Emergency Nurse Plans Resignation As Working Conditions Worsen

Emergency nurse Soffía Steingrímsdóttir is set to resign due to long-term stress and the fact that no solution to the staffing problem was in sight. This problem has been brought up to management for several years now, Vísir reports.

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Last night, Soffía had enough and published a Facebook post describing the day’s shift and said she would spend the evening drafting a letter of resignation. “These days have become the norm rather than the exception,” she wrote. “I love my job as an emergency nurse and I have worked at it for the past seven years but I cannot continue.”

Soffía, who works at the emergency room in Fossvogur, said that 98 patients had been registered by 15:00. Only 30 beds were available.

She said that waiting times often exceed five hours. Despite spending the whole day receiving and prioritising incoming patients, there were still many she was unable to see.

Soffía said that she had hoped and waited for changes, but that the situation has only worsened. She has never seen it as bad as it is at the moment.

Soffía mentioned in a conversation with Vísir that she knows that several other nurses intend to resign too, some already resigned in March. On the gravity of the situation she says: “Ambulances are waiting in line in the shed because we do not have beds for patients.” She believes that the emergency room will soon be inoperable.

According to Soffía, Ministers have visited and seen the weight of the situation but nothing came of it. She says the terms and conditions of nurses need to be improved.