The nursing profession is still on the Swedish Public Employment Service's annual top list of shortages. In Södertälje municipality, the shortage became extra noticeable when they were forced to hire nurses from staffing companies to be able to keep their operations running last year. In several care homes, such as nursing homes, hired nurses became part of the regular staffing - but with the difference that they cost significantly more than the municipally employed nurses.
"Patient safety is at risk"SVT has requested invoices that show that the municipality in some cases paid close to SEK 10,000 for a day shift of 8.5 hours - to compare with the average salary one month for a municipally employed nurse which is SEK 38,900.
Susanne Malmqvist, a nurse at Södertälje municipality, says that patient safety is at risk. In the clip above, she tells why.