Anita Prelec, executive director of the Chamber, pointed out that there may be some shortcomings in the healthcare system also due to the lack of nurses, as the chamber has been warning for a long time. "If we compare Slovenia with OECD data, the proportion of nurses in the health system is one of the worst in the EU," she said.

More frequent sick leave, mainly due to injuries and problems in pregnancy
As the head of the Institute Metoda Dodić Fikfak explained at Friday's symposium of nurses, although nurses do not die sooner than the general population due to the workload at the workplace, they are on sick leave more often, mainly because of problems in pregnancy and injuries. For these reasons they are also hospitalized more often than the general population.

The survey included more than 26,000 nurses who worked between 1991 and 2015. The results of the study were used to make recommendations on improving work conditions. One of the conclusions was that although the quality of health also depends heavily on the nurses themselves, the main factor is the environment.

Increased aggression of patients and relatives
She also warned of the growing aggression of patients, including relatives. The population of patients is aging, with more dementia patients and thus more aggression. Relatives are also more aggressive because of the expectations of what the health system should offer.