Staffing is at a crisis level in the health care system according to the Registered Nurses Union.
This is Nurses Week across the province and while it’s time to celebrate the work and achievements of nursing professionals, it comes amid surgical backlogs, cancellations and overcapacity in acute care beds.
RNU President Yvette Coffey says gaps in staffing are having an impact in both acute and chronic care settings and every single day she talks to members who are at the “breaking point.”
There are over 600 RN vacancies in Newfoundland and Labrador, and 90 per cent of registered nurses and nurse practitioners say they are experiencing burn-out. One in two permanent RNs are considering resigning to go casual, while 16 per cent indicate they are seriously considering leaving the profession altogether.