Let's take a deeper dive into bed closures in AB and the implications. @AHS_media confirmed that over 100 beds are being temporarily closed across AB as a direct result of staff shortages. As you've seen in my previous tweets, this is from both nurse and doctor shortages. /1
Over the last several wks, several rural communities have had ERs closed due to MD shortages. Lacombe and Royal Alexandra Hospita ERs have faced significant bed closures due to nursing shortages. RAH (where I work) will have at least 6 ER beds closed for the ENTIRE summer. /2
Why do these bed closures matter? The bottom line is that Albertans will suffer. Fewer beds means longer wait times during a time of year where patient volumes skyrocket. Longer wait times means sicker patients and potential bad outcomes. It also means more burnout for HCWs. /3
I want to make a point here that this is NOT normal. Never, in my 7 years as an ER doctor, have I seen such large and consistent bed closures for a prolonged period of time. In past summers our staffing has had appropriate buffers so that vacations don't lead to closed beds. /4
This is not the result of vacations. It's the result of a shrinking pool of nurses who are burnt out and feel undervalued, under-appreciated, and frankly, disrespected. Nurses are leaving ERs and ICUs because there is literally no other way to get a break and recover. /5
We learned this week from @UnitedNurses that a 3% salary rollback has been proposed. The frontline healthcare workers that bore the brunt of this pandemic are facing potential cuts. /6

globalnews.ca/news/8010582/a…
That's right. The nurses that held your hand, cried with you, comforted you, and took care of you, are being kicked while they're down; barely recovered from the last 16 months. Think they'll just take it because they're being offered "job security?" /7
Think again. Other provinces, like ON, are offering nurses signing bonuses in an effort to address staffing shortages. Why would professionals with portable skills stay?

This is not how we fix healthcare. /8
globalnews.ca/news/7954398/n…

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with Dr. Shazma Mithani

Dr. Shazma Mithani Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @shazmamithani

28 May
Today marks the last day of rural health week in AB. 
 
First, a shoutout to all of my colleagues in rural AB, doing an amazing job working in an under-resourced setting. 
 
Here are just a few examples of how rural health is being attacked and undermined in AB.
 
A thread… /1
Multiple rural hospitals have had to pause, reduce, and even close services due to MD shortages (hmmm, wonder why?) - this includes the closure of multiple ERs

Elk Point:
albertahealthservices.ca/news/releases/…

Rocky Mountain House
albertahealthservices.ca/news/releases/…

Fairview:
albertahealthservices.ca/news/releases/…

/2
Additional services include pauses of C-sections in Westlock and all surgical services in St. Paul.

albertahealthservices.ca/news/releases/…

albertahealthservices.ca/news/releases/…

/3
Read 6 tweets
26 May
Well...here we go again. Another reopening plan based on politics and not science or logic.

In short, what I would have liked to see is something closer to the measured approach Ontario is using:

news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounde…

My thoughts in more detail... /1
1. Reopening plan relies on just ONE vaccination dose, with no mention of the second dose. We know that first doses are not as effective, and this plan gives no incentive to getting fully vaccinated. /2
2. Reliance on LAGGING indicators again. We've done this 2 times before and failed. Every single time, the leading indicators have increased dramatically, and led to another increase in restrictions. When will we learn? /3
Read 6 tweets
2 May
How can so many people give zero fucks about anyone but themselves?

I’m having a hard time with this one today, folks. We are now at 3 days of >2000 cases/day. We’ve surpassed our wave 2 ICU peak. Young, healthy people are landing in hospital. /1
All this while 1000s deliberately gather and break PH rules and risk spreading COVID. For what? Because “freedoms?”

We are getting to the point where we are discussing taking away the freedom to have access to an ICU bed if things continue like this. What about that freedom? /2
You don’t think it’s real? You think it’s a hoax? Tell that to the 30 and 40 year olds who my colleagues and I have to help breathe because they’re SO sick from COVID. Tell that to the person in a car accident that might be deemed “too sick” to get an ICU bed. /3
Read 7 tweets
27 Apr
Things that stuck out to me at @jkenney’s presser today:

1. He mentioned “natural immunity” multiple times - does this mean it’s a good thing so many people are getting infected as far as he’s concerned? By the way, this philosophy is very flawed. /1
2. He mentioned that new restrictions won’t stop ppl from breaking the rules and won’t target where infection is spreading. I’d like to see the sector specific data to back this up. Media has been asking for this for months. Also, why are places of worship still open?! /2
3. Ongoing reliance on vaccinations. This should NOT be a race between vaccines and variants, but he’s turning it into one. We aren’t even certain how effective vaccines are against some of the VOCs. We need to slow down community spread and bring numbers DOWN in a big way. /3
Read 4 tweets
5 Apr
Based on current plans, wave 3 may have LESS bed capacity than wave 2 for many reasons:

1. We can’t cohort COVID pts in the same rooms anymore because of the VOCs. Before, we could put 2-4 pts in the same room on COVID wards, but now have to wait for VOC results /1
2. We can’t use the OR recovery rooms as ICU overflow space anymore because of the VOCs and inability to cohort multiple COVID patients in one space (the recovery room is one large open space with multiple patient spaces) /2
3. HCWs are burnt out and taking appropriate mental health time off. This means that we are short staffed and have to close beds because they can’t be staffed. I’ve seen this happen almost daily at work. Again, this effectively reduces the space we have to work with /3
Read 4 tweets
3 Feb
I think it's time we talk about how healthcare workers are managing the burden of this pandemic. A thread...

Your healthcare workers are tired. We have been fighting to keep you healthy for almost 1 year now, and we cannot handle a third wave. /1
This last 11 months has been terrible for everyone, but the last month brought a glimmer of hope. Hope with the decreasing cases, the arrival of vaccines, and the steadying of hospital numbers. That hope has now been directly challenged by the entry of variant cases of COVID. /2
The variants spread more easily, can be more deadly, and have started to spread in the community. The variants are threatening the hard work we all have done in recent weeks to get control of this virus. They are threatening a spike in cases that could lead to another wave... /3
Read 13 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

:(