Nurses in the city do not have it easy while on the job, be it in terms salary or working hours. But now, the latest struggle is getting their experience certificates from the hospital while resigning.
For nurses aspiring to go abroad, an experience certificate is the most crucial document, but private hospitals don’t have it easy for them. In fact, while appointing a nurse, these hospitals take a caution deposit of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.
On resigning their jobs, the management delays the process of relieving them, nurses allege.
Speaking to News Today, Global Nurses Association secretary A Raj says, “Nurses are eligible for getting experience certificate within 10 months of working. It is supposed to be issued by the human resource department of the hospital and by the nursing director or superintendent. But hospitals insist on giving it only if the nurses complete two years of service. This is done to ensure they stay for that period.”
Years ago, nurses were made to sign a bond for two or three years. After a huge protest, it was removed, but now the caution deposit and experience certificate are used to hold them back.
Nurses have provision of putting in their papers in 24 hours, under which they forgo a month’s salary and leave instead of serving the notice period. But most of the time, they are inconvenienced by not being given their certificates.
“Many nurses who have to leave for foreign countries for work compulsorily need their experience certificate or they risk their chance of landing a good job,” Raj says.
OTHER SIDE OF COIN
IMA Nursing Home Board chairman Dr M Balasubramanian, said, “I agree that the certificates must be given. Both sides (hospital and nurses) must stick to whatever agreement is made. Many nurses join reputed hospitals for a low salary only to get the experience certificate to go abroad eventually. For local hospitals, they do not insist on the certificate: a pay slip would do for the document is important in foreign hospitals.”
“The hospitals also see a lot of cases where the staff do not turn up for work after getting a month’s salary. So, hospitals need to take caution deposit from nurses. If any hospital is withholding certificates, the nurses can bring it to our notice,” he said.
