Increase in Multiple Job Holds Among Medical Professionals in Estonia
Flexible Healthcare Workforce on the Rise in Estonia
Looks like Estonia's healthcare sector is seeing a shift, with more and more workers sporting a lower workload, often juggling multiple roles. These findings come straight from the Estonian Institute for Health Development (TAI), as reported on their university's website.
Tiyu-Liiza Rummo, senior analyst at TAI, spilled the beans, revealing that this surge in healthcare workers with a less stringent contractual burden is largely due to their multi-tasking ways, working across various institutions, roles, and even sectors. Brace yourselves, folks, as the percentage of these flexible workers has shot up from 6% a decade ago to a whopping 8% presently.
If you're wondering who's leading this flexible pack, doctors make up 15% and mental health professionals come in a close second at 14%.
As for the average age, you might be surprised to know that doctors and nurses are on a par at around 50 and 46 years old, respectively. Among doctors, a whopping 23% are retirees.
Curious about how they stack up against their European counterparts? Estonia currently boasts 3.6 doctors and 6.8 nurses per thousand residents, numbers that fall short compared to the EU average for 2022, which saw 4.2 doctors and 8.4 nurses per thousand.
Now, let's dive into some enjoyable tidbits. Estonia's healthcare system faces some trying times, attempting to meet the needs of its population, with 15.5% reporting unmet medical needs[4], mostly due to waiting lists and personal factors. On a broader scale, the healthcare system globally is grappling with a looming shortage of healthcare workers, anticipating at least 10 million shortages by 2030[3]. The EU average for unmet healthcare needs stands at 3.8%, with Estonia lining up a tad higher[4]. However, when it comes to investigating the specific factors that are shaping contractual burdens for healthcare workers, the current data leaves a lot to be desired.
All in all, it seems Estonia's healthcare challenges such as unmet needs and waiting lists could be impacting workforce conditions and contractual arrangements, albeit indirectly. Buckle up, as we navigate the intriguing world of Estonia's healthcare landscape!
In the evolving landscape of Estonia's healthcare sector, the rise of flexible workers might be linked to a focus on workplace wellness, considering their multitasking roles across institutions and sectors. This shift could potentially be a response to medical-conditions related to high stress and the demand for health-and-wellness in the workforce, given the increasing unmet medical needs and looming healthcare worker shortages.
