Five nurses quit cardiac unit at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital

May 29, 2014

Five experienced nurses and at least one casual have left Nanaimo Hospital's cardiac unit since the inception of the new care model, which Island Health calls care delivery model redesign, or CDMR.

BC Nurses' Union blames Island Health's new care model

The BC Nurses' Union says the hospital is in crisis, because of severe understaffing and impossible workloads.

"Nurses are leaving because the nurse-patient ratios are too high," says BCNU Pacific Rim Chair Jo Salken. "Some nurses on CDMR units feel they can't meet their professional standards in providing care for seriously ill patients. That's a huge problem."

The BCNU disputes Island Health's claim there is no evidence of any problems. "Without safe staffing levels, safe patient care is at risk," says BCNU President Debra McPherson, "and nurses have seen plenty of examples in the last eight months."

At its board meeting today, nurses will demand Island Health wake up and pay attention to the voices of patients and nurses from Nanaimo Hospital, instead of denying problems by using flawed methods to assess whether CDMR is working.

Nurses question Island Health board
Thursday, May 29 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm
Parksville Conference Centre
132 Jensen Avenue, Parksville

For information contact:

Jo Salken, BCNU Pacfic Rim chair: 250-713-7066
Catherine Pope, BCNU Communications Officer: 604-313-7412 or cpope@bcnu.org