ON the heels of the creation of an advisory council for the nursing sector, the Department of Health (DOH) is now set to review its existing policy on the shifting schedule of healthcare workers.
Based on Department Circular No. 2023-0336, the Department of Health (DOH) said it is set to assess the 8-hour and 12-hour shifting schedule for nurses and their effects on health workers.
“The Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau (HFSRB) is conducting a survey among nurses in hospitals,” said the DOH.
“The aim of this survey is to gather data or feedback on the effect of 8-hour and 12-hour shifts on the productivity, safety, and well-being of nurses and patients in DOH-licensed hospitals,” it added.
In the past, nurses worked in three eight-hour shifts, plus one reliever per shift to ensure quality nursing service.
But in December 2013, the DOH issued Department Circular No. 2013-0423 which provided guidelines to allow hospitals to adopt a divergent work hour or shifting for nurses, including the adoption of a two 12-hour shift duty for nurses.
The health department then called on health workers in both private or government-owned hospitals to participate in the survey.
The DOH said the survey questionnaire can be accessed thru the link: https://tinyurl.com/NurseShiftSched.
The conduct of the survey comes after the DOH established a technical advisory group of experts tasked to find solutions on the various issues of the nursing sector.
The council is set to handle all issues in the nursing profession, such as migration, board passing, qualification of schools, expansion, and projection of the demand.
