carmel Hospital work an 80-hour week," he complained.

This problem, he said, was growing because a number of nurses were opting to work abroad because of better working codnitions and opportunities.

Previous article • Government announces new scheme to help first-time buyers
Next article • Gasco, Liquigas Malta announce senior appointments

Article © Allied Newspapers Ltd., printed on Sunday, November 22, 2009. This article is for personal use only, and should not be distributed.

Comments

B.Spiteri (on 31/10/08)

In general, people in the caring professions have a heightened tendency toward burnout. Nurses, as members of the helping professions, are indeed vulnerable to burnout. Job burnout can be defined as "a feeling of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion that results from a chronic state of cumulative pressure or stress at work" (Lachman & Diamant, 1987, p.221)
Let alone that we have even more pressure with being short of staff. All we want is to Give our pateints the nursing care we have been taught to do, In every possible way. Not just from the medical and physical point of view but also in a HOLISTIC way.
BUT IN SITUATIONS LIKE THESE, I am very sorry to say, WE ARE PRONE TO DISASTER!!

A Grech (on 30/10/08)

but the my question is...is staff available? tipo i don't think that each year 150 nurses graduate.. so from where should the government get the staff?!

mike pace (on 30/10/08)

Its time the government starts to listen to the union and its members because first its all citizens to be respected or face the backlash at the June elections from the concerned voters.
Time to be unite under one front or else the top heads starts to roll on us.

Charles Camilleri (on 30/10/08)

Given the present day economical situation with many private employees expecting the worst this Maltese saying comes to my mind. ' Min hu mejjet ghall qatra u min hu mejjet fis-sakra'