Government Action Required to Address Nurses? Health
New research released June 24, 2021 by the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Institute for Work & Health in Toronto finds COVID-19 has had short and mid-term mental health implications for nurses.
The study confirms what many BCNU members have been reporting: that COVID-19 continues to have a significant impact on the state of their mental health.
Before the pandemic, two out of 10 nurses reported that they had feelings of depression. By April 2020, this had increased, with three out of 10 nurses reporting they had feelings of depression. Three out of 10 nurses said they were feeling anxious prior to the pandemic, whereas during the COVID-19 outbreak, four out of 10 reported they felt anxious.
This research reaffirms the union's earlier calls on the government to expand mental health supports to ensure nurses receive the care they need when it is needed, such as additional dedicated clinicians to deliver enhanced psychological supports to individual nurses, in an effort to decrease the wait times for nurses who need those services urgently.
What You Can Do
With this study in mind, members are encouraged to speak up and speak out to their MLAs about the mental health burden nurses currently are carrying, along with other critical issues they face while working in the current health-care system. From a lack of access to adequate personal protective equipment to a desperate and worsening shortage of nurses which seriously impacts patient care, nurses have sacrificed too much.
You can reach out to your MLA today using the form on the Speak Out and Speak Out page on the BCNU website. UBC and the Institute for Work & Health in Toronto conducted this research with the support of the union; members were invited to participate in a series of surveys circulated prior to and during the pandemic.
For more information, you can read the study in Annals of Epidemiology and you can read UBC's news release on the study on the UBC website.
Resources for Members
BCNU's mental health strategy and resources can be found here on the BCNU website. COVID-19 resources are also available on our website.