Nurse says Ottawa Hospital staff members are reaching a breaking point
Posted Nov 29, 2022 07:00:00 PM.
Staff burnout, fatigue and Bill 124 are are many factors putting additional strain at the Ottawa Hospital.
Rachel Muir, a registered nurse and the local bargaining unit president for the Ontario Nurses Association at the Ottawa Hospital, told Wake Up With Rob Snow on Nov. 29 that the Ottawa Hospital is feeling the effects of a crumbling healthcare system, and the situation at the local hospital isn't getting better anytime soon.
“If it's possible to believe, things are getting worse,” she said. “Staffing issues are getting worse and wait times are longer and now, surgeries are getting cancelled at pediatric hospitals and there just seems to be no end in sight.”
Muir said emergency room wait times are roughly 20 hours or even longer, adding that there doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency to find solutions to help the province's healthcare system.
She said nurses have hit their breaking point many of them suffering from fatigue and burnout and are unable to keep up the pace the hospitals are seeing.
“It's not the staff's fault, it's not the nurses fault, it's the system and no one is listening to us shouting from the hills that out healthcare system is collapsing,” she added.
While there are recruitment initiatives underway, Muir said it's not enough to compensate for the lack of healthcare workers needed in critical departments and even emergency rooms.
Listen to the full interview with Rachel Muir below:
