Nurses call St. John's hospital problems 'dire and unacceptable'

Emergency room nurses at Newfoundland and Labrador's largest hospital say conditions are "dire and unacceptable," according to a letter written to the CEO of Eastern Health that was obtained by CBC News.

The letter said as a day progresses patients — sometimes in the double digits — who have been admitted and are waiting for hospital beds are left in the emergency ward at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's. Sick and elderly patients are forced to wait on stretchers in emergency department hallways while a bed becomes available. 

"Patient safety is a concern on each and every shift and the ability to provide quality care in these conditions has become increasingly difficult," the letter said. "These problems have reached a crisis level that can only be described as dire and unacceptable.

"Staff are tired and frustrated. More nurses are deciding that this type of work environment is not tolerable and are moving on. We cannot afford to lose any more. Enough is enough," the letter said.

"The patients deserve better. We deserve better."

The letter, dated April 13, was signed Emergency Room Staff and includes the signatures of more than three dozen nurses from the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's.

Last week, Eastern Health's interim president and CEO Louise Jones met with the nurses who wrote the letter. The health authority confirmed last week that the meeting took place, but it didn't respond Wednesday to CBC's request for comment on what happened in the meeting.

Emergency room nurses at the Health Sciences Centre wrote a letter in summer 2007 describing similar problems. At the time, Eastern Health met with the nurses and promised to fix the situation.