Union survey suggests Sask. nurses frustrated, anxious, dissatisfied with provincial COVID response

The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) says its latest annual member survey found that 57.4 per cent of respondent considered stepping away from the profession in the last year.

SUN represents more than 11,000 nurses in the province. Of those, 1,530 took part in the online survey which ran between February and March 2022. Its margin of error is plus-or-minus 2.3 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Other results from the survey indicate a grim outlook and that COVID-19 has had a profound effect on members.

More than 70 per cent of SUN members reported more safety concerns, feelings of frustration, anger, anxiety and helplessness. Seventy-six per cent reported feeling uncertainty and a lack of confidence in leadership.

"Registered nurses gave overall negative ratings to all levels of governance when asked about the pandemic response," SUN's news release on the survey reads, in part.

"The worst ratings (69.9 per cent negative) were given to elected Saskatchewan government officials, with the premier and minister of health specifically receiving a negative performance rating from 68 per cent of respondents."

Tracy Zambory, SUN president, said that nurses are suffering.

"The survey tells us that registered nurses are having a very difficult time of it, that this pandemic has taken a toll that we could have never imagined on their ability to practise safely," she said Tuesday. 

"You can talk to any [nurse], in any unit, facility, agency, in every corner of this province and they're going to tell you that there is a severe staffing shortage and that we need to do something about it now. We are at a crucial crossroads here. Our health-care system is in free-fall."

Merriman says gov't still working on finding more staff

"Some of the things that came out of the survey certainly is what I've heard before, that there are some challenges," Minister of Health Paul Merriman told reporters Tuesday. 

He said he hoped that not everyone who said they have thought about leaving actually leaves. 

"They've had a tough go. And we all know that, we recognize that, we thank them for what they've done in the last two years."

Merriman said he's continuing to work on finding backfill and more staff. He said it's fine that health-care workers are critical of his performance, but that if they see solutions, to work with him on getting it done.

"We're trying on all fronts."

Opposition Leader Ryan Meili said the government's plan for recruitment and retention is a long-term plan, but something needs to be done immediately.

"[The government has] consistently downplayed the situation that we're facing, they've ignored nurses, ignored doctors, ignored chief medical health officers, no wonder people are feeling demoralized," he said Tuesday. 

Meili added that health-care workers need to be brought to the table.