Alt CampAlt EmpordàAlt PenedèsAlt UrgellAlta RibagorçaAnoiaAranBagesBaix CampBaix EbreBaix EmpordàBaix LlobregatBaix PenedèsBarcelonèsBerguedàCerdanyaConca de BarberàGarrafGarriguesGarrotxaGironèsLluçanèsMaresmeMoianèsMontsiàNogueraOsonaPallars JussàPallars SobiràPla d'UrgellPla de l'EstanyPrioratRibera d'EbreRipollèsSegarraSegriàSelvaSolsonèsTarragonèsTerra AltaUrgellVallès OccidentalVallès OrientalAlt CampAlt EmpordàAlt PenedèsAlt UrgellAlta RibagorçaAnoiaAranBagesBaix CampBaix EbreBaix EmpordàBaix LlobregatBaix PenedèsBarcelonèsBerguedàCerdanyaConca de BarberàGarrafGarriguesGarrotxaGironèsLluçanèsMaresmeMoianèsMontsiàNogueraOsonaPallars JussàPallars SobiràPla d'UrgellPla de l'EstanyPrioratRibera d'EbreRipollèsSegarraSegriàSelvaSolsonèsTarragonèsTerra AltaUrgellVallès OccidentalVallès Oriental
CA|ES|EN

Diari de Catalunya

Nurses in Tarragona, essential but lacking recognition and staff

Tarragona province needs 3,000 additional nurses to ensure quality service, despite their high qualifications and experience.

Generic image of a stethoscope on medical documents, symbolizing the nursing profession.
IA

Generic image of a stethoscope on medical documents, symbolizing the nursing profession.

World Nurses' Day, celebrated on May 12, highlights the critical situation of the profession in Tarragona, where 3,000 more nurses are needed to cover care needs.

Currently, the province of Tarragona has over 4,600 nurses, but the Official College of Nurses of Tarragona (CODITA) warns that this number is insufficient. To provide optimal care to citizens, approximately 3,000 additional professionals would be required. This demand is based on studies showing a reduction in mortality when nursing presence in health systems is strengthened, hence this year's motto: 'Empowered nurses save lives'.
“

"Strengthening the role of nursing is not optional; it is strategic for the sustainability of the health system."

a spokesperson for the Official College of Nurses of Tarragona
Nurses in Tarragona stand out for their experience, with 40.8% having more than 21 years of professional career. Furthermore, they are the ones who have prescribed the most medications in Spain, accounting for 44.4% of the total, compared to 17.3% in the rest of the country. Despite this high qualification, CODITA warns that 14.25% of Tarragona nurses will retire in the next decade, which could further exacerbate the staff shortage.
Regarding training, 28.6% already hold a specialist degree, exceeding the national average of 18%. The specialty of family and community nursing concentrates the largest number of specialists, with 66.7%. However, 40.5% of nurses would like to specialize but cannot, highlighting the need to expand training and professional development options.
The sector also reports a structural leadership deficit. Only 3% of nurses in Tarragona and the Terres de l'Ebre hold management or leadership positions. This situation is aggravated by the growing trend to eliminate the roles of nursing directors in some centers, despite their responsibility in managing personnel, resources, and healthcare units. Nursing research also does not receive the necessary support, with less than 5% of the collective dedicated to this task, often out of vocation and combining it with clinical work.
This lack of recognition and working conditions have led 59.2% of nurses in Tarragona to consider leaving the profession. Stress, overload, and care pressure, affecting 91.1% of the collective, are eroding the system from within. A change in model is imperative, moving beyond the biomedical approach and focusing on care and the real needs of people, especially given an increasingly aging population with more chronic illnesses.

Related News