N.L. nurses overworked, understaffed, says CBC survey

Nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador who took part in the Rate My Hospital survey for CBC Television's The Fifth Estate say they feel overworked and understaffed.

A total of 120 nurses in this province took part in the survey of 4,500 nurses across the country.

Of those surveyed in this province, 57 per cent said they didn't feel they had the materials, supplies or equipment needed to do their work. That was more than 20 per cent higher than the survey average.

About 70 per cent of the N.L. nurses felt there wasn't enough staff in their area or unit for them to do their job properly, and 63 per cent of them said they were stressed at work each day.

As well,60 per cent of the nurses did not think highly of their employer, rating their organization as poor or fair.

"The results [of the CBC survey] are very consistent with what our members have been telling us," said Debbie Forward, the president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses' Union.

Worried about more cuts

Forward said nurses are worried their situation will get worse because the provincial government will review health care for efficiencies in advance of next year's budget.

She said nurses have already been shuffled or cut in some clinics in central Newfoundland, and some managers will be laid off, which could mean increased workloads.

"The fear is that the axe is, really, yet to fall, and there's a huge amount of concern around if there's more cutbacks; how will I be able to provide care?" said Forward.

The CBC survey came out at the same time nurses have been negotiating a new contract with the province.

Forward said one of the biggest issues at the bargaining table has been workload and having enough nurses to do the work required.

Government defends record

In a statement, the Department of Health noted that retention of graduating nurses has risen from 68 per cent in 2006 to 85 per cent in 2012.

"As a government, we are proud of the investments we have made to increase the volume of nurses and physicians and the billions we have invested in the provinces health care system," the department said.

"They are investments that are leading to such positive outcomes as 82 per cent of our population having access to an emergency department within a 30-minute drive, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and this province ranking second only to Ontario in terms of wait times for priority areas such as cardiac surgery and radiation treatment for cancer in terms of wait times for priority areas such as cardiac surgery and radiation treatment for cancer," the statement said.

"These are huge improvements."