Italian nurses are experiencing an unprecedented crisis. It's time to act, not to complain. Here are some of the main issues and proposed solutions to improve the situation of our category.
Italy spends 40% less than the 14 countries of Western Europe. We are the OECD country with the fewest hospitalizations in relation to the population, but with a higher average length of stay. Over 600,000 families go into debt to get treatment. In this disastrous context, politics and unions do not know which way to go. Many will say there is no money, but billions have been found for defense; we would have needed very little. There is a lack of political will.
Pay: A National Disgrace
According to a survey by Nursing Up Emilia Romagna, 98.2% of professionals surveyed believe that pay is disproportionate to the risks and responsibilities of the job. With an average salary of about 1,600 euros, Italian nurses earn a thousand euros less than the OECD average. This disparity not only humiliates our profession, but pushes many of us to seek our fortune abroad.
Professional Recognition: Absent
Nurses receive zero recognition, economic progressions are few and far between, and contract renewals are ridiculous. We are often the scapegoat for everything. The healthcare system is at its limit, with demotivated professionals and citizens at risk. The consequences are already tangible: extremely long waiting lists, lack of care, and an exponential increase in complaints about malpractice.
Italy is short more than 100,000 nurses, 8,400 midwives, and thousands of OSS. These numbers are set to double in the coming years. Meanwhile, between 2011 and 2021, 125 hospitals were closed in Italy. Politics only offers useless palliatives. If you want to attract and retain nurses, you have to pay them properly, as leading European countries do. Instead, our politicians are looking for nurses in India, with questionable training.
We need to find a place to meet and organize, there's nothing faster or more effective than Social Media. Come to Infermieri fuori dal Comparto, Facebook group, click here.
The Solution?
We need nurses in politics, as doctors and psychologists have done in the past and as OSS are doing now. Giving 51% to a single union would strengthen our bargaining power. Nursing Up is currently the fastest way.
Join Us
Together we can make a difference. If you want to make proposals, want info, just have your say, sign up, become an activist, contact lapaginadinursingup@yahoo.com or leave a WhatsApp message at 3401210916.
What Do We Ask For?
Nurses want just a few things, which are the same things Nursing Up has been asking for years:
Allocation of resources for healthcare personnel
OECD average salaries (+1000 euros to start)
Improvement of working conditions
Enhancement of healthcare professions
Recognition as a strenuous profession and Early retirement
Exclusivity allowance (as for doctors)
Free mobility
Single national contract (public/private)
Italy needs nurses. Choose Nursing Up. Your future is in your choices.
Vincenzo Parisi
