Česky
Blanka Červenková has been working at the Hořovice Hospital for 42 years. For the last four years she has been managing 300 non-medical health care workers, mostly nurses and midwives, as head nurse.Originally Blanka Červenková wanted to become a hairdresser, although she learned well at school. However, at that time there were quotas in the district and she did not get in. "I was looking for another job. In the end, I was attracted to the profession of midwife. So I applied to the medical school in Pilsen, passed the entrance exams and it became my destiny," says Blanka Červenková.
Which departments did you pass through?
I worked in the six-week ward, gynaecology, gynaecological surgery, labour ward, outpatient clinic. I have practically been through the whole field.
When did you become head nurse?
I'm in my fourth year as head nurse. I was the head nurse of the gynaecology and obstetrics department for 16 years before that.
Is there a difference between being head nurse and head nurse?
On the ward, the charge nurse has to figure out which job suits the nurse best. If she can handle the ward, the operating theatre or if the outpatient department would be better for her. Not everyone's set up the same way. Some have better physiques, others have better conditions at home - helping out in the family. It's the supervisor's job to set all the nurses on the ward right. That's what I try to do as head nurse throughout the hospital. It happens that a nurse comes into the ward and it doesn't quite fit. So we try to find an alternative so she doesn't leave. The last time I dealt with a senior nurse in the A&E department who was struggling a bit with burnout. She's in neonatology now and she's really enjoying it. I think if we hadn't offered it to her, she probably would have left healthcare altogether. It's working with people every day. I said somewhere that it's a constant orchestra tuning. Some of the doctors have made fun of me since then and ask me from time to time what notes I'm going to be tuning to today.
What's a typical day like for a head nurse?
I come in before 7:00 and check my mail and emails. And I'm already being approached by the chiefs with issues from their wards. How we're gonna handle the sick nurse rota, who's gonna help out from another ward. It's a nerve-wracking, day-to-day job with people. Apart from dealing with the running of departments and staffing issues, an integral part of the head nurse's job is to oversee the quality of nursing care in all departments.
With the shortage of nurses on the ward, will you ever step in?
To tell you the truth, I wouldn't dare to go to the labour ward. If you don't work there for a long time, you can't come straight back from the office. As far as the head nurses are concerned, we have tried to reorganise the work on the wards over the last three years to make them more like nurses. We've got rid of some of the administration that can be done by someone other than the most qualified nurse. Each ward has been given an administrative assistant.
How many nurses are you responsible for?
About 300 non-medical health workers, nurses, midwives but also medical laboratory technicians, RDG technicians and other staff.
How many are you currently short of?
About ten.
How many nurses have left this year?
Only one in the last four months. However, since the beginning of September, we have opened a children's group for our employees. A class for up to 24 children in the new building that's being completed. It will be open on weekdays. Our promise is that nurses and doctors who would otherwise have nowhere to put the children will return from parental leave sooner.
Have you ever wanted to leave the health service yourself?
Sometimes I had a lot going on at work and at home, but my husband was a great help. I worked shifts for three quarters of my life and my husband was able to take care of our sons from a young age. He still watches the grandkids today.
Are the ones that left on their own coming back?
Yes. The departures are natural. And if they want to come back and they can do something, we'll take them back.
Do you know why they come back?
As an accredited hospital, we have a system in place. It's gonna be a great team, too.
On the other hand, you've got women of record who've been here as long as you have...
Many of them have been here longer than I have. The longest serving is Janice Srp. She's been in the internal medicine department her whole life. She's slowly approaching 70, works part-time and still works shifts. Anička Zpěváková from the gynaecological outpatient department has been working at the Hořovice Hospital for 50 years. Her other peers come to help out, for example, in the surgical outpatient clinic, and they manage the work.
How do you look for new reinforcements?
We've been around the country to various job fairs and schools. We've had students here on field trips. We went to Slovakia, too. But we weren't the only ones from the Czech Republic.
Did you approach midwives from the Rokycany maternity hospital that's closing down?
If they want to, we can offer them a job in the field. It's up to them if they contact us.
How many can you hire?
Definitely two or three for the labour ward and the gynaecology department.
What do you value most about your nurses?
How well they do their demanding jobs. We know they need to be thanked and praised. We recently nominated four nurses from the hospital for the Nurse of the Year competition and our Andrea Růžičková, head nurse of the orthopaedic ward, won the most beautiful award, Nurse of my Heart. A few days ago, we symbolically presented the nurses with roses for International Nursing Day with the Director in advance.
