Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 01/01) - The Stanton Regional Hospital has finally hired enough nurses to reopen its 14-bed surgical ward this September.

Nurse Nathalie Colas, (left) and task force co-ordinator Mary Ellen Hoyles in the soon-to-open ward. Colas was recently recruited from New Brunswick. - Jennifer McPhee/NNSL photo

Hospital administration closed the ward in June 2000 as a cost-cutting measure and forged a plan to merge the surgical and pediatric wards. But following a public outcry in the fall of 2000, administrators admitted they made a mistake and reversed their decision.

Since then, a severe nursing shortage has prevented the unit from reopening.

Almost a year later, after a major recruitment drive, the hospital now has a full staff of 12 nurses for the surgical area. Half the staff are new.

"It's taken us a long time to get nurses up to that level," said Donna Zaozirny, director of operations. "It's all coming along very well."

A task force has been set up to train nurses and all equipment is being serviced prior to the ward's opening.

"There's a lot of work to do," said Mary Ellen Hoyles, task force coordinator. "The surgeons are anxious to get back to work."

The ward is scheduled to open on September 17.