Nurses rally to highlight 'crisis' in B.C. health-care system
Hundreds of nurses took to the streets of downtown Vancouver Wednesday to call attention to what they say is a health-care system in crisis thanks, in part, to understaffing, emergency room closures and long wait times for patients to get the care they need.
“We’re always short-staffed," said Marcela Bonilla, who works as a community care nurse on the Downtown Eastside.
"There’s not enough people to help deliver safe care or proper care, or have the time to properly interact with the patient."
The march came as nurses gathered this week at the Vancouver Convention Centre to elect a bargaining committee and identify key priorities as they prepare to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.
“Nurses deserve better,” said BC Nurses Union president Aman Grewal.
"Our patients in B.C. deserve better. The health-care system is in crisis and they need to listen to the nurses."
Unionized nurses have been working without a contract since March and are preparing for what could be a tense negotiaton process.
Recent nursing grads, like acute medicine RNs Anjali Sharma and Sara Van Buekenhout, have stepped into a system so desperate for their services it risks burning them out already with poor working conditions.
“They’re not great,” said Sharma. “We’re short-staffed almost everyday. We’re forced to care for six or seven patients sometimes.”
She says the standard in acute care is one to four patients per nurse.
“It’s almost a year since the federal government committed to me that we would be working together on addressing these issues,” Premier John Horgan said when asked about what the province could do to improve working conditions for nurses, and the health-care system in general.
“The federal government needs to be at the table. We need to have a national plan.”
But when formal negotiations get underway with the BCNU, the feds won’t be at the table and it will be up to the province to come up with ideas and solutions – and ways to pay for them – if it wants to avoid job action on the part of nurses.
“I do know Minister Dix has been working tirelessly, we’re creating more spaces for RNs, we’re bringing in more care aides, a range of other hires and improvements in recognizing foreign credentials,” Horgan said.
For young nurses like Sharma and Van Buekenhout, it’s vital the province find a way to do more – and faster.
“Otherwise, I think a lot of nurses are going to leave the profession,” said Van Buekenhout.
And that would exacerbate problems for a health-care system that already appears to be in critical condition.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Millions of cyberattacks per hour as B.C. government investigates multiple breaches
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
New 'Lord of the Rings' film coming in 2026
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.