A Day's Work in Nursing Takes a Toll: Higher Sickness Rates Compared to Other Professions
Healthcare Workers Suffer More Regular Illnesses Compared to Employees in Other Industries - Health Care Professionals, Particularly Nurses, Experience Higher Illness Rates Compared to Workers in Other Industries
No surprise here, according to Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), the beloved health insurance company in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, nursing staff are frequently in the sick bay. Last year, they missed work due to poor health an average of 32.6 days. That's above the national average of 28.5 days!
Manon Austenat-Wied, TK's regional director, spilled the beans, "Nursing professionals face chronic health issues more than other professions." TK's comprehensive analysis of sickness reports among their insured reveals that the average absence rate across all occupations last year was a more manageable 24.6 days.
Creating a Healthy Haven for Nursing Necessary
"Life as a nursing professional can be tough on their health," Austenat-Wied shared. She's urging nursing facilities to provide a nurturing, stress-free work environment to attract and retain top talent. "Nursing staff are priceless assets in our aging society," she stressed, highlighting existing health initiatives.
To gather this data, TK dug into the work incapacity certificates of about 103,000 employed individuals insured with them in the region. With around 224,000 members in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, TK is one of the heaviest hitters among statutory health insurers.
The Young and the Tired: A Fight for Staff Retention
With around 21,000 care workers operating in more than 1,000 long-term care facilities and services in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, caring for over 120,000 elderly folks (and counting), the region is already facing a nursing staff shortage. The "Pact for Nursing" initiative, launched in the fall of 2023, aims to keep skilled staff and ensure care services, particularly in rural areas. In the past few years, some care facilities have shut down due to staff shortages.
So, Why the Sickness?
Nursing work is demanding, both physically and emotionally. Healthcare workers are exposed to all kinds of illnesses, and the work environment itself can be grueling, with long hours, shift work, and extreme stress leading to burnout and, you guessed it, sickness. A lack of support and the emotional weight of dealing with vulnerable patients can also take a toll. These factors, though not directly mentioned in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern study, are common in the nursing world.
- To minimize the high sickness rates among nursing professionals, it might be beneficial to implement a community policy that includes workplace-wellness programs, such as vocational training to manage medical-conditions related to the stresses of nursing, as part of holistic health-and-wellness initiatives.
- Furthermore, investing in regular vocational training for the nursing staff could help improve their physical and emotional resilience, making them better equipped to handle the demanding nature of their work, ultimately reducing the number of sick days taken.
