Major hospitals have started looking for students and retirees to work

The majority of hospitals have so far coped with the coronavirus (koronavirus, in Finnish) situation mainly with their own staff. But now, they are looking for more nurses.

For example, the Pirkanmaa Hospital District (Tampere region) is preparing to hire graduate students during this spring. The Hospital District of Southwest Finland (Turku area) is also preparing for the worsening of the Covid-19 crisis.

In Northern Ostrobothnia (around Oulu), the hospital district has published a recruitment announcement offering employment for those who have been trained in the field in the event of a worsening of the situation.

In the Helsinki and Uusimaa region, HUS is currently recruiting more staff by contacting, for example, their retired employees. They are looking for nursing staff with experience in intensive care, to operate theater or infectious patient care. Professionals in these fields can also apply themselves to HUS by sending an e-mail.

According to Yle, HUS is also studying the readiness and willingness of nursing students to enter the workforce at the end of their studies. The recruitment of medical students is also being considered.

Intensive care professionals needed in Helsinki

HUS has already begun training its own operating room staff for various tasks. The plan is to train 150 nurses and doctors in intensive care support within two weeks. The staff in the wards is also trained.

Tampere University Hospital (TAYS) HR Director Raija Ruoranen says the staff has been trained to care for coronary patients in the on-call unit, the inpatient unit and the intensive care unit. The hospital district can also benefit from the staff of private health companies.