Rosa Bejarano’s research while affiliated with Foundation University of Health Sciences and other places

To estimate and analyze the rate of wastage among university-trained nurses during their training period and in the labour market. Wastage at the training stage was estimated using data from ANUIES for the 1978-2002 period. We used the 2000 Population and Household Census database to estimate job market wastage. Concepts and formulas were defined for the valuation of both areas. The Rate of Education Wastage (TDE) for the generation cohort finishing in the year 2002 reached 252 per 1000, far below the 1987 rate, which was 555 per 1000. Regarding the job market, 55.2% of the total graduates who finished university studies and carried out post-graduate studies in nursing, now perform paid activities in the field of nursing, 15.4% work in activities different from their original training, and 16.2% are dedicated to household duties. The Global Rate of Labor Wastage (TGDL, per its abbreviation in Spanish) is 410 per 1000 thousand who obtained a degree in nursing at the university. There is an important degree of wastage in the population holding a university nursing degree, both in the training and in the job market areas, an unacceptable situation that calls for immediate action by incumbent institutions.

OBJETIVO: Estimar y analizar la tasa de desperdicio entre las personas con estudios de enfermería a nivel de licenciatura, durante el periodo de su formación y en el mercado de trabajo. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: El desperdicio escolar se trabajó a partir de los datos de la Asociación Nacional de Universidades e Instituciones de Educación Superior (ANUIES) entre los años de 1978 y 2002. Para la estimación del desperdicio laboral, se utilizó la base de datos del XII Censo General de Población y Vivienda 2000. Para la valoración de ambos fenómenos se definieron conceptos y fórmulas. RESULTADOS: La tasa de desperdicio escolar (TDE) para la generación que concluyó en el año 2002 se ubicó en 252 por cada 1 000, muy por debajo de la registrada en 1987, que fue de 555. En el mercado laboral, para el año 2000, del total de personas que estudiaron licenciatura en enfermería, 55.2% realizaba actividades remuneradas en el área que estudió; 15.4% trabajaba en actividades ajenas a su formación académica y 16.2% se dedicaba al hogar. La tasa global de desperdicio laboral (TGDL) es de 410 por cada 1 000 personas que estudiaron licenciatura en enfermería. CONCLUSIONES: Existe un importante desperdicio de capacidades y habilidades entre la población con estudios de enfermería a nivel licenciatura, tanto en la formación como en el mercado laboral, que requiere de respuestas inmediatas por parte de las instituciones responsables.

Background This paper addresses the problem of wastage of the qualified labor force, which takes place both during the education process and when trained personnel try to find jobs in the local market. Methods Secondary sources were used, mainly the Statistical yearbooks of the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES in Spanish). Also, the 2000 Population Census was used to estimate the different sources of labor market wastage. The formulas were modified to estimate educational and labor wastage rates. Results Out of every 1000 students who started a medical training in 1996, over 20% were not able to finish the training by 2000. Furthermore, out of every 1000 graduates, 31% were not able to find a remunerated position in the labor market that would enable them to put into practice the abilities and capacities obtained at school. Important differences can be observed between generalists and specialists, as well as between men and women. In the case of specialists and men, lower wastage rates can be observed as compared to the wastage rates of generalists and women. A large percentage of women dedicate themselves exclusively to household duties, which in labor terms represents a wastage of their capacity to participate in the production of formal health services. Conclusion Women are becoming a majority in most medical schools, yet their participation in the labor market does not reflect the same trend. Among men, policies should be formulated to incorporate doctors in the specific health field for which they were trained. Regarding women, specific policies should target those who are dedicated full-time to household activities in order to create the possibility of having them occupy a remunerated job if they are willing to do so. Reducing wastage at both the educational and labor levels should improve the capacity of social investment, thereby increasing the capacity of the health system as a whole to provide services, particularly to those populations who are most in need.