ER nurses 'extremely concerned' about lack of staff in Quebec hospitals
Nurses working in Quebec's emergency rooms are warning about the dangerously low number of qualified personnel in the department.
It's a situation that is causing numerous service disruptions across the province, they argue.
In a press release published Wednesday, Quebec's association of emergency room nurses (AIIUQ) says it is "extremely concerned" about the lack of staff and its consequences "for institutions, care teams and patients."
The association notes the emergency room at Gatineau Hospital has been partially closed and operating at reduced capacity since June.
Services have also been affected at Suroît Hospital, the Coaticook Hospital, the Centre multiservices de santé et de services sociaux de Port-Cartier and Senneterre Hospital.
Emergency room nurses say they are also concerned that the situation will worsen in the coming weeks due to the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to AIIUQ, the shortage of specialized nurses is having six major impacts:
- the integration of unqualified personnel in emergency departments;
- an increase in nurse-patient ratios;
- a reduction in care activities;
- a reduction in continuing education for nurses;
- an increase in mandatory overtime;
- and an exodus of nurses to other sectors or private practice.
Nevertheless, the AIIUQ says it welcomes the government's "political will" to tackle the issue of labour shortages in the network.
However, it would like to see "concrete commitments" to reduce mandatory overtime and improve the difficult work-life balance of nurses.
The association says it believes the government's proposed one-time financial bonuses will only have a short-term effect on the problem and will not solve the greater issue.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 29, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
These snakes not only fake their own deaths, they use gory special effects to do it
Awards season may be over for human actors this year, but there’s no rest for some of nature’s most audacious thespians.