Challenges Mount for Nurses at Stavanger’s New Hospital
“We go to great lengths to find equipment because we have almost no storage space,” chuckles Irene Eie, an operating room nurse, when asked about the transition to Stavanger University Hospital’s new facility. However, her laughter belies the frustration underlying this shift.
“The situation is chaotic. When you have to rush to gather equipment, it’s hard to see anything clearly. Added to that, much of the equipment isn’t even assembled yet. It feels worse than ever.”
In a cramped storage room filled to the brim, finding the right tools has become a daunting task for staff.
Since the opening of the new hospital in November, the strain on operating room nurses has intensified significantly. Sickness absence rates among these professionals have spiked, with December and January figures showing nearly 19% absenteeism, nearly double the typical rate of around 10%. This troubling trend has led to increased overtime hours, alongside a noticeable reduction in the number of planned surgeries.
Frustrated Employees
“There are departments facing extremely demanding shifts—day, evening, and night. The employees know that something is amiss,” says Tone Wang-Nilsen, chief shop steward for the Norwegian Nurses’ Association at SUS.
Rather than the anticipated efficiency boosts that a new hospital promised, the current statistics are disheartening:
- A reduction of 40 planned operations per week.
- Approximately 1,500 hours of overtime logged by operating room nurses this year.
- A sharp increase in sickness absence among those professionals during December and early January.
“Our staffing levels just aren’t sustainable,” Wang-Nilsen continues, her concern palpable. “We’re frustrated, to say the least, and we fear for the loss of skilled employees.”
The new facility’s intensive care unit was designed with private rooms, but it has required far more personnel than anticipated, drawing resources away from surgical teams. “When we have so few surgical nurses available, we might have to postpone procedures. It’s deeply unfortunate for the patients affected,” Eie adds.
Management Responds
The transition to the new hospital has undeniably fallen short of expectations for both nurses and hospital administrators alike.
“I feel compelled to apologize to our community,” admits Geir Lende, the clinic manager. “Our inability to perform as many surgeries as planned naturally leads to longer waiting times.”
The new hospital, which officially opened on November 16, 2025, has the capacity for 175 to 200 surgeries weekly at maximum operation. Currently, this capacity has diminished by nearly 20% due to the challenges faced.
“We didn’t have the opportunity to practice and prepare as thoroughly as we had envisioned. Delays regarding equipment and setup meant that we effectively didn’t get to start operating until the actual move-in day.”
Prioritizing Emergency Care
Despite the setbacks, Lende reassures that emergency operations receive immediate attention. “Patient safety remains a top priority. Critical situations involving immediate health risks haven’t been compromised.”
Financial Struggles
Stavanger University Hospital is currently grappling with a financial crisis, having announced a budget shortfall of 200 million NOK going into 2025. The financial burden of the new hospital, which stands at 12.5 billion NOK, adds another layer of complexity, with annual interest and repayment costs nearing 700 million NOK.
The hospital also faces operational challenges, due to only half of the facility being completed. Health Minister Jan Christian Vestre underscored the need for financial balance amidst such large-scale investments, stating, “It’s essential to ensure that our finances are sound while operating one of the world’s most advanced hospitals.”
As a response, the hospital has instituted hiring freezes and is considering which treatment services may need to be scaled back. Yet fewer surgeries mean diminished revenue, as hospitals are funded per treatment performed.
“This financial strain is impossible to overlook, especially since surgical procedures are among the highest revenue generators for hospitals,” laments Eie.
With the weight of these challenges pressing down, the hope for a smoother transition into a new era of healthcare at Stavanger now hangs in the balance, waiting for resolution.
Published on February 4, 2026
