Hospital ‘morale is the worst it’s ever been’: nurses’ association
KITCHENER — As of midnight on Wednesday, Ontario Health’s interim support for hospital employees off sick due to COVID-19 has ended.
On June 26, free child care for front-line workers and first responders will conclude.
On July 1, hospital staff in Waterloo Region will once again have to pay for parking. Meanwhile, pandemic pay premiums have yet to be paid to front-line workers as hospitals begin to ramp up operations and capacity.
“Some of the things that the government and employers were doing to try and alleviate some of the burden are beginning to disappear,” said Ontario Nurses’ Association president Vicki McKenna.
“In my 40 years as a nurse, I can say that morale is the worst it’s ever been.”
Scheduling has been sporadic, overtime is continuing to rise, rest has been hard to come by, and McKenna said summer vacation days at some hospitals could be in jeopardy — “their world is upside down.”
Personal protective equipment supplies have dogged hospitals for months, and while most critical shortages have been managed, McKenna said they’re not quite out of the woods as the need for supplies continues.
“Ontarians need treatment, and I know nurses and health professionals will do whatever they can to get through this,” she said. “But the effects of just getting through it for the people that actually do the work — I’m very worried about that.”
As some regions in Ontario enter into Phase 2, and more people are out in the community, epidemiologists have warned of the possible repercussions of heightened interactions.
With no clear treatment model in place, COVID-19 remains as much a threat today as it did three months ago. And inside hospitals, McKenna said talk has already begun on the possibility of a second wave.
“Nurses and health professionals are very worried,” she said. “It’s a compounding factor that’s going on right now, and I fear we’re about to hit a breaking point.”
For hospital management, the focus through the COVID-19 pandemic has been on allocating proper supplies, managing new internal programs and relaying community support and opportunities to staff.
At Kitchener’s Grand River Hospital, spokesperson Cheryl Lewis said fatigue is “certainly a concern” among staff right now.
“In addition to providing care to patients, they are donning and doffing personal protective gear multiple times daily, pivoting to implement changes to practices as new information becomes known, and bridging the gap between patients and their loved ones who are — in many cases — unable to enter hospital buildings for the safety of all,” she said.
Internally, she said the hospital’s human resources department has been providing online sessions with mental health experts for staff to help them focus on self-care strategies. Its spiritual care department has been completing in-hospital rounds. Initiatives from the community and local businesses have been shared, and its wellness team has developed a resiliency campaign to support staff with information and resources. At neighbouring St. Mary’s General Hospital, similar outreach programs have been enacted to keep up morale.
“We continue to focus on regular, clear internal communication about COVID-related activities within the hospital, the region and the province, securing adequate supplies of personal protective equipment, responding to updates to government directives, education on infection prevention and control measures, as well as sharing the amazing show of support from our neighbours and wider community,” said spokesperson Anne Kelly.
They’ve also leveraged the local technology sector to co-ordinate deals for health care workers, including things like meals, online tutoring and pet care.
But with no clear timeline on how long hospitals will be operating in a COVID-19 world, the question is how long health care workers can manage.
“We don’t welcome a second wave,” said Lewis. “But feel we have developed the expertise, processes and resources we would need to manage one if the need arises.”