Nurses, midwives, and other healthcare professionals in Italy not only face embarrassing salaries compared to the OECD average, but also work in conditions that seriously endanger their health. With only 52 days of annual rest, they suffer an unsustainable physical and mental overload. It is not surprising, therefore, that in Italy nurses are the category with the highest rate of injuries, burnout, and suicide risk. This profession, considered abroad among the most difficult in the world, is not even recognized as strenuous in Italy. Yet, night work and chronic stress conditions are associated with numerous health problems, including: Cardiovascular problems, Metabolic disorders and diabetes, Digestive problems, Increased cancer risk, Mental and emotional problems. According to Eurostat, in 2022 Italy recorded one of the highest rates of hours worked in Europe, surpassed only by France and Greece. The result? One third of Italians said that work negatively affects their private life. In our country, people work too much and earn too little, except for politicians and public managers, who enjoy much more favorable conditions and benefits we can't even dream of. The National Health Service (SSN) suffers from serious structural problems: Excessive working hours: The post-night shift is not a rest, but a working day essential to recover the psycho/physical energy lost during the night Nurse: the profession most affected by injuries and burnout. Alarming data: A survey by Nursing Up Emilia-Romagna reveals that 92% of the healthcare professionals interviewed (over 3000) are dissatisfied with salary and working conditions, with 60% considering leaving the sector. Current policies have failed, putting the stability of the healthcare system at risk. Immediate action is needed to improve the quality of working life in Italy, and we wonder if this political and managerial class is truly capable of doing so. Reduction of working hours, guaranteeing at least 72 days of annual rest. Adjustment of salaries to the OECD average. Recognition of the profession as strenuous. Better career opportunities and freedom of professional mobility. Recognition of the role of public official for nurses. Paid internships and abolition of exclusivity constraints. Exclusivity allowance, equal to that of doctors. Investments in welfare and mental health: greater psychological support for workers. Improvement of working conditions in the SSN, with a review of pay policies. Zero tolerance towards corruption, malpractice, and insecurity in the workplace. Italy is at a crossroads: continue on this path and lose more and more professionals, risking the closure of more hospitals (125 closed in the last 10 years), or finally implement the necessary reforms to create a country where work is dignified and health is protected. Vincenzo Parisi We went on RAI to say that our salaries are embarrassing, click here...
The Proposals of Nursing Up Emilia-Romagna Managers to Politics:
Union Leader
