West Tallinn Central Hospital and North Estonia Regional Hospital no longer allow 24-hour shifts. They say it is safer for patients.
Nursing Director Katre Zirel says that if an employee does very hard work for 8 hours, they get tired. If the shift is 24 hours, mistakes occur. One caregiver says the hospital is not interested in how the changed schedule suits employees. It now takes more time and money because they have to travel to work 4-5 times a week.
One nurse says it is now difficult to organize family life. If both parents work 12-hour shifts, one finishes work and the other starts. Kindergarten is not open in the evening.
The head of the Nurses' Union, Kätlin Lillemaa, says the union supports shorter shifts. But why are 24-hour shifts done at all? That is a problem. Nurses say 12-hour shifts are also very hard. After 12 hours of work, buses may not run in the evening to get home.
Lillemaa says that if workdays are shorter, some nurses do not have time to work elsewhere. This means the workload of other nurses increases. In smaller hospitals, it may happen that not enough employees are found.
East Tallinn Central Hospital continues with 24-hour shifts. Nurses there are interested in this. Nursing Manager Kätlin Pallo says 24-hour shifts are not new. Sometimes they have been reduced, but then reinstated. There are too few employees.