Dr. Felix Nyande, the Head of Department for the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) School of Nursing and Midwifery, has highlighted the growing burden on the nation’s healthcare workforce.
He explained that nurses and midwives are being forced to take on extra workloads due to the heightened exodus of health workers. Combined with the limited availability of tools, many face significant psychological challenges.
Dr. Nyande made these remarks at the opening of the 2024 Nurses and Midwives Week celebration for the Volta Region Chapter of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association in Ho. He urged stakeholders to recognize the reality of the situation and seek solutions.
“Our colleagues are overworked, particularly nurses and midwives. Nurses are leaving the ward every day. The number of nurses that have left within the past three years is overwhelming. The Ghana Health 2023 report indicates we are doing well in nurse-to-patient ratios, but that is not the reality on the ground.
“The number of nurses that have left and have not been replaced is enormous. If you were ten and four have left, the remaining six share the workload. Whether you can do it or not, nobody really cares,” he emphasized.
Dr. Nyande also pointed out that zero remuneration for extended work hours and limited availability of tools and equipment contribute to what he calls moral distress among nurses and midwives.
“In the public sector, nobody pays for overtime, especially for nurses. There are nurses in this administrative region who run six-day work weeks. So, the extra hours you put in, who pays for that?”
He elaborated on the mental and emotional burden, noting, “I think it starts from when we trained as nurses.”
“By the time you complete school, you know about improvisation. You need to find a way out, even if it puts you under moral distress. You know the right thing to do, but without the necessary tools, patients lose their lives. You go home and can’t sleep because you weren’t provided with what you needed to make a change.”
Dr. Nyande also mentioned the limited opportunities for further studies, adding that many nurses face a bleak future regarding educational advancement. Despite 80 percent of health staff being nurses and midwives, the group receives virtually no quota for cushioned further studies.
He believes that with strategic investment in infrastructure and skills upgrades, nurses and midwives would benefit the nation more with employment and social benefits. Therefore, unions should be more proactive in securing these benefits.
“Let us recognize the value and worth of our nurses and midwives, not just in words but in deeds. To get the best out of our nurses and midwives, they must be supported to practice at the pinnacle of their capability. Workplaces must provide the best work environment, fair remuneration, and working conditions, including appropriate entitlements, labor protection and rights, medical health, and the prevention of violence and harassment, including sexual harassment and abuse.”
The week-long celebration, themed “Our Nurses and Midwives, Our Future; the Economic Power of Care,” included various stakeholders, such as political leaders, heads of the Health Service in the Region, and traditional leaders.
Mr. Kwame-Kumah Courage, Regional Chairman of the Association, appealed to the government and stakeholders to “fully support nurses and midwives’ specialization.”
While outlining a host of challenges and needed interventions, he said the integration of technology into care delivery was “a must” and reiterated the Association’s commitment to the welfare of health personnel.
The opening ceremony also awarded excelling nurses and midwives from various districts in the Volta and Oti Regions.
