Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Newfoundland and Labrador’s registered nurses’ union is calling on families to stay vigilant about the care of their loved ones who find themselves in the health-care system this holiday season.
Yvette Coffey, president of the province’s registered nurses’ union, said the provincial health authority needs to end its reliance on mandatory overtime just to keep health-care services running.
“It is a big, big potential for undue harm for the people who are in our care over this holiday season,” Coffey told CBC Radio’s On the Go.
Coffey said the union and health authority were supposed to meet almost two weeks ago to discuss scheduling issues, which happened earlier this week.
“If they had met with us on December 12, in early December, we wouldn’t be talking about that issue right now with an emergency department without any staff over Christmas,” Coffey said.
If departments aren’t staffed, registered nurses will be mandated to work overtime. Last weekend in Carbonear, Coffey said more than a dozen people had to stay beyond their eight or 12 hour shifts.
Coffey said once mandated for overtime nurses are asked to self-assess whether they are fit to practice or too exhausted.
“They liken it to the RCMP pulling somebody over who they believe to be impaired and asking them whether or not they feel impaired. There is no external or independent judgement,” she said.
CBC News asked NLHS for an interview on Tuesday but no one was immediately available.
‘Be diligent’
Coffey also cautioned people who find themselves inside the health-care system over the holidays.
“Come for care because the people who are working in that system are dedicated professionals,” she said.
“But you also need to know that some of those nurses might be working 16, 20 or 24-hour shifts, and you need to be diligent, as well, in the care of your loved one.”
Coffey said travel agency nurses aren’t readily available during the holidays, including the Christmas period. She added most travel nurses are from outside the province and they work for private agencies and aren’t invested in the province’s people or healthcare.
“They have no allegiance to us,” she said.
She wants the province to implement a provincial travel pool of nurses and said in January a briefing note will be sent to the provincial government to formally propose the provincial travel pool of nurses.
In the meantime, Coffey said staff and patients may be at risk due to inadequate staffing.
“Mandatory overtime for nurses means increased risk of injury, but for our patients it means increased risks of mistakes and undue harm.”
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.