According to a Kathimerini investigation, Greece’s nursing workforce faces mounting pressure due to staff shortages, extended shifts, and unsafe working conditions. Many assistants, not formally trained nurses, are routinely assigned medical tasks that should legally be performed only by certified nursing staff.
Equally concerning is the culture of silence: 62.1% of nurses said they did not report their error out of fear of sanctions or stigmatization, while 65% reported experiencing psychological manipulation or intimidation by their supervisors.
FYI: In 2025 alone, 11 serious hospital incidents in Greece have been reported, linked either to medical errors or to neglected infrastructure maintenance (such as elevator collapses).
This toxic mix of under-resourcing, exhaustion, and fear creates an environment where errors are more likely, and less likely to be corrected.
As one healthcare safety expert told Kathimerini:
“A true safety culture recognizes that human error is a systemic issue. Mistakes should be treated as opportunities to learn, not as reasons to punish. Safety isn’t just about protocols — it’s about trust. It’s about knowing that if I report something, I’ll be heard so we can improve, not condemned.”
