P.E.I. nursing shortage needs real solutions, not just campaign promises says union

The P.E.I. Nurses' Union is hoping the provincial election provides an incentive for the parties to come up with solutions to tackle the Island's nursing shortage.

The union is reaching out to the four parties and hopes to meet with them before the election to discuss ways to recruit and retain more nurses in the province.

"What I would be advocating though is that you can have all the doctors you want, and no disrespect to any physicians, but unless you have the registered nurse or nurse practitioner here, that's what holds the system together," said Mona O'Shea, union president.

We're fearful that the patients are not getting the care that they deserve.— Mona O'Shea

"You will not walk into any facility at 11 o'clock at night or 24 hours a day, any hour of the day, and not see a registered nurse."

O'Shea said there are more than 70 positions on the province's job board including some temporary, while others are part-time or full-time, with no one to fill them.

As a result, she said many nurses are working too many hours to fill the void.

Rural vacancies a concern

It's a particular problem in rural areas, like Alberton. According to O'Shea there are seven vacant registered nurse jobs at Western Hospital — that is half of the required positions.

"The part-timers are working full-time. The full-timers are working overtime," O'Shea said. 

"But you can only do that for so long until something gives out. Really, Western Hospital, one more extended sick leave, and the nurses — I'm not sure what will happen."

The parties all said the problem is on their radar and each responded to CBC's questions with an emailed statement.

• The P.E.I. Progressive Conservative Party said they'd fund new incentives, expand nurses' scope of practice and hire more nurse practitioners to bring the number up to 40 on the Island.
• The Green Party of P.E.I. promises to take a look at incentives as well and explore adding more seats to UPEI's nursing program. 
• The New Democratic Party of P.E.I. said they would focus on hiring more nurse practitioners, doctors and health professionals in rural areas.
• The Liberal Party of P.E.I. stood behind its record of adding 106 nursing positions since 2015, and committed to invest $50 million to recruit and retain health-care professionals.

Before the election was called in March, Health PEI released a statement outlining its recruitment efforts as well as planned hires for the spring and a new program to support internationally-educated nurses to work in P.E.I.

At that time it said Health PEI had more than 2,000 nurses working across the province, including 53 new positions added in 2018.

Provincial recruitment incentives

The province also has a nursing recruitment incentive program. Nurses hired under the program agree to work in P.E.I. for two years in return for full-time work with benefits and $1,100 to help them set up in the province.

Experienced nurses could be eligible for $5,000 to fill designated positions that are hard to recruit for.

O'Shea said campaigns that promise things like more mental health nurses and giving the nurses the ability to deliver more health services are nice, but miss the main issue.

"You have nurses that [have] burnt out. They just can't provide one more hour of overtime," O'Shea said.

"It affects the nurses. They do the best they can on every given shift that they work. However we're fearful that the patients are not getting the care that they deserve."

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