Doctors stressing nursing shortages could cause more health care issues

WINNIPEG (CityNews) – Doctors in Winnipeg are sounding the alarm over a grave concern at the rate senior nurses are quitting.

An open letter sent to the Manitoba Government, signed by more than 60 physicians warns “The current workload for Emergency Department nurses with the increasing numbers and acuity of COVID patients is exceptionally high. Everyone who comes to the Emergency department could have COVID and the hospitals rely on our ED nurses to find and isolate COVID cases before admission.”

The doctors are saying nursing moral is at an all time low and not just in Manitoba, but across the country. And the staffing situation in Emergency rooms are in critical need of immediate action.

“We see this day after day after day, that we are unable to adequately staff our emergency departments,” explained Noam Katz, Emergency Physican at St. Boniface hospital.

“Emergency medicine is a team sport, its not something that we can do on our own.”

Dr. Katz is among the physicians who signed the letter. Katz says Sunday night was another example where multiple beds designated for the sickest patients at the hospital couldn’t be used because of staffing shortages and he says that has become common.

“Our nurses quite frankly are often compromising their physical and mental well being and its not sustainable. Where we are at with our nurse vacancies is critical,” added Dr. Katz.

“Most areas were already in a shortage before the pandemic so now it’s just worse,” said Melanie Gauthier, president of Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Gauthier added the low moral and high rates of burn out are being experienced by nurses across the country. The third COVID wave in Canada saw high case numbers in B.C., Ontario, and Manitoba, and nurses are exhausted, distressed, with many leaving the profession due to burnout.

“So I think that there will be a period of time where we will have a nursing shortage.”

A statement sent to CityNews by Doctors Manitoba says, “Critical care specialists have told us a lack of nurses is a key limiting factor to opening more ICU beds. ER physicians have raised concerns about the vacancy rate for emergency nurses, and they are worried the shortage will affect patient care. Surgeons have identified the nursing shortage as they top barrier to addressing the surgery backlog.”

Simply put, Katz says the nursing shortage affects everyone in need of Critical Care. People who don’t need the hospital today might need the hospital tomorrow and if there isn’t enough staff available the quality of care they receive could be impacted.

“And we see this constantly where we are getting multiple very sick people at the same time, so it’s a question of us physical not being able to be in two places at once,” added Katz.