Tackle staffing shortage, nurses' union tells Kingston hospital
Benjamin Lopez Steven | CBC News | Posted: December 4, 2023 9:00 AM | Last Updated: December 4, 2023
Union says nurses not satisfied with KHSC's response to complaints
The union representing nurses at the Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) is calling on the hospital to address a staffing shortage it says is seriously impacting patient care.
According to Erin Ariss, provincial president of the Ontario Nurses' Association, staff at KHSC have filed almost 400 patient workload complaints since 2018 in response to escalating duties.
Back in 2018, every registered nurse cared for approximately four patients, Ariss said. Now, she said, it's "not unusual for them to care for eight to 10 for every shift they work."
For patients, those elevated workloads means delays in responding to requests for assistance or administering medications, Ariss said.
"These are all things that should never happen," Ariss told CBC Radio's Ontario Morning. "Any delay is unacceptable, and this is happening daily."
When nurses file workload complaints, or when patient safety concerns come up, Ariss said conversations occur at the unit level with a program manager.
If the concerns aren't resolved, the issues go before a hospital association committee. If there's still no resolution a provincial specialist is brought in as a stopgap.
The "last resort," Ariss said, is calling for an independent committee to investigate and make recommendations.
In the current case, that independent committee's investigation was completed in November. The recommendations are expected to come in January, Ariss said.
When asked why nurses brought their concerns to the highest level, Ariss told Ontario Morning they were "less than satisfied" with the hospital's response and considered it to be "very vague."
She did not specify what was vague in the hospital's response, citing the committee's ongoing work.
Hospital responds
Jason Hann, KHSC's chief nurse executive, acknowledged staffing challenges there and across Ontario.
He referenced a report that projected the province will be short 33,000 nurses and personal support workers by 2028.
Progress is being made, Hann said. While KHSC's registered nurse vacancy rate was 17.5 per cent in March, Hann said it was down to 13 per cent by October.
"We're really pleased that we're able to recruit and we're seeing less turnover in our registered nurses at [KHSC]," Hann also told Ontario Morning.
In 2022, when the hospital had "significant challenges," Hann said it increased the number of patient care assistants across multiple units. These workers can walk patients or help them with personal hygiene, among other tasks that nurses can delegate to them.
In the last year, Hann said the hospital has been offering signing bonuses and other benefits for nurses and other health-care professionals to join KHSC.
They include up to $10,000 for a two-year commitment and up to $15,000 to help relocate staff if they live more than 200 kilometres outside of Kingston.
Hann said the hospital is looking forward to working with staff and the union to review the report's recommendations once it's released.
"Our goal is always to have excellent relationships with our staff and our union partners," Hann said.