The last weeks have been especially intense for the Spanish nursing. Since the Supreme Court ruled Mr. Maximo Gonzalez Jurado not fit for his role of president of the Nursing Regulatory Body in Spain, there have been many nurses who have reacted against him. One of the issues on which nursing professionals interceded has been to avoid the assistance of Gonzalez Jurado, posing as President, to the International Council of Nurses (Seoul, from 19 to 23 June). Last 10 of July, they wrote a letter to Judith Shamian, president of the International Council of Nurses, to describe the situation in Spain. Here there is the full document.
Spanish nurses demand transparency, democracy and good governance in the Spanish Nursing Regulatory Body and its president
Mr Máximo Gongález Jurado, the President, has been removed from his position by the Spanish Supreme Court. Mr Gongález Jurado’s candidacy has been retrospectively disallowed for the elections conducted in 2011, as he has not been able to demonstrate the clinical nursing experience required.
Worryingly, it is not the first time that the Supreme Court has ruled Mr Gongález Jurado not fit for his presidential role. In fact, this is the third time that he has not been able to offer adequate evidence of his clinical experience.
Over the last 25 years Mr Gongález Jurado has benefited from an electoral system that makes extremely difficult for alternative candidates to appear. For such reason, he has never faced any public debate about his proposed programme or vision, or about the multiple failures, lack of transparency and absent accountability during his mandates. It is relevant to highlight that Mr Gongález Jurado’s activities and accounts have been investigated by the Spanish police Serious Crime unit regarding his alleged use of public funds to pay for private holidays and his involvement in the covert recording of journalists investigating his mandate.
However, the ruling by the Supreme Court has forced Mr Gongález Jurado once more to convoke elections. Again, alternative candidates have to clear several hurdles. They have to demonstrate at least 15 years of clinical nursing experience (which Mr Gongález Jurado has not been able to do), and they have to be endorsed by at least 15 regional nursing colleges. The deadline for such approval is June 13th. Finally, candidates will be elected not by Spanish nurses, but by the chairpersons of such regional colleges.
This decision by the Supreme Court has been widely acclaimed by the 250,000 Spanish nurses. They are tired of Mr Gongález Jurado autocratic style, and they want a real representative who embodies essential nursing qualities such as professionalism, honesty, transparency and effective advocacy for the health of Spanish citizens.
We therefore represent a new movement, led by Victoria Trujillo, a nurse leader who proposes transparency, democracy and good governance as key messages for her candidacy. Ms Trujillo is widely supported in social networks and is on course to receive the necessary endorsements for her candidacy to be considered.
