Angelines Munnares resigned today after two and a half years as chief nurse at Oritz/Burgate Health Center.

Oritz / Bourget – 5 years ago she took over the management of the Auritz-Burguete Health Center and for two and a half years she was the head of the nursing unit. At this time, Angelines Munáriz was responding to a serious staff situation plaguing the pandemic, but a lack of understanding with the head of the Nursing Aid Department in the Nordic region prior to his “empty department”, led to the resignation.

What exactly is the reason for your resignation?

– Until last year, I had administrative autonomy and we did a very good job, but the head of the Nursing Aid Department in North Navarra has changed. During this time, I made many suggestions like having stable employees and encouraging hard-to-fill jobs because my priority is to have a continuity team, but they always deny that I say there are strict rules. The only thing they suggest is denying vacations to my nurses and I’m not willing to do that, because people have their rights and more after this very difficult year. To manage what they want, turn down vacations and pull lists, they don’t need me.

How has the Ministry of Health responded so far?

– They’ve allowed us to do that because I believe that in recent years thanks to the awards we have received in community health, we have gained respect and the principle that “what works, don’t touch.” There are now 12 nurses, although we are short on one and a half and I manage about 3,500 hours a year. We have always tried to make contracts 100% and those appointees are the same people, for continuity and because it’s an extra effort to teach everyone who comes new where the loop is, where the gauze is, how it all works. But contracts are now risky and if the nurses have to work more hours and under conditions of abuse, they will go to Pamplona.

And in a rural area as far from Pamplona as this one, it’s important to have a good team.

-a) Yes. Fortunately, we’ve always had stability in this position to some extent. First, because working here is fun: the resources are used appropriately, the people are very grateful and you have time to devote to each patient, to monitor their progress. It is much more personal. And secondly, that in the center there is a very good atmosphere, and the one who comes has no intention of leaving.

What jobs have you held as a chief nursing officer?

– The first thing is to ensure attendance, that is, all jobs are covered every day of the year: four nurses in the morning and from three in the afternoon, nurses Borgetti and Valcarlos. This means a lot behind the logistics. In addition, it was necessary to organize warehouse materials, especially those for covid-10, vaccines that were too heavy, the recall, our phones collapsed …

What is your assessment of your work?

– I learned a lot in these five years, met many people and it was very easy because of the good behavior of the team. We are completely different, but we respect each other and make a very good team, which I think will take time to remake.

Your resignation coincides with the departure of the center for one of the area’s most beloved nurses, who had to leave after 8 years of work due to the terms of her contract.

– Some think I have a tantrum because Carolina left, but it’s not like that. We are very accustomed to separating colleagues. Since the leadership change, they haven’t come here to listen to us, haven’t read my emails, don’t know how many nursing hours I run, and have to look at a map to see where we are… and on top of that, all of my suggestions are killing it. It hits a wall, of course with the ex-president it wouldn’t have happened.

What do you expect with your resignation?

“Honestly, I don’t expect anything.” I summoned them to a meeting where I submitted my resignation, the chief of staff came, they came without any alternative exclusively to receive and guard the letter of resignation. What troubles me the most is the “brown” I leave to my comrades.

The delicate health situation in rural areas appears to be counterproductive precisely at a time when there is a will to reverse population displacement in the Pyrenees.

– I participated in the health schedule because I thought it was an option to get things done. But in the end it’s all in patches. I think the Pyrenees is the most studied region in the world. There is no global plan on how to deal with depopulation, there should be a council to evacuate residents, and if there is, the first point would be not to prejudice public services. There is no political will and there is an absolute lack of coordination between departments and health on the one hand and regional cohesion on the other.

Resignations have been made in other health districts nearby such as Aoiz. In this context, how do you see the future of healthcare in rural areas?

-It’s too complicated. With so much work to do in Pamplona and under very precarious conditions, no one would want to come. In rural areas, we discovered the shortage of professionals much earlier than in urban areas and the consultant had already warned us a few years ago. It is clear that the Directorate of General Nursing does not exist. With a number of professionals this could have been stopped, but it is being managed as if I had finished my degree 34 years ago. It is a matter of mistreatment of individuals.