According to a union representing Ontario hospitals, workers are dealing with crushing workloads in understaffed hospitals. They’re calling for more funding to help alleviate what they are calling a worsening staffing crisis.
A recent survey of 750 members indicated two in five workers had contemplated leaving their jobs and a similar amount dread going to work because of the heavy workload.
Locally, Northumberland Hills Hospital is bearing up well, according to NNH’s VP People Lola Obomighie, largely on the strength of it’s incredible staff.
Lola told us that overall though, the situation here in Northumberland is not much different that everywhere else.
The Ontario Liberals recently asked the auditor general to investigate the use of temporary nursing agencies in the provincial health-care system just days after Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced an expansion of private clinics who can perform surgeries covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
Lola told us that they only started using temporary nursing agencies after the pandemic, and even then in a limited capacity in their critical care areas.
Obomighie went on the say that creative strategies like the use of temporary staff to give their teams some well deserved time off make a big difference. They also are creative with how they recruit staff and take good advantage of an internship and externship program to develop new staff which has resulted in the retention of 6 RNs and 18 RPNs who went through the 12-week internship program.
Culture, mental health and well being are all top of mind for NHH and it shows in how well the hospital has coped with the staffing pressures all hospitals continue to deal with.
Again, Obomighie says it’s NHH’s people that are the secret ingredient.
NHH delivers a broad range of acute, post-acute, outpatient and diagnostic services. Directly serving a growing population of more than 60,000 residents spread across a mix of urban and rural settings, NHH directly employs approximately 750 people and relies on the additional support provided by a highly engaged and supportive network of physicians, midwives and volunteers.
Written by Joseph Goden