The case in summary: Porters at Stavanger University Hospital (SUS) and Akershus University Hospital (Ahus) are used as relief for nurses and healthcare workers. They carry out tasks such as blood tests, care and organisation. The Norwegian Nurses Association believes this could be the future for hospitals, but emphasizes that the competence must be in place for it to function properly. The project at SUS has been so successful that several departments at the hospital will start with a porter on bedside duty. The University Hospital of Northern Norway (UNN) plans to let the porters carry out more tasks as part of a major restructuring project after the summer holidays. Oslo University Hospital is also looking more closely at the division of tasks and resources within this field. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – This is one of several relieving tasks I carry out, says Ann Kristin Kvale. She is a porter at Stavanger University Hospital (SUS). Hospital porters play an important role in ensuring that patients get safely from one place to another, for example from the X-ray department to the operating theatre. But at Kvale’s department, porters are used for many other purposes. For example, blood tests, care and organization. They act as a relief for nurses and healthcare workers. – Being able to be a relief in this department is one of the proudest things I do, says Kvale. Kvale has a more varied working day with several important tasks. Photo: Hanne Høyland / news This is not normal. Probably only at SUS and Akershus University Hospital (Ahus) are porters used in this way, but the Norwegian Nurses’ Association believes this could be the future: – If it can be done in a safe way, this could be the future for hospitals, says Lill Sverresdatter Larsen, head of Norwegian Nurses’ Association. But it depends on an important assumption. Alternative porter duties blood tests infectious waste handling serving dinner transfer assistance and assistance with heavy care delivery of samples urgent transport of patients washout and cleaning of isolates fire check and security check in department goods and logistics work Wanted for a long time Larsen underlines that the competence must be in place for this to work justifiably, if not there can be major consequences: – If the competence of the health personnel who are given new tasks is insufficient, the likelihood of unfortunate events occurring is high. It can endanger patients’ lives, health or quality of life, and the staff’s working situation. The leader of the Norwegian Nurses’ Association welcomes a division of responsibilities and tasks as long as it is done from a clear nursing professional perspective. Photo: CF-Wesenberg / kolonihaven Gunn-Elin Rossland is the company trustee for the nurses’ union at SUS. She says the extra work the porters do is something the union has been calling for for a long time. – It’s fine as long as you do tasks for which you are qualified and have expertise. The fact that the porters make a great effort here is very good, she says. Larsen also adds that the Norwegian Nurses’ Association has long pointed to the importance of nurses spending more of their working time on what they have expertise in. Gunn-Elin Rossland told several departments at SUS to start with a porter on bedside duty. Photo: Hanne Høyland / news Notice the changes The project at Stavanger University Hospital, which has lasted for two years, says Rossland, has been so successful that several departments at the hospital will start with porters on bedside posts. – This is a form of efficiency improvement that the hospital achieves within the budget they have, says Rossland. At the hospital’s infection department, they notice the changes. – When there is a porter at work, the shoulders go down more. When the porters are not there, the employees ask for the porter, says nurse Kari Jakobsen Husa. Kari Jakobsen Husa lowers her shoulders when there is a porter at work. Photo: Hanne Høyland / news Task gliding – It is a measure that is on the plan for us as well, says communications manager Hilde Pettersen Kvalvik at the University Hospital of Northern Norway (UNN) about letting porters perform more tasks. It is something they will look into more closely when they are about to embark on a major restructuring project after the summer holidays. Using the porters for offloading will be part of the shifting of tasks they will focus on: – This means that tasks are shifting from one occupational group to another. Now, for example, physiotherapists take on part of the tasks of orthopedists, says Kvalvik. UNN is positive about the use of porters in other tasks. Photo: Christian Kråkenes / news She is positive about the division of tasks as this can deceive the patient offer. – This is a good idea because we have a number of occupational groups that we have problems recruiting for, especially nurses. So then we can improve the patient offer by using our workforce wisely, she says. Hilde Pettersen Kvalvik, head of communications at the University Hospital of Northern Norway. Photo: Erik Waagbø / news UNN will take inspiration from SUS and Ahus and learn from them. Oslo University Hospital also says that they are looking more closely at the division of tasks and resources within this field, but are not quite there yet. I hope more hospitals will follow Monica Hetlelid works as a vocational supervisor in Health and Child Development at the hospital in Stavanger. She hopes this is the future for several hospitals. – It means a lot to those on bed rest to be relieved. That the porters can take part in relieving the load so that they have more time for the patients is fantastic, she says. The porter profession says it is a great job, but there is nothing to prevent adding a little more work tasks. – Everyone sees that the porter profession can be used in a different way, says Hetlelid. Monica Hetlelid is very grateful for the relief the porters can provide in the department. Photo: Hanne Høyland / news Published 15.08.2024, at 05.19
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Here the porters are used for other tasks
