Debunking 5 myths about Saskatchewan’s nursing shortage
There are plenty of myths surrounding the health care system and the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) says it’s time to correct these misconceptions so the public can understand what’s at stake and who’s at risk.
MYTH #1 EVERYTHING IS OK
Chief among these myths is that the system is fine and there’s no need for the public to worry. After all, aren’t all those who require medical assistance receiving it?
“People are not receiving timely care, and sometimes they are not receiving care at all,” said SUN President Tracy Zambory, RN. “Registered nurses are deeply concerned about the dangerous implications of so many missed and delayed treatments, as well as their ability to provide the quality and safety of care they know their patients deserve.”
Our reality is a system that is far from fine. In fact, the health care system—and the registered nurses within it—are past their breaking points. “Our health care system is in a state of collapse and some of our emergency rooms, particularly Saskatoon and Regina, have stretched beyond the tipping point. Royal University Hospital is often 200 to 300 per cent over capacity. People are waiting for days in the emergency room for a bed,” she said.
This crisis not only affects frontline health care workers but every individual who needs these services. For this reason, Zambory says the Saskatchewan community should be concerned.
“The public believes that the system will somehow make room for them in an emergency, but it’s becoming impossible to do so. For example, neurosciences, where stroke and brain injury patients receive care, is often at 150 per cent capacity. That means patients are waiting for care after a stroke, when urgency is critical to recovery. Saskatoon’s Children’s emergency room frequently has twice as many patients as there are beds, so kids are waiting, too. In rural Saskatchewan, staffing shortages have led to up to 40 facilities being forced to offer limited services in a single day. The system is not okay.”
MYTH # 2
WHEN COVID IS OVER, THE HEALTH CARE CRISIS WILL BE TOO
Another myth is that system is strained from the pandemic and that as the COVID -19 crisis eases, things will return to normal. However, Zambory says pressures existed before the pandemic, and relief isn’t coming any time soon.
“The pandemic has yanked back the curtain on a broken system that urgently needs resuscitation—a system that is crushing the spirit of its registered nurses,” she said.
MYTH # 3
TOO MANY NURSES ARE RETIRING
For the last few years, SUN has seen a surge of nurses leave the profession out of desperation. It is not, as some have speculated, solely because of retirements.
“The nurses we’ve lost are in all stages of their careers, from people who have been nursing for eight months, all the way up to people who have been nursing for 15 years or more,” explained Zambory.
This is not due to a lack of drive or dedication, but a genuine lack of energy, lack of appreciation, and often because of dangerous working conditions. Staff are sometimes working twice their scheduled hours, while also dealing firsthand with the feelings of anger and frustration that patients are experiencing.
MYTH # 4
NURSES LOST JOBS BECAUSE OF VACCINE MANDATES
Zambory also clarified that the vaccination status of nurses is not contributing to this staffing crisis, despite inflammatory claims to the contrary. In fact, not a single registered nurse lost their job because of vaccine mandates in Saskatchewan.
“In Saskatchewan, nurses and health workers had the freedom to choose to be vaccinated for COVID -19 or decline in lieu of weekly COVID -19 testing, without fear of losing their jobs,” she said.
Another concerning trend is the increase in violence within health facilities. As tensions run higher and patients and families wait longer than ever, violence is becoming unmanageable. Registered nurses, some of whom are retirees returning to work, are often met with verbal and physical abuse. “I hope people begin to recognize how devasting this is for nurses and that burnout, anxiety, and depression are skyrocketing. I think nurses feel unheard—they feel abandoned. They’ve been pleading for support and action for months, with very little response.” Despite these pressures, Zambory says registered nurses are going beyond what is expected of them, often at the expense of their ownmentalandphysicalwell-being.
“Saskatoon City Hospital’s emergency room is not a 24-hour facility. It’s not supposed to be open at night, but registered nurses are keeping the lights on just so patients, who wait days for transfer out of emergency, can be looked after,” Zambory said.
MYTH #5
HIRING NURSES FROM THE PHILIPPINES WILL SOLVE EVERYTHING
The Government of Saskatchewan has announced that 150 health care workers are being recruited from the Philippines to help offset workloads, and many believe this to be a simple fix to the nursing crisis. However, as Zambory points out, only 40 to 50 of these individuals may be certified as Registered Nurses (RNS) in Saskatchewan. In short: it’s a start, but will not close the gap, considering in just Saskatoon there are 80 to 150 vacant shifts on any given day.
Although recruitment has the potential to provide long-term support, it fails to address shortterm needs. Zambory says it’s possible to tackle the system’s current issues with a united effort. “We are calling on the government to form a nursing task force, where nurse unions, educators, regulators, and other key stakeholders can sit down with the government
and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) to really dig into solutions. We need to work together on rural recruitment and retention programs, hiring back willing retirees, examining nursing education seats, and most importantly, urgent support for nurses struggling in the system today.”
As we exit from the pandemic and inch back toward normal life, the collateral damage remains: “COVID -19 absolutely worsened the pre-existing shortage, but it’s this burnout that has led to a mass exodus of nurses from the system,” Zambory said. If this problem is not appropriately recognized and addressed, the future of the Saskatchewan health care system could be bleak.
For more information, visit makingthedifference.ca.