The signs said it all "More long term beds", "More beds now, not later", "Dignity for all patients" and "No hallway beds! Real beds! Over 50 nurses, doctors and staff at Vernon Jubilee Hospital decked in purple to signify their "Purple Ribbon Campaign" rallied over the noon hour marching alongside Highway 97 in front of the facility hoping to drum up support in the community for their concerns about overcrowding Front line staff at VJH are tired of the overcrowding at the facility which they say has reached chronic proportions in recent times. Currently, there are 148 total beds to cover off every facet of care provided. While at one time, a ‘code purple’ was called every time the number of patients outnumbered the total beds, nurses say right now every day is a ‘code purple’ with some emergency unit patients left on stretchers in hallways for two or, often three days. "It’s extremely frustrating, because every nurse that walks on shift knows they will be dealing with an over-capacity issue, said Christine Sorensen, BC Nurses Union Thompson-Okanagan Regional Chair. "There will be patients in the hospital and in the (emergency) beds who have been there for days and the nurses know they are compromising the type of care they went into nursing to provide. That hurts and makes them worry about the quality of care and level of care they are providing. They are doing the best job they can, running from patient to patient, but that’s not what we signed up for, we want to provide quality care."(more)
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Don Quixote Note: Ok to cut and paste this link from a well written article to your e-mail and send it to our local MLA, Health Minister and Premier. As well as our local M.P.
Link: http://www.castanet.net/news/Vernon/61896/Hospital-staff-protest-overcrowding
- E-Mail: Honourable Michael de Jong Minister of Health E-mail: hlth.minister@gov.bc.ca
- E-mail: eric.foster.mla@leg.bc.ca
- E-Mailpremier@gov.bc.ca
- E-Mail mayesc1@parl.gc.ca (M.P. Colin Mayes)
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