Nurses lauded for saving patients and equipment in hospital flood

Nurses who were working the night shifts at the Victoria General Hospital site in Halifax during the Sept. 24 flood are being praised for their efforts in protecting patients and pricey hospital equipment.

Not only did they manage their top priority, evacuating patients in critical care, they also may have saved the hospital administration millions of dollars by saving expensive equipment from being damaged.

"Luckily I was working with some really experienced, professional, great nurses who have been there a long time and have lots of great experience," said Catherine Bent, the nurse who was in charge of the ICU that night.

"So immediately I called the nurse supervisor and I said 'We're moving everyone to 6B.'"

Nurses were faced with a major flood that heavily damaged three floors of the hospital, including the ICU, after a corroded pipe burst.

Expensive equipment saved

Staff from many departments pitched in that night but it was the nurses who not only got their patients out quickly and safely but also covered high-tech equipment and moved some other pieces to where they were urgently needed.

"It's not just a matter of beds, it's ventilators, it's machines and monitors," said Bent."These patients are unstable."

The quick work of the nurses is very much appreciated by hospital administrators.

"As much as possible they made sure they had the needed equipment to safely care for the patients that they had," said Victoria Sullivan, the Central Region Operations Executive Director, Nova Scotia Health Authority.

"I think it speaks to the dedication and commitment of our staff at all levels."

By the time the flood had run its course, 50 patients had to be moved and more than 100 surgeries were postponed.

It will still take a long time before everything is back to normal at the 67-year-old hospital.

While officials have assessed the damage to the three flooded floors, they are now trying to plan their next steps.

Part of that plan is already in the works as they are re-opening space on the 9th floor that hasn't been in use for 4 years.