Between crisis and indifference of the government: to be a nurse in Argentina

Like everyone On May 12, International Nursing Day is commemorated. in tribute to the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the professional considered a forerunner of modern nursing.

As reported in a 2018 report of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), based on data provided by the Argentine Federation of Nursing (FAC) and the Federal Capital Nursing Association (AECAF), in Argentina, there are 3.8 nurses per 10,000 inhabitants.

However, in the country, the picture is not encouraging: According to the initiative launched by Horacio Rodríguez Larreta for the city, the new work reform in the health sector indicates that graduates in nursing, bio-imaging, biotechnology and surgical instrumentation be considered "administrative staff" instead of professionals.

Upon receipt of this clause, which repeals Order No. 41.455 in force since 1986, professionals receive a lower salary percentage, according to legislator Javier Andrade in dialogue with The Destape.

What does this measure mean for nurses in the country? What kind of future can you imagine in this situation? How to solve this problem in the aftermath of the economic crisis that is going through the country?

The mbadive claim

"Nurses are professionals", This is the slogan that has become viral in social networks, with which hundreds of workers have called for a change in the design of their jobs.

Precisely, thanks to the use of a white handkerchief with the slogan, it was possible to materialize the fight on the streets in the last few months. Internet, as a scenario of unity and mbad, has served as a platform for many of them to share their personal experiences.

One of them was Carla Giovannetti, Bachelor of Science in Nursing: "I studied for five years, I finish a two year specialization and the faculty is two years older. In total, more than nine years of training and I continue to coach with internships and conferences. All accredited by the National Commission for Evaluation and Accreditation of Universities (CONEAU), "he wrote in an article on his Facebook account.

"I work in neonology," he explained and added: "In neonatology, babies do not talk to us, but I'm trained to evaluate and understand when a baby has respiratory distress, Abdominal distention, which may be investigating an infectious process, has a poor perfusion, even what to do in a cardiopulmonary arrest. "

Throughout his story, his ability to know the operation of an infusion pump, a multiparameter monitor and other equipment in the area. He studied pharmacology, for what he knows about dilutions and microdoses.

Faced with this situation, he explained his anguish and rejection of the government measure: "We are the only ones in the multidisciplinary health team that is evaluated every year with qualifications that can leave you unemployed. No other professional has to undergo this type of evaluation. In our turn, our salary is the most precarious and the task overload is terrible (…) 80% of the hospital was badfeeding and they abandoned us. "

To be a nurse in Argentina

"Currently in Argentina, it has become very difficult to find work, as a nurse in particular," says the nurse. Gian Paul, in dialogue with Filo.News.

"For me, it's a lack of respect for our profession and our person", opined regarding Larreta's regulation and added: "All our work requires more knowledge than any administrative task, the daily duties of nurses require a scientific basis and critical thinking through which we have been trained and maintained." putting ourselves on the same scale as any manager is a mockery. "

"It's crazy to think that nursing is an administrative taskYou literally have people's lives in your hands and the mistakes you can make can not be solved by sending an email or a phone call, "he said.

He works at the Santa Catalina Clinic, located in Once, and at the CEMIC University Hospital. But that does not seem unusual: "Most professionals have two jobs to pay their expenses which forces them to spend a lot of time away from their families and to work long hours to pay household expenses, etc. ".

In fact, according to the annual report of the Observatory of Health Union Argentina (Osinsa), in 2018, the number of workers in two jobs increased by 6%.

The professional explained: "The crisis affects the private sphere where it is not too much affected by lack of supplies, the difficulty of settling in the workplace, etc. ".

"Nowadays, it is very difficult to find a job that pays you well in time and where the work we do is always recognized," he said.

"But this also concerns the public sphere, where the crisis really looks You do not have the basic material on which to work, the quality of the patients is different, you work mainly with overworked and un-staffed patients to help and help others ", was -he adds.

The work of nurses is essential in the field of health. Attentive, minute by minute, waiting for all those who enter the room, they must know how to treat the patient accurately and quickly. They save lives, nothing more, nothing less.

What would society be without this work "It would be total chaos," said Paul, "no one could offer the necessary attention to the patient and those who would be most affected would be the patients."

"Imagine a place where there is no one to administer the medicine, attend emergencies or perform specific tasks in nursing. If we do not do it, there is nobody to do it for us, "he concluded.