Vernon nurses are frustrated over Interior Health’s public portrayal of the state of Vernon Jubilee’s Emergency Room, according to the BC Nurses Union.
IH told Castanet that, as of mid-January, the ER had not seen an increase in normal patient visits following the last walk-in clinic closing on Nov. 15.
BCNU president Adriane Gear does not agree and says the closure has exacerbated an already difficult situation.
“It's been a challenge providing care to the citizens of Vernon…but it certainly has gotten worse with the closure of the walk-in clinics and the fact that there really isn't a provision of primary care for people to have their health care issues managed medically,” said Gear.
“What we find is (that) patients require care from somewhere, and so their only option is to go to the emergency room. There are chronic health conditions that are really better managed in a primary care setting, but if people don't have access to that type of care, then they're going to be relying on the emergency rooms.”
Gear says at any given time, VJH’s 16-bed emergency room is full with up to 40 patients admitted, but waiting for a bed. She said VJH doesn’t have the number of nurses required to run a 16-bed ER.
Additional staff have been brought in six times since the clinic’s closure. Gear said IH painting ER circumstances as “business as usual” is frustrating, at best.
“It certainly adds to nurses not being valued, feeling valued or respected. To not acknowledge the current reality of what it's like to be a patient or a nurse or another healthcare worker in these very challenging times. I think frustrating would not be the best word, but probably the most appropriate word that I can use right now.”
She says current circumstances are very demanding with not enough staff and other supports to provide care, which means it’s happening on the backs of nurses.
Gear acknowledged a shortage of nurses across the province, and said retaining nurses should be the top priority.
“Obviously, recruiting efforts are also very necessary, but I think until we’ve stopped bleeding healthcare professionals due to poor working conditions, if you can, you can recruit all that you want.”
