Nurses in Spanish nursing homes: lack of data, poor conditions and risk for seniors

The Spanish system of care for the elderly in nursing homes is facing a serious staffing crisis related to the shortage and poor working conditions of nurses. The main problem highlighted in a published report by the Spanish General Nursing Council and the Spanish Institute of Nursing Research is the complete lack of reliable statistical data. It is not known how many nurses are actually missing, nor under what terms they are employed. In Spain, as in many other European countries, an aging population is placing increasing challenges on the long-term care system. The growing number of elderly and dependent people requires a properly trained and numerous medical staff, whose deficit has been observed for years. The lack of clear legal regulations prevents effective management of this sector. Diego Ayuso, General Secretary of the Council, assesses that the current, highly varied and generally low nursing staffing ratios "call into question the quality of life and care for people with the highest dependency." The consequences are direct and severe: according to the report, an insufficient number of nurses translates into faster deterioration of the health of nursing home residents and increases their suffering. An additional, glaring problem is the employment conditions. Although a nurse specializing in geriatrics must complete a four-year bachelor's degree and a two-year specialist training, many of them work based on collective agreements intended for the hotel industry. This practice, although not statistically documented, is common according to the Council, especially in the private sector, which constitutes 85.8% of facilities. Unattractive financial conditions and lack of career prospects effectively discourage qualified nurses from working in this sector, while simultaneously encouraging the phenomenon of "breaking into" the profession by people with lower qualifications. „Nuestra responsabilidad como sociedad es cuidar a las personas mayores y personas dependientes en general y la respuesta que estamos dando a esta necesidad de cuidado no es la adecuada” (Our responsibility as a society is to care for the elderly and dependent people in general, and the response we are giving to this need for care is not adequate) — Raquel Rodríguez. In response to these challenges, the nursing community has appealed to the Ministry of Health to urgently conduct a comprehensive study of the situation. Its results are to be used to develop effective policies that will ensure appropriate legal protection and the presence of nurses in nursing homes, which is essential in the face of the progressing aging of Spanish society.