By Gitahi Ngunyi
@gitahi_ngunyi
A nursing rights activist has challenged the Kenyan government to take immediate steps to lessen the strain on nursing professionals if it is keen on improving health delivery to the public.
Using her own story as a professional nurse in the country to highlight the challenges of Kenyan nurses on International Nurses Day, Deborah Monari who is a Nguvu Collective Change Leader says a nurse in Kenya is heavily overworked due to routine short staffing particularly in public hospitals.
“This overwhelms us and leads to immense stress. Hospitals are, by nature, intense environments, and working under such tough conditions without a break can be excruciating. We spend a large amount of time with patients and rarely have time to unwind. It takes a toll on our physical and mental health,” says Deborah.
The day is marked globally on the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birthday. International Council of Nurses has announced “Our nurses. Our future. The economic power of care.”
In Kenya, under-equipped health care facilities, overworked personnel and inadequate infrastructure are some of the systemic issues that have consistently plagued the country’s health sector.
The recent strike organised by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union also brought critical care services to a grinding halt in the country.
In her story, Deborah has put a spotlight on the unrelenting challenges that she and her peers have to deal with on a daily basis.
Though Deborah prioritises teamwork to avoid a burnout and also does her best to take personal breaks whenever possible, she also believes nurses deserve better work environments.
“Feelings of stagnation often set in as a result of doing repetitive tasks. It even leads us to question our career choice.” In order to get around this, Deborah enrolls in medical education courses to keep up with the most recent advancements in nursing research and technology. It keeps her job interesting and helps her to grow professionally,” she explains.
However, this may not be possible for every one and she suggests that a diversified strategy is required to address lingering issues on the whole and advance nurses’ rights across the nation.
“In order to lessen the strain for nurses and guarantee improved care delivery, efforts should be directed towards addressing understaffing in public hospitals. This can be achieved by hiring additional nurses and integrating nursing assistants in the workforce,” Deborah says.
She says government-funded scholarship programmes must be made easily available in order to assist nurses in pursuing advanced degrees in other specialisations. In her opinion, this financial aid for postgraduate study and continuing short courses will enable nurses to increase their expertise, which will, in turn, improve the standard of service in healthcare systems across Kenya.
“There should be more support systems in place, such as free counselling services and wellness initiatives, to contribute to the well-being of nurses,” she says.
She adds that to prevent overwork and other forms of workplace exploitation for nurses, advocacy for stronger labour laws and regulations are essential.
“The health of the nation’s nursing workforce is important and will undoubtedly contribute to a more efficient healthcare system,” she says.