Nova Scotia Nurses' Union warns staff shortages have reached critical point
Nova Scotia's unionized nurses are demanding action to address chronic staffing shortages that they say have been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Nova Scotia Nurses' Union held a news conference and rally at its Halifax area headquarters on Friday as part of a national day of action to bring attention to labour shortages in the country's health system.
In an interview before the event, union president Janet Hazelton said the situation in Nova Scotia is reaching a critical point in long-term and acute care after years of warnings to governments about impending problems.
"We're not just complaining about the problem, we want to be part of the solution," said Hazelton. "We are willing to work with whomever to help alleviate this issue."
She said there are about 1,100 vacancies for registered nurses in the province, 250 spots open for licensed practical nurses and 25 vacancies for nurse practitioners.
"For a province this size, that's significant," Hazelton said of the reduced staffing levels.
She said an "intolerable" situation has been compounded by the stress of dealing with the pandemic, resulting in many nurses facing burnout because of longer shifts with fewer vacations and days off.
On Wednesday, the province said "considerable staffing challenges," including a shortage of nurses that has been made worse by the pandemic, are partly to blame for long emergency room wait times and a reduction of elective surgeries.
According to data from the national union, there's been a 78 per cent increase in average weekly overtime during the pandemic, while 24-hour nursing shifts are becoming more routine in many regions, including in Nova Scotia.
The data also indicates that 83 per cent of nurses reported staffing levels that were insufficient to meet the needs of patients before the pandemic, while 60 per cent of nurses say they intend to leave their jobs in the next year.
The nursing unions are calling for increased staffing levels, increased federal funding to retain and recruit more nurses and more spaces in schools to graduate more nurses.
"We have to have something more sustainable," Hazelton said. "We have lots of young women and men on the wait lists at our universities and community colleges. What can we do to make that happen?"
Hazelton said she's seeing some positive signs of potential change from Nova Scotia's new Progressive Conservative government, which swept to power last month largely on a pledge to fix the health system.
The union president pointed out that there are now three cabinet ministers whose focus will be on bolstering aspects of the health system including mental health and long-term care.
In a news release Friday, the provincial government said it wants to hear the nurses' "unique perspective" on a health-care system in need of change.
"There are improvements to make, and our government is committed to making them to improve the system," the release said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.