Nursing beyond the hospital
Nursing staff plays a key role in a wide range of sectors, including prisons, schools, war fields, and even entrepreneurship and research. Despite this diversity, society often tends to limit its image in the hospital, ignoring the multiple facets of this essential profession. Within the framework of International Nursing Day, the importance of this figure has been highlighted, as indicated by Borja Manzanares, president of the Official College of Nurses of Barcelona, who has talked about the richness of ‘the science of accompanying and caring’.
A New Focusing through the Khurasana Podcast
Nurses Raquel Borrell and Amaranta Fuenmayor have created the Khurasana Podcast, which has become a platform to make visible the experiences of both professionals and patients. With three seasons in Betevé, this project seeks to expand the understanding of the role of nurses in society. ‘I am also a nurse in life,’ says Fuenmayor, who reflects on how the feminization of care has contributed to the invisibility of its impact on public health. Currently, more than 86% of collegiate nursing staff in Barcelona are women.
A growing deficit of professionals in Spain
A recent report from the Ministry of Health reveals that Spain faces a lack of 100,000 nurses, a crisis that has intensified in the wake of the pandemic but was present for years. It is expected that more than 20 years will be needed to achieve the European ratio of 9.9 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants. This situation is complicated by the fact that 56% of Catalan nurses consider leaving their profession, with work overload as the main reason for nine in ten cases.
Retain talent: a crucial challenge
The problem is not training, but the difficulties in retaining talent. Many professionals decide to leave their career to explore other ways or to exercise abroad. ‘Improved working conditions could attract more nurses to work,’ says Borrell. Manzanares emphasizes that ‘there is a matter of recognition and remuneration, and the responsibility of the work is high’, emphasizing the need to take care of the well -being of nursing staff, who often have to endure long shifts and night guards.
The emotional impact of nursing
The emotional burden of the profession is an aspect that cannot be overlooked. Fuenmayor comments that ‘accompanying people in times of illness involves being a sponge of emotions and feelings’. This psychological wear is one of the many factors that contribute to the decision of many nurses to leave the profession, emphasizing the importance of not only addressing the working conditions but also the emotional well -being of professionals.
