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NURSING SHORTAGE A CRISIS SAYS RNAO

REGISTERED NURSES ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO CALLS ON PROVINCE TO REVERSE BILL CAPPING NURSES' WAGES

ALEXANDRA HECK aheck@metroland.com

After almost two years of working through a global pandemic, nurses in Peel region are burning out.

"COVID has taken a lot out of nurses," said Paula Manuel, Peel chapter president of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario ( RNAO). She says that she sees the effects of the pandemic on her colleagues, how long hours, understaffing and a prolonged emergency situation have worn nurses down.

"Seeing people die on a regular basis is really tough too," she said. "People are walking away."

The RNAO is hosting a virtual fall tour to speak with members of the profession across Ontario, to hear how the pandemic has impacted their careers, their life, and goals.

"It's a calamity," said RNAO chief executive Dr. Doris Grinspun, explaining that hospitals and long-term care homes across the province are experiencing incredible staffing shortages, which only piles more pressure on the remaining nurses.

Some places are using PSWS to fill the spaces.

"It's on the verge of collapsing completely," she

said. "In the case of Brampton, it's already collapsed."

She believes the nursing system in Brampton has collapsed because staff are being asked to work whatever hours they can — even if it's just twohour shifts — because there are so many gaps in coverage.

She said that Bill 124 is playing a critical role in undermining nurses' work in the province, as they are not allowed to strike, and wage increases are capped at 1 per cent a year.

She says that police and firefighters don't have the same limitations and can't help but think about the perception between maleand female-dominated professions.

"It appears the Premier has a disdain for the fe

male profession," Grinspun alleged.

For Manuel, who leads a team of nurses, she says it's important to keep an eye out for burnout, to step in and help her colleagues when they appear to be struggling.

"Whether someone's having their first breath or their last breath, a nurse is there for them," she said, adding that after 38 years she still loves her job.

"We need to be there to pick up the pieces when this is over," she said, remembering how she first broached the conversations around mental health, burnout and wellness at the height of the pandemic.

She said that the best way to prepare for the next pandemic is to recover and heal from this one.

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2021-11-25T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-11-25T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://communitynews.pressreader.com/article/281749862622632

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