There are about 9200 nurses in Latvia, according to the Ministry of Health. According to union estimates, their number should be at least a quarter higher.
“If we look at other countries, there are hundreds of them, but unfortunately, Latvia is short of more than 3000 nurses. Unfortunately. And this number somehow does not show a tendency to decrease,” said union representative Liga Barinya.
LA.LV has written extensively about nurses' salaries, strange interviews, and the difficult, sometimes unbearable, harsh working environment, as well as the poor reviews about everything happening behind the closed doors of hospitals, which the nurses themselves shared in comments to the association's post.
Zane writes: “It would be funny if it weren't necessary to cry. You don’t need smart nurses. If they were needed, they would be hired without hesitation for several weeks. But my experience shows that these vacancies are a fiction and nothing more. Because even with a master's degree, they don’t want to hire. What kind of princesses are you waiting for? Well, that won’t happen, whether you want it or not. It’s time to wake up and stop dreaming!”
Dace notes that “young people no longer want to work in hospitals. The salary is what it is...”
Maīra responds: “The salary is only slightly below the national average if a nurse works full-time, as well as at night and on holidays. Being a nurse is primarily a calling. Of course, we also want the pay system to be revised, but money will not be the determining factor here. The working environment is important – respectful, collegial relationships, recognition from middle and upper management, and full interdisciplinary collaboration. When new nurses feel that the healthcare system needs them not only as a workforce but also finally appreciates their acquired competencies and leadership qualities, there will be far fewer problems in the system. And this is already a matter of the internal psychological climate of many institutions, which requires immediate resolution.”
Zane shares her experience: “I was not needed in any Riga hospital because I was just called to ask: can your resume be sent to the department? After that, no one needed anything. Not even an interview. But, honestly, if nurses were needed, it would be ridiculous to conduct such interviews; it seems that there is supposedly huge competition for nursing positions. Thus, no one needs anything because in the end, no one gets hired. And I continue to wander through schools because I am needed nowhere else, with my academic experience and education. But it is what it is. Only my reviews of this system will never be good until it becomes more loyal to those who want to work. That’s why sometimes I comment quite harshly because I have such experience. Everything can be understood, but not this system; there is no explanation for it.
