About 2 thousand nurses leave medical institutions annually

The salary of about MDL 1 thousand, lack of dwellings, the hard work and the impossibility of providing the necessary care to the high number of patients are facts which determine about 2 thousand nurses to leave the medical institutions annually. Chairman of the Nursing Association of Moldova Elena Stempovschi says that these figures do not include the graduates of the medical colleges, a significant part of whom leave their jobs after 1-2 months of activity. In several medical institutions in Moldova a medical assistant serves about 70 patients, while the international researches show that proper medical assistance can be provided to 4-6 patients. Only in such conditions can the death rate in hospitals be diminished, and the patients have the chance to benefit from high quality and multidimensional care. The data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that during one year about 98 thousand persons died because of the errors committed in these institutions. The researches conducted in several hospitals in Chisinau proved that during the official work hours alone a nurse works 2 times mores. At present, 62.1 medical nurses serve 10 thousand persons. In light of this situation and due to the lack of an appropriate payment, the assistants are forced to cover two posts, thus working 4-fold more. This situation makes the assistants ill, nervous, and diminishes their possibilities to provide high quality services. This is how those about 22 thousand nurses in Moldova will mark the Nurses International Day on May 12. The theme for 2007 is: Positive practice environments: Quality workplaces = quality patient care”. WHO and the International Council of Nurses (ICN) launched an appeal to the entire world to eliminate all the shortcomings in what concerns the practice environment of the medical personnel and to guarantee a quality nursing care for all. The International Council of Nurses is a federation of national nurses’ associations (NNAs), representing nurses in more than 128 countries. The Nursing Association of Moldova is a member of the Council since 1996.