A union frustrated by what it calls lack of action on ER nursing shortages has sent an open letter to Nova Scotia government officials on behalf of Halifax Infirmary nurses.
The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union, which represents more than 3,200 nurses, sent the letter to Premier Tim Houston, Health Minister Michelle Thompson and Karen Oldfield, president and CEO of Nova Scotia Health.
“We, the front-line Registered Nurses in the ED, have bore witness to the ongoing health care crisis with beginnings far outdating the pandemic,” the letter said.
“Now, as we stand on the other side of that pandemic, it’s in an unraveling and hazardous health care landscape that’s experiencing a “brain drain” of skilled RNs.”
The letter said nurses were optimistic that recent health-care announcements would address their concerns but “to everyone’s bitter disappointment, it is now clear that the Nova Scotia government is completely blind to the needs of and issues facing RNs in our collapsing ED.”