The BC Nurses’ Union is reacting to overcrowding at Fort St. John Hospital, saying the recent surge in patients comes as no surprise.
On Tuesday, Northern Health told CJDC-TV News in a statement that the hospital is experiencing higher-than usual patient volumes.
“Increases in patient visits can be the result of a number of factors, such as respiratory illness season or seasonal conditions that can lead to more in injuries like slips and falls,” the health authority said.
However, BCNU President Adriane Gear says surges of patient due to respiratory illnesses and seasonal injuries happen every year.
“This isn’t a surprise. It isn’t an anomaly. It’s the responsibility of the health authority and government to plan better,” she said.
Gear explains that a nurse should work with a maximum of four patients. At Fort St. John Hospital, she says the reality is closer to seven patients per nurse.
Overcrowding is affecting several departments, including the maternity ward. Regular patients, including men, are sometimes being placed with expectant mothers.
One person told CJDC-TV News that overflow patients are walking the halls, causing concerns and adding health risks for expectant mothers.
Adding to the problem, Gear says there aren’t enough long-term care beds to meet the needs of the community.
This leads to patients remaining stuck in hospital while waiting to be placed in long-term care, and some patients with dementia are wandering into other people’s rooms.
“It creates a challenge because there’s a finite number of acute-care beds for patients who are actually ill, while those waiting for placement still require care,” she explained.
Gear notes there has been very strong collaborative between the union, the Ministry of Health, and the health authorities to implement minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.
However, she adds that employers need to take all reasonable steps to recruit and retain nurses, but in some cases are not proactive enough.
Gear says nurses are held to professional standards. “Your commitment is to give patients the best possible care.”
She says when a hospital is overcrowded, nurses are forced to make impossible choices and can’t always meet the needs of every patients.
Gear adds that hospitals operating over capacity year after year lead to moral distress, burnout, and physical exhaustion among nurses.
As for patients, she says frustration is growing and is often taken out on nurses.
Some patients do not have a family doctor and must visit a hospital when they require care, adding to the pressure on the system.
Gear says it isn’t the patient’s fault when there isn’t enough space in an hospital.
“We need to have strengthened investments in the healthcare system. We need more long-term care beds, more nurses, and better mental health supports,” she added.
Gear says she acknowledges the residents’ frustration and appreciates the public’s support.
She adds that while the system is quite broken, healthcare workers are still able to respond to patients with the greatest need.