HALIFAX: A local MLA wants to know what is being done to recruit and retain nurses in the province.
In the Nova Scotia legislature on April 11, Inverness MLA Allan MacMaster asked Health Minister Randy Delorey what is causing a shortage of nurses he says is affecting rural Nova Scotians, and how the government is addressing the problem.
“When the Health Authority and, by extension, the government, is unable to provide things like lab services and emergency surgery in rural areas, the shortage of registered nurses is often the reason given. Yet, being an RN should be considered very good employment in rural Nova Scotia,” said MacMaster.
MacMaster told The Reporter the impact of the shortage is felt by residents of Inverness County in a variety of ways, including service interruptions at local blood clinics.
“Over the last number of months, we’ve been hearing stories about people unable to get their blood work done who needed it completed before they got chemotherapy,” said MacMaster. “If you’re able to get the treatments locally, like in Inverness, you need to be able to get your blood checked just before the treatment. That’s just one example.”
MacMaster said short-staffed facilities, heavy workloads and burn-out may be contributing to the shortage and added that the problem extends to other health professionals as well, including licensed practical nurses and continuing care assistants.
“I think the answer revolves around ensuring the facilities are staffed to the point where they need to be and that the facilities are staffed appropriately,” he said.
MacMaster said he is concerned the government’s current efforts to recruit new nurses do not seem to be working.
“I know that people who are in charge of locating nurses here locally are trying to find people,” said MacMaster. “But I don’t think they’re getting a lot of help from the government centrally from the Department of Health.”
MacMaster said he believes rural Nova Scotia is a good place to live and work, and he wants the minister to provide answers.
“At the end of the day, this issue is impacting people who live here and the access to services that they benefit from,” he said.
In response to MacMaster’s questioning, Delorey said that a number of measures have been implemented to support nurses in the province.
“Some of the initiatives… include being more open and engaged with our nursing professions, recognizing from nurses the desire to practice a fuller scope in communities, and opening new paths and doors for nurses to have opportunities to participate in providing primary care,” said Delorey. “That’s why we’re seeing our commitment towards collaborative care practices providing those opportunities to family practice nurses, nurse practitioners, and others.”
Delorey added that recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals is an issue that is not unique to rural Nova Scotia.
“This is not a rural-urban question. This is a challenge within a particular profession that extends right across the province,” he added.