Staff members at Peiner Clinic expressing concerns over high stress levels
The Peine Clinic, a county-owned hospital with around 784 employees, including over 250 nurses, treats approximately 14,000 patients annually across its nine specialist clinics. The facility also handles around 26,000 emergency cases each year, making it a vital healthcare provider in the region.
The hospital boasts a good working atmosphere, as affirmed by its hospital director, Dr. Dirk Tenzer, and was awarded "Germany's Excellent Employer in Nursing" in 2024/2025. However, like many county-owned hospitals, the Peine Clinic faces challenges in workload distribution and emergency management.
In terms of workload distribution, the hospital operates in a hierarchical structure, with significant workload but somewhat better job satisfaction compared to national referral hospitals. Improvements in workload distribution have been achieved through enhanced transparency and equity, allowing for visible individual contributions and driving staff engagement.
Efficient emergency response at the Peine Clinic aligns with governmental and hospital administrators' strategies. Clear protocols and a strong organizational culture are crucial to reduce work-related stress and attrition. Despite having less strain in emergencies due to its smaller scale, the clinic still faces challenges in rapid response and resource allocation, particularly during overload situations.
One of the common challenges in county-owned hospitals is the management of overload and hazard reports. High rates of job dissatisfaction, work-related stress, and intention to leave among healthcare workers contribute to difficulties in managing these reports. Emergency and hazard reports from employees often reveal systemic issues like understaffing, inadequate resource allocation, and insufficient protective measures.
Handling overload involves not only logistical management but also fostering a positive organizational culture to retain staff and ensure safety. Prevention reports, which are overload reports or hazard reports, are rarely submitted at the Peine Clinic. The fear of reprisals for submitting these reports is considered low due to anonymization, but not completely ruled out.
The Peine Clinic temporarily closes beds during exceptional circumstances, such as high absenteeism due to the flu. The facility has 30 to 40 permanently employed relief nursing staff to help manage these situations. The hospital does not have to pay any fines for overwork, apart from one payment due to a structural peculiarity of the clinic.
Complaints from nurses about a significant workload have been reported, but the number of complaints submitted to the works council is not unusually high. The clinic employs 42 employees from Turkey, Tunisia, and the Philippines working in nursing, contributing to the diverse workforce.
The Peine Clinic states that it pays union wages and emphasizes its commitment to maintaining a positive work environment. Gabriele Sukopp-Gieger suggests that working conditions are similar whether a clinic is run by a municipality or privately, but Dr. Dirk Tenzer disagrees.
In conclusion, county-owned hospitals like the Peine Clinic share many nationwide challenges with workload distribution and emergency management. Effective management requires transparent workload allocation, strong organizational culture, and responsive emergency protocols. The common challenges revolve around staff burnout, workload imbalance, and ensuring timely resolution of hazard reports to maintain safe and effective care environments.
At the Peine Clinic, a focus on promoting workplace wellness is crucial for maintaining good employee satisfaction. This is demonstrated through science-based strategies, such as enhancing transparency and equity in workload distribution, and creating clear emergency response protocols to reduce employee stress and attrition. Furthermore, prioritizing mental health is essential in the health and wellness sector, as the clinic addresses numerous challenges related to employee burnout, workload imbalance, and ensuring timely resolution of hazard reports for a safe and effective care environment.
