Karen Mackenzie
Northern News Services
Monday, July 2, 2007

IQALUIT - Some Iqaluit nurses are worried that a lack of available staff for Baffin Regional Hospital's emergency ward could lead to safety issues for both patients and their caregivers, according to Cheryl Young, head of the nurses local.

Young said members of her group grew concerned when they received reports that a nurse was left alone on an emergency ward night shift on both June 19 and 20.

On each occasion, the hospital was unable to find someone to fill in when a nurse was called away for a family emergency, said Young.

"We've been beaten and punched and spit upon, and that is a regular occurrence. Emergency should have on at least two nurses for each shift, and without it we face some serious safety concerns," she said. "Bottom line is this may be something we're going to see happening throughout the summer."

Lloyd Searcy, executive director of Iqaluit health services, said a "floater" nurse was asked on both occasions to split his or her time with between the emergency ward and another floor, and a doctor was notified to be on call.

A security guard is also always posted at the hospital, he added.

"We make the best possible effort to make it a safe environment for our staff and patients," he said.

Staffing is sometimes a challenge, and in the summer the hospital tries to accommodate employee vacations, he said.

"We would like more nurses, and there's a recruitment strategy in the final stages of development," Searcy said.

"But we are coping and we are continuing to provide quality service to our patients."

Young said her group has notified the Registered Nurses Association of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories in the past about its concerns.

"We have a nursing code of ethics to our patients and our coworkers - we don't want to see anybody not get the service they are entitled to," she said.

"We tend to be somebody who stays there even when the ship is going down."