Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 16/05) - The normal summer closure of the 14-bed surgery unit at Stanton Territorial Hospital has been extended because of staff shortages.

The hospital has three vacancies for surgery floor nurses, said Heather Chang, quality and risk co-ordinator for the hospital.

There have been no reductions in surgical services as a result of the closure, Chang said.

The operating room is still open and surgeries are occurring, but patients are being cared for in different nursing units. Stanton is in the process of interviewing new nurses and bringing them North.

Normally there are 11 full-time nurses assigned to the unit. The hospital doesn't have a planned opening date for the unit, saying it will depend on the hiring process.

The unit generally reopens after the Labour day weekend.

One reason for the nurse shortage is specialty training.

The hospital is sending eight nurses for training in different areas including operating room, intensive care and nurse practitioners.