Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2021, published 110th ILC session (2022)

Nursing Personnel Convention, 1977 (No. 149) - Guatemala (Ratification: 1995)

The Committee takes note of the supplementary information provided by the Government in light of the decision adopted by the Governing Body at its 338th Session (June 2020). The Committee is proceeding with the examination of the application of the Convention on the basis of the supplementary information received from the Government in 2020, as well as on the basis of the information at its disposal in 2019.

Article 2(2)(a). Education and training. In response to its previous comments, the Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government on the education and training system for nursing personnel implemented by various private and public universities, the different training cycles they provide (such as degrees, master degrees and specializations) and the number of graduates per year from those institutions. The Committee notes that, according to statistical information from the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS), 500 persons enrol each year in the National Nursing Schools, 15 per cent of whom drop out after the first year. The Government indicates that, within the framework of the 2018–2022 Regional Plan, the development of activities is planned to modernize the nursing profession with a view to building skills at professional and auxiliary level of those who work in the areas of health and the MSPAS hospitals, as well as in the Guatemalan Social Security Institute. The Government indicates that such activities will be implemented in cooperation with, inter alia, the National Nursing Council, the Association of Nurses of Guatemala and the College of Nursing Professionals. In addition, there are plans for joint efforts to ensure that nursing personnel of all levels can access lifelong education and to promote doctorates in nursing, which are currently only offered by a private university. The Committee also requests the Government to continue sending up-to-date detailed information on any measures taken or envisaged to provide nursing personnel with appropriate education and training for the performance of their functions, as well as the impact of these.

Article 2(2)(b). Remuneration of nursing personnel. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to indicate the current status of the process of reclassification of wages for nursing personnel and to provide information on the outcome thereof. The Government indicates that in April 2019, the first phase of the process of reclassification of posts for permanent hiring of nursing graduates was initiated. The Government adds that the total number of nursing graduates working in MSPAS could not benefit from the first phase of reclassification of wages owing to budgetary constraints. Therefore, in the first phase, 410 nursing graduates benefited, while it is expected that the remaining nursing graduates, including nursing graduates hired in technical services (approximately 800), will benefit from the subsequent phases of the reclassification process. The Government also reports that 132 community, hospital and teaching members of nursing staff hired on temporary contracts were reclassified as permanent staff. In addition, the Government indicates that measures are envisaged to provide those working in the paramedic category with the opportunity to be promoted to other categories and to carry out nursing functions, which would improve the working conditions of such personnel. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed and up-to-date detailed information on the status of the process of reclassification of wages for nursing personnel and the outcome thereof.

Application in practice. The Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government on the number of nursing personnel registered in different categories. It notes the Government’s indication in its supplementary report that, according to 2020 statistical information of the MSPAS, there are 4,730 nurses, 32,770 nursing assistants and 2,967 nursing technicians in the country. With regard to the migration of nursing personnel, the Committee notes that, according to the assessment of programmes on human resources in health conducted by the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization, 32 per cent of health workers who emigrate from the country are part of nursing personnel. The above assessment shows that the main reasons are expectations for better pay and working conditions, as well as more opportunities for professional development. Lastly, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that, between March and July 2020, the General Labour Inspectorate received 136 complaints concerning nursing personnel, mostly from the department of Guatemala. The Government also indicates that the General Labour Inspectorate made it possible to submit complaints in order to prevent and control the spread of the virus in the country’s public and private sector workplaces, through the web page of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, a telephone line and the various departmental offices of the General Labour Inspectorate. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed and up-to-date information on the manner in which the Convention is applied in practice, including statistical data on the number of nursing personnel – disaggregated by sex, age and region, sector of activity, training level and functions – and also statistics on the nursing personnel/population ratio, the number of persons enrolling in nursing schools and the number of persons leaving the profession each year, and copies of official reports or studies relating to nursing services. The Committee also requests the Government to continue to provide up-to-date information on any practical difficulties encountered in the application of the Convention, such as the shortage or migration of nursing personnel.