Analysis of the employment of medical staff (nurses) in the health care system in the Republic of Serbia in the period 2013-2022

Abstract

In the Republic of Serbia, the health care system includes various health institutions, higher education institutions that train personnel in this field, private practices and other organizations that deal with health activities. Within this system, medical and non-medical personnel are employed. The medical staff includes health professionals with various levels of education, including doctors of medicine, doctors of dental medicine, pharmacists and nurse technicians. Non-medical personnel also play an important role in supporting the functioning of health facilities, although they do not provide direct medical care. A retrospective analysis of data on the employment of nurse-technicians in state health institutions from 2013 to 2019 shows that the number of nurse-technicians with higher education has increased during that period. In the total number of employees, nurses-technicians make up the largest part, and their share remains relatively constant during the observed period. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the employment of medical staff. In the period from 2020 to 2022, the number of nurse-technicians with secondary and higher education continued to grow. This trend can be attributed to the increased workload during the pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, employment in the health sector in the Republic of Serbia experienced significant changes and this was related to the increased need for health workers, especially those who were directly engaged in the treatment and prevention of Covid-19. Nurses as well as other healthcare workers faced increased stress during the Covid-19 pandemic, their work engagement was under great pressure. During the pandemic, decision-makers significantly increased financial resources as an adequate incentive for work, but at the same time there was a problem with the retention of personnel in the health care system due to the heavy workload and exhaustion at the workplace itself, the very fear of infection and the mental health crisis that prevailed among health workers. The Covid-19 pandemic reminded us that there is a need for better planning and personnel management in health care systems, but there are still no clearly defined protocols for responding in crisis situations.