Temporary loss of nurses raising concerns
‘There are nurses being trained in schools now. How come they are short?’
The Nova Scotia Health Authority’s decision to temporarily move eight experienced emergency room nurses from three community hospitals to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital is raising concerns.
Joe Bruce, a longtime advocate for health care and the New Waterford Hospital, is questioning why start and end dates for the move aren’t being announced.
“When they leave out dates you’d have to automatically assume it’s never going to come back again,” he said.
“If it’s not the end, why would there not be a date, why would it just be left open”
Bruce also questioned why there is suddenly a shortage of nurses.
“There are nurses being trained in schools now. How come they are short?
He said this will mean more people going to the regional hospital for care.
“What will they then do about the shortage of beds there?”
Lilly MacDonald of Lingan said the emergency rooms are often closed in New Waterford.
“I can’t imagine what the effect will be losing nurses. It makes me wonder what’s next.”
Greg Boone, spokesperson for the NSHA, said there isn’t a shortage of nurses in Cape Breton but there is a shortage of experienced nurses.
He said as a result of this shortage, eight experienced ER nurses from the New Waterford, Glace Bay and North Sydney hospitals and the New Waterford Mobile Care Team are being temporarily reassigned to the regional for three to four months.
“We need RNs with emergency care backgrounds to help cover shifts there because keeping the regional’s ER open is our priority, as it is the main trauma or referral centre.”
Boone said experienced ER nurses will also remain at the three community hospitals.
He said the shortage of experienced nurses comes from workplace situations, such as retirements, illness or even people moving from the area.
“We hired a significant number of new graduates this year as we did the previous years. Recruitment to find experienced nurses is ongoing.”
Boone said the transfers include two nurses who usually work with advanced care paramedics on the Mobile Care
Team in New Waterford. Boone said as a result the nighttime MCT won’t be available for the next three to four months. But he said the collaborative emergency centre isn’t closing.
“The MCT is only one piece of the collaborative emergency centre.”
He said while the RNs with the New Waterford MCT are being reassigned, the EHS paramedics who work in New Waterford will link with the CEC to make appointments for patients who need same or next day followup with a primary care provider.
He said paramedic and emergency services will not be impacted in Cape Breton during this temporary change.
“EHS will be adding additional ambulance coverage to cover Cape Breton seven nights a week.”
Cape Breton Centre MLA and NDP health-care critic Tammy Martin is worried about the Liberal government’s plan to move services out of New Waterford and to the regional hospital.
“They say this closure will be temporary, but we know health-care workers are leaving Cape Breton and the staffing shortages are getting worse. Will this mean more services leave New Waterford and head to the regional as the shortages grow?”