On the night of July 14, nurse Natali was solely responsible for 21 patients at Akademiska Hospital's emergency department in Uppsala. This incident occurred against the backdrop of a persistent summer staffing shortage, prompting Vårdförbundet to trigger a safety stop after deeming the situation unsustainable.
Natali, who started her shift at 20:30, describes running nonstop with syringes and medications. On a normal evening, one nurse is responsible for between seven and twelve patients.
The union decided on a safety stop from two o'clock at night until eight in the morning. It limited the number of patients per nurse. Safety representative Annika Hemström states that it is the second time in 20 years.
Chief physician Johan Lugnegård confirms that ten nurses quit before the summer. He says the hospital needs more staff but focuses on moving patients faster from the emergency department. This follows earlier reports of over 680 unfilled shifts during the summer period.
