Nurse ‘s strike Merja Selin, who has lung cancer, has been preparing for the surgery three times already, but heard that there is no staff: “It’s a bit like it was here now”

Cutting has been canceled. These words are from Helsinki Merja Selin66, heard three times in March while waiting at the hospital for cancer surgery.

Each time, Selin prepared for surgery and arrived at the hospital on the morning of surgery. Each time after waiting, he was told that the surgery had been canceled.

On February 10, Selin learned that he had lung cancer. In regular follow-up examinations, three tumors were found in his lungs: two on the right side, one on the left side.

The tumors were adenocarcinoma, or cancer of the glandular cells, which is the most common subtype of lung cancer today. It can also occur in non-smokers.

Cancer discovery was a shock to Selin, but she rejoiced at the quick access to treatment. He had surgery on March 9, a month after the tumors were found.

Selin was told that first two tumors would be excised from the right lung and a month later it would be the turn of the left lung.

Selin prepared for the operation mentally and avoided contact to stay healthy. Before the operation, she underwent blood tests, adjusted her basic medication, and drank the dietary drinks of the surgery patients at home.

On the morning of the operation, he went to the Leiko unit of Meilahti Tower Hospital. At the operation (from home), the patient takes care of the preparations independently and does not arrive at the hospital until the morning of the operation.

However, after a couple of hours of waiting, the nurse came to tell Selin that the surgery had been canceled due to a shortage of nurses.

New surgery time was given two weeks later on March 23rd.

Merja Selin made the same preparations again and arrived in Leiko on the morning of the operation. After an hour and a half of waiting, he was again told to cancel the operation because “the hall is not pulling”.

A third attempt came about it a week later, on March 30th. Again Selin prepared, came to the hospital – and again the surgery was canceled.

“There is no care team,” Selin was told.

“The last time I collapsed quite completely. I probably cried for two days all the time, ”says Selin.

“This has been a terrible time. Constant preparation and going there scared but hopeful. It has been terribly heavy mentally. ”

Nurse ‘s strike began in early April and interfered with hospital operations. Now Selin has no information about the surgery time. He called Meilahti Tower Hospital on Monday, saying it was not being operated on at the moment.

“I have wondered about it, however, because there has been talk that the emergency is being treated and cut. Yes, I understand that cancer surgeries are urgent. Feels strange. This applies to many other patients in addition to me, ”he says.

“I should [kasvaimet] get out of there. How far it then goes before it gets to surgery. And what has happened so far. ”

Concern for one’s own health is great and mindful in the country.

“It’s a bit of a feeling that it was here now,” Selin says.

“If there was any information on where to stick, but now it feels like there is no hope. This can take a long time, and then there are terribly people who need to be cared for. At the moment I don’t see the light anywhere. I hope it comes at some point, but at least not right now. ”

Shortage of nurses and the high turnover of caregivers has plagued health care for years. It is confirmed from the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (Hus) that cancer surgeries have had to be canceled before the strike due to a shortage of nurses.

“According to the information I received before the strike in Hus, about one urgent cancer operation per day had to be canceled due to a shortage of nurses,” says the chief medical officer. Markku Mäkijärvi.

Cancer organizations are also well aware of the problems of labor shortages. Director of the Health Department of Cancer Organizations Marika Skyttä says that there have been recruitment problems in various units for a long time and that they have also affected the treatment of cancers.

“If people are not recruited there, it is always necessary to consider on a case-by-case basis whether the treatments can be carried out safely.”

According to Skytä, long-term solutions to the labor shortage should have been considered even before the situation escalated into a labor struggle.

“The strike is just the tip of the iceberg that has just hit this moment. The shortage of labor there has been simmering beneath the surface for a long time, and it has affected the treatment of cancer as well as others. Both nurses and doctors. ”

Nurse ‘s strike has also contributed to the treatment of cancer, although urgent and immediate treatment is sought to secure it.

The Hus Cancer Center provides medical treatment for cancers in adults and radiotherapy for people of all ages. Of the cancer surgeries, breast cancer surgeries are treated there.

Director of the Cancer Center Johanna Mattsonin According to the nurse on the first day of the strike on April 1, the cancer center had to postpone outpatient drug treatments and radiotherapy because of the uncertainty about the amount of protective work. However, Mattson said the situation improved on Monday.

“We are now in a good position with regard to drug treatment and radiotherapy for cancers. They and also the breast cancer surgery have been able to continue normally, ”Mattson said on Thursday.

“Cancer diagnosis and treatment for cancer is usually an emergency treatment, and targets for access to treatment have been set for cancers. Cancer is a disease that does not get better while waiting, but rather progresses. ”

Husin the cancer center cuts breast cancers, but other cancer surgeries are divided into different industries according to specialties.

“Hus’ urgent cancer surgery has been almost completely stalled during the industrial action. Unfortunately, several dozen emergency cancer surgeries have had to be canceled, ”says Chief Medical Officer Mäkijärvi.

The employee side has repeatedly criticized employers for exaggerating the effects of the strike, and the situation varies from unit to unit. According to the employer, significantly more cancer surgeries were canceled during the strike than before.

“Since the strike began due to a shortage of nurses, there have been 12 urgent cancer surgeries a day. So now [perjantaina] About 70 emergency cancer surgeries have already been canceled in Hus. ”

In many in hospital districts, the first days have been the most difficult, but since then protection work has been increased.

For example, Oulu University Hospital (Oys) reported that additional staff was added to the hospital’s operations on Tuesday and Wednesday, so the treatments that must be given to the patient within a week can mainly be carried out.

Tampere University Hospital (Tays) has been able to perform busy surgeries, such as cancer surgeries, in addition to emergency care since Monday. On Wednesday, Tays announced that new radiotherapy cycles will be initiated in the treatment of cancer, as long as the necessary imaging of the dose schedule can be done first.

According to Kuopio University Hospital (Kys), emergency care and emergency surgeries, such as cancer surgeries, are sought to be secured.

Local negotiations on conservation work resources continue between employers and employees in hospital districts. Minister of Labor Tuula Haatainen (sd) set up a conciliation commission on Friday to unload the strike.

Cancer organizations have requested information from hospital districts about the effects of the nursing strike on cancer treatments. Some hospital districts have responded to the inquiry.

According to cancer organizations Marika Skytä, cancer patients have been able to be treated for those in need of immediate treatment, but hospital surgeries have also had to cancel, for example, cancer surgeries and radiotherapy and cytostatics.

“There are differences in the number and extent of cancellations of diagnostic procedures, surgeries and treatments in the regions. The situation lives on all the time. ”

Treatments have had to be canceled because hospitals have not been able to ensure that the treatment process is patient-safe, Skyttä says. He points out that cancer treatment is a process that requires many specialties in nursing, as well as the functions of a laboratory, imaging, operating theaters, and wards.

“If there is a precipitate, it is necessary to consider whether the treatment can be carried out safely for an individual patient.”

According to Skytä, both the employer and the employee could have been better prepared for resourcing protection work in advance.

“Both sides should have looked at the whole thing better: how diseases that need immediate treatment can be treated despite the strike. This applies not only to people with cancer, but also to patients such as heart patients, transplant patients and others. ”