Thread by @shazmamithani

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…