– When I started working in 1975, it was difficult to get a job in health. “Everyone” wanted a job, laughs Nina Moe Bøge. But that was then. In the medicine room at the Kulatoppen care center in Måløy, the working day is underway. Bøge is around 66 years old. My colleague Margreet Maijer is 63. Both have previously been permanent employees at the care centre, but today they are temps. They have long since retired, but still wish to work a little. – Now I can choose what time I want to work and I can work less than before, says Maijer. Serious shortage of labor Times have changed since the pensioner temporary workers at Kulatoppen started their working lives. Today, there is a shortage of around 7,000 nurses in the whole country. According to figures from Statistics Norway, there may be 28,000 in 2035. Several municipalities are struggling to recruit for vacant positions within health and care. – We are experiencing that we are not getting applicants or applicants with relevant skills for vacant positions, says manager at Kulatoppen care center in Kinn municipality, Tone Husevåg. They are not alone in that. – We have three vacant temporary positions and one vacant permanent position. We have just put these out again as we have not received any applicants, says Essi Mäki, director of nursing and care in Aurland municipality. The municipality has considered introducing measures such as special agreements for pensioners in order to get the on-call schedules in their health services to go up. – We simply have to think in a new and different way about how we organize our services, says Mäki. news has also told about Tromsø, which lacks about 100 nurses to cover the municipal health services. – It is exciting work with challenges, says Nina Moe Bøge. Photo: Seline Larsen / news Must use pensioners The neighboring municipality of Kinn, Bremanger, has struggled with recruitment for its health services for a long time. – We are in strong competition to recruit nurses, says Randi Ytrehus, municipal manager for health and care in Bremanger municipality. The municipality depends on the pensioners to have enough people on duty. – It’s great that they can take on guards. They are extremely important and it is great that they are taking part, says Ytrehus. The Norwegian Nurses’ Association knows that 5,000 retired nurses were working when the pandemic was at its worst. Today, the number is somewhat lower, but still high, says association leader Lill Sverresdatter Larsen. – It is almost a prerequisite as the situation is today with a shortage of nurses and personnel, she says. The union leader adds: – They are a welcome skill that has been used to a great extent during the pandemic and still does to a certain extent. Union leader Lill Sverresdatter Larsen of the Norwegian Nurses’ Association says that one is completely dependent on the pensioner substitutes. Photo: Eskil Wie Furunes / news Demanding profession – I think the municipalities are lucky that the pensioners want to work a bit, smiles Maijer. She herself works in a temporary position, which accounts for 19.9 per cent. By working below 20 percent, you get a normal nurse’s salary. – I like to work a few days a week, says Bøge. She works a full 60 per cent, which means that she receives a pensioner’s salary of NOK 224 an hour. – It’s fine if you’re professionally trained, because then you actually go up in salary, but the specialist nurses’ salary goes down and then it’s not as attractive, says Larsen of the Nurses’ Association. The union leader believes that the rules for pensioners should be repealed due to the lack of nurses and healthcare workers. – Then the pensioners themselves can choose how much they have the opportunity to contribute to the health service. The average age for nurses who retire from working life is not 65, which is the retirement age, but 58. – It is because the profession is demanding. They become sick and incapacitated instead. So the percentage of retired nurses who still manage to contribute is gold for the health service.
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Margreet and Nina fill holes in the duty schedule, even though they are retired – news Vestland
