'Exhausted, overworked and facing brutal criticism': B.C. health authority appeals for patience, vaccination amid staffing crisis
A B.C. health authority is sounding the alarm about a staffing crisis in one one of its hospitals.
In a Facebook post Friday, Northern Health said staff in Fort St. John are "exhausted, overworked and facing brutal criticism from the public and insults on their shifts."
Calling the behaviour "unacceptable," the health authority explained that the emergency department at Fort St. John Hospital has only five permanent registered nurses. The department has 20 total nursing positions, Northern Health said.
"This requires nursing staff to be pulled from other services to support ER operations," the health authority said. "This means that in some cases there may be just one nurse available on a given shift."
Northern Health's statements match those of health-care workers around the province who have spoken to CTV News Vancouver in recent weeks.
They've described already under-resourced hospitals being stretched even thinner by the surge in hospitalizations during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The problem predates the coronavirus, however, and it has been compounded by some health-care workers leaving the profession or quitting full-time positions to take part-time roles where they can better control their hours and avoid burnout.
On Friday, nurses held rallies at the constituency offices of Premier John Horgan and Health Minister Adrian Dix to demand more action to address the chronic understaffing of B.C. health-care facilities.
In its Facebook post, Northern Health said it's doing "everything in (its) power" to address the shortage of nurses in Fort St. John.
"We are currently working to recruit and hire for these nursing positions, recognizing the applications are very limited," the health authority said, adding that it expects to fill four full-time positions by January.
"In addition, the health minister announced on Sept. 14 that Northern Health will receive $6.38 million ... to help recruit and retain health care workers in Northern B.C. and largely focused on the Northeast," Northern Health added. "While the work has already started to put this investment to use, relief will not be immediate."
The health authority also noted the impact of COVID-19 cases on the situation, encouraging everyone in the region to get vaccinated.
Northern Health has the lowest rate of fully vaccinated residents among B.C. health authorities, and northeastern B.C. has especially low levels of vaccination.
Just 50 per cent of eligible residents of the Peace River South local health area - those ages 12 and older - have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. In the Peace River North and Fort Nelson local health areas, the rate is 51 per cent.
Provincewide, vaccination rates are much higher, with nearly 79 per cent of all B.C. residents ages 12 and older having received both doses as of Friday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.