Peggy Lam 

The Manitoba Nurses Union said a nurse who recently moved to work in Lynn Lake, Man., was terminated by the Northern Regional Health Authority for reasons outside of her practice.&nbsp;

"We're in a situation where we need to be retaining every nurse possible in the system, so it's worrying that employers are not doing everything they can to retain nurses," said Darlene Jackson, the union's president.

Lynn Lake is a town of approximately 500 residents, located more than 800&nbsp;kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.&nbsp;

Jackson said she can't disclose more details about the incident because the Manitoba Nurses Union has filed a grievance on this person's behalf and the case will be going to arbitration.&nbsp;

'Northern Manitoba deserves better,' chief says, as two hospitals temporarily close

Two northern Manitoba hospitals are closing for several days in light of ongoing, persistent staffing issues, but people who live in the area are calling attention to the longstanding health-care inequities.

Nurses walking down a hospital corridor seen from the back.

Thousands of nurses across Quebec  are refusing to work any mandatory overtime this weekend, as their union ramps up the pressure on provincial and regional health authorities to stop forcing health-care workers to stay past their scheduled shift.

Quebec nurses refuse mandatory overtime

Two northern Manitoba hospitals are closing because of ongoing staffing issues, while others are working with many nursing positions unfilled.

'Total frustration' for people in northern Manitoba town as health centre closes for nearly two weeks

On Friday, the Northern Health Region announced the Leaf Rapids Health Centre will close on July 28 and reopen on Aug. 10. For people in the small community, the announcement brought more questions than answers.

Dennis Anderson, 58, and his mother, Minnie Anderson, 81, are worried about what will happen if Minnie needs medical attention while the health centre in their home of Leaf Rapids, Man. is closed for the next two weeks.

Dennis Anderson and Minnie Anderson

But the nurse was following standards of the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba and the termination "had nothing to do with her ability to practise," Jackson said.&nbsp;

CBC requested comment from the Northern Regional Health Authority.&nbsp;A spokesperson says&nbsp;the authority does not speak to personnel issues publicly as a matter of policy.&nbsp;

Jackson said the nurse who was fired had moved her family from Ontario to work as a public nurse in Manitoba.&nbsp;

"She had worked some shifts in Lynn Lake&nbsp;and really enjoyed the hospital, and enjoyed the atmosphere in the town and moved there," Jackson said.&nbsp;

Hospital closed due to lack of&nbsp;staff&nbsp;

The termination came in the middle of a critical nursing shortage in the north, in which the health authority had to 

close a hospital — Leaf Rapids Health Centre — multiple times

 due to not having enough staff.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Since the Leaf Rapids Health Centre closed on Dec. 27, all clinical care and support services have been directed to Lynn Lake or Thompson.

A woman with glasses and short red hair is seen in a profile outside on a street

Darlene Jackson is the president of the Manitoba Nurses Union. 

Darlene Jackson

Jackson said in the midst of a pandemic, with COVID-19 cases skyrocketing, employers should be keeping nurses in the public system.&nbsp;

"We need those individuals to keep facilities open," she said. "In this case, to keep facilities running at full speed."

The Manitoba Nurses Union says a nurse moved from Ontario to work in Lynn Lake, Man., but was then fired for reasons that 'had nothing to do with her ability to practise.'

Nurse in Lynn Lake fired for reasons outside her practice, says union

Hospital closed due to lack of staff

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