Hundreds of nurses from across B.C. took to the streets of Downtown Vancouver Wednesday (May 31) to hold the government accountable for minimum nurse-patient ratios.
In town for a B.C. Nurses Union conference, nurses marched from the Hyatt Regency Vancouver Hotel to Jack Poole Plaza, chanting that 害羞草研究所渟afe staffing saves lives.害羞草研究所�
BCNU president Aman Grewal said nurses are 害羞草研究所渏uggling dangerous workloads害羞草研究所� everyday, responsible for a large number of patients 害羞草研究所渁ll with diverse and acute needs.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭he shortage has reached such dire levels that we regularly see temporary closures of emergency rooms in communities around B.C.害羞草研究所�
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In April, the Nurses害羞草研究所� Bargaining Association and the province reached an agreement to implement minimum nurse-patient ratios across health-care settings, which has the promise to improve the staffing and practice conditions needed to keep nurses in the profession and improve patient care.
Grewal said the nurse-patient ration prioritizes work-life balance, can lead to less burnout among nurses, fewer incidents of missed care, lower rates of patient mortality and waiting less time for medication.
害羞草研究所淚t can mean the difference between life and death.害羞草研究所�
It comes as doctors around B.C., and specifically at Surrey Memorial Hospital, have been calling out issues in emergency departments and hospitals for weeks.
Just this week, an open letter from more than 35 women害羞草研究所檚 health physicians and midwives expressed concern for 害羞草研究所渦nsafe conditions and adverse outcomes害羞草研究所� at Surrey Memorial 害羞草研究所� including accusations that these gaps led to a newborn death.
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Surrey Memorial nurse Peggy Holton said staff is exhausted and tired. That害羞草研究所檚 due to a lot of reasons, including a quickly growing population with the health-care infrastructure to support it.
She said people come into the emergency department 害羞草研究所� where she works sometimes 害羞草研究所� knowing they will at some point get to see a doctor or nurse.
害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 worth it for them for a 12-hour wait, versus waiting months in the community to get the same services.害羞草研究所�
A nurse for 42 years, Holton said her hardest experience previously was during the heat dome in 2021, but not anymore.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 even worse as far as the congestion that害羞草研究所檚 there and people are coming in sicker and sicker and that is daunting.害羞草研究所�
However, she said having physicians calling out these issues publicly is helping.
害羞草研究所淭hey have their own impact onto their own group, but then it also exemplifies what the nurses have been saying all along.害羞草研究所�
BCNU vice-president Adriane Gear said that it feels the province is on the cusp of going in the right direction, it doesn害羞草研究所檛 change the current reality.
害羞草研究所淚t doesn害羞草研究所檛 make the 18-hour shift any better for the nurse working at Surrey Memorial emergency department. It doesn害羞草研究所檛 make it better for each of the 10 patients one nurse is responsible for caring for at the Victoria General Hospital when they ought to have four,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所滻t doesn害羞草研究所檛 make it better for the long-term care nurses who are responsible for all the residents in that facility on a nightly shift. And it doesn害羞草研究所檛 address the workloads and difficult decisions community nurses must make each day as to which of their clients will be seen and which ones will have to be deferred again and again.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所� With a file from Anna Burns
lauren.collins@blackpress.ca
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