Heather Merie Buzbee and Professor Catherine Coverston, Nursing
Nurses form the backbone of healthcare systems around the globe. Unfortunately, throughout the world there is a nursing shortage (WHO, 2004). Argentina, like many other nations throughout the world, is a country struggling with the current shortage. The most recent statistics show that in Argentina there is one nurse to every 1851.9 people (PAHO, 1998). In comparison, in the United States, where the nursing shortage is often in the news, the nurse to population ratio is 1 to 102.9, meaning that there are proportionally nearly eighteen times more nurses in the U.S. as in Argentina (WHO 2004).
Last summer I volunteered in a maternity hospital in Tucumán, Argentina. This region had been affected not only by the nursing shortage, but also the wide-spread economic crisis of 2001. According to the Pan American Journal of Public Health, the influence of this crisis on health care was more evident in Argentina than in any other country (Guevara, 2002). In the poor province of Tucumán many children with previously underlying malnutrition died of starvation (Arie, 2002).
Given these conditions, the goal of my research was to understand the perceptions of the nurses who practiced in Tucumán, Argentina. I wanted to know how satisfied they were with their jobs, why they chose nursing, what their problems were and if nursing met their original expectations. Essentially, I wanted to know how the nurses feel about nursing.
My research consisted of open-ended interviews in a qualitative descriptive design as well as direct observation in the facilities. Questions were qualitative in nature and focused on experiences and views. Interviews were conducted in Spanish at the convenience of the nurses. Six nurses were selected from different units throughout El Instituto de la Maternidad de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, based on willingness to participate, before data saturation was reached. After responses were translated into English, data were evaluated using qualitative analysis to identify themes, and compared to identify similarities between the nurses.
The nurses I interviewed gave two basic reasons as to why they chose to be nurses. Many of these women chose to be nurses so that they could take care of themselves and their families. Others mentioned that being able to provide for their families was a factor in leading them to look for work, but every one of them said that they had decided on nursing because they wanted to care for others.
At La Maternidad, the nurses had somewhat varied individual expectations about their careers; however, each nurse said that nursing was what they had hoped for as a profession, and it also satisfied their expectations because each of them are able to help people. They experienced aspects of their work they were dissatisfied and unhappy with, but consistently each of the nurses encountered said they loved being nurses. “Being a nurse was difficult at first, but now I love it.” (Interview with Argentine NICU nurse, May 29, 2004.)
Many factors make nursing in Argentina particularly demanding. The realities of conditions, supplies and staffing can be overwhelming. The hospital was dilapidated, understaffed and short of many basic medical supplies. The nurses care about their patients and are frustrated when situations are beyond their control. Every nurse expressed a desire to provide better quality care to their patients as well as disappointment at the fact that they lack adequate supplies to do so.
Working under all of these circumstances is a challenge. Individual nurses cope with them in different ways. Most blame the government for their lack of materials. The nurses have to manage with what is available. Many health care workers in the community go on strike and protest against the government and its management of the healthcare system. Some nurses take a determined and positive attitude to make things better, finding creative ways of making supplies last longer and deal with things the best that they are able.
Considering the many problems and conditions that the nurses faced, I expected that there to be more dissatisfaction with their jobs. Notwithstanding these obstacles the nurses find great satisfaction in their work because they love nursing and caring for other people. The satisfaction that they find motivates them to continue despite the challenges that these nurses face on a daily basis.
In conclusion, this was a valuable experience for me. It made me appreciate the resources that I have available to me and increased my own cultural sensitivity. I have recently graduated and currently work as a nurse in the Neuro Rehab unit of LDS Hospital. In the near future I hope to get a job working in a Newborn Intensive Care Unit before attending graduate school in a few years. The experiences I had and research I did in Argentina has increased my awareness and understanding and will also help me as I continue my education.
References:
- Arie, S. (2002). Malnutrition Spreads in Argentina. British Medical Journal, 325, 1261
Guevara, E.B. (2002). A comparative analysis of the changes in the nursing practice related to health sector reform in five countries of the Americas. Pan American Journal of Public Health, 12(5), 347-354 - Pan American Health Organization (1998) Country Chapter Summary from Health in the Americas, 1998. Retrieved October 20, 2004 from http://www.paho.org/english/SHA/prflarg.htm
- WHO (2004). World Health Organization website. Retrieved Oct 20, 2004 from http://www.who.int/en