The Nova Scotia Nurses Union is reacting to comments made about nurses by the Health Authority and Health Minister Randy Delorey.
NSNU President Janet Hazelton says her members are overworked and understaffed.
She says with an older population, the patients coming into hospitals are sicker.
“I think what we have to do is look at the system as a whole. We have to look at our facilities and say, do we need some more beds? Because treating people in hallways is not appropriate. It’s not safe and it’s not appropriate.”
Hazelton says the province has a shortage of nurses.
She says nurses are seeing patients come from other regions because of continuous closures.
“That is the problem. Holidays, weekends, rural hospitals within their facilities are closed and it just doubles and triples their workload in their emergency department.”
Hazelton says some nurses are working 24 hour shifts, and some travel to cover shifts.
She says the province must do more to recruit more permanent nurses instead of relying on, what are supposed to be temporary measures.
While the province has announced they will be hiring every nursing grad this year, Hazelton says it will still take time to get those new nurses up to speed.
She says the province needs to improve nursing home and primary health care to help alleviate stress on Emergency Departments.
*Photo NSNU Facebook page
Reported by: Ed Halverson
Twitter: @edwardhalverson
E-mail: halverson.ed@radioabl.ca
