Unsafe staffing levels are putting patients at risk at Vernon Jubilee Hospital, according to nurses.
The dedicated nursing staff is deeply concerned about the patient safety crisis they say has been unfolding at the hospital which serves the growing North Okanagan.
“A shortage of hospitalist physicians responsible for overseeing the care of admitted patients is having a direct impact on the facility’s emergency department (ED),” said Adriane Gear, BC Nurses’ Union president, after visiting VJH recently. “Without enough hospitalists, patients are left to wait in the crowded emergency room (ER), spilling into hallways that were never designed for patient care, with no curtains, call bells, access to oxygen therapy, emergency alert buttons or bathrooms.”
Union members report that, on some days, 20 to 40 admitted patients are left without an assigned physician, leaving nurses to coordinate care beyond their professional scope of practice.
Gear says many are being stretched beyond safe limits, are experiencing moral distress and burnout as they watch patient care suffer.
“Simply put, the situation in Vernon’s emergency department is unsafe, unsustainable, and entirely preventable.”
The head nurse notes this is not an isolated issue as Vernon absorbs patients diverted from smaller communities such as Salmon Arm and larger centres such as Kelowna when pressures mount.
“Let’s be clear: nurses, and other health-care workers, will continue to show up and do everything they can to treat anyone who needs emergency care. But dedication cannot compensate for chronic understaffing and a lack of coordinated action,” said Gear.
She is calling on Interior Health to extend the same patient caps to nurses that have been respected to hospitalists in the short term. And in the long-term she says minimum nurse-to-patient ratios will help ensure the hospital is a safe space for staff and patients.
“In emergency departments, this means having enough qualified ED nurses in place to keep patients safe while they wait to be assessed and initiate care until admitted. For patients who cannot be admitted because hospitalist caps have been reached, there must be a clear plan in place to ensure they receive appropriate ongoing care — a burden that cannot be carried by ED nurses alone.”
Gear says efforts to retain and recruit health-care workers in the North Okanagan are more urgent than ever.
“When investments are not made across the system—physicians, nurses, and other professionals—the entire team is impacted, and patient safety suffers,” Gear said.
“The conditions we are witnessing in Vernon should serve as a serious warning sign. Unsafe staffing levels put patients at risk—here and across the province. Interior Health must act now to stabilize staffing and ensure safe, coordinated care for this growing community.”