Manitoba nursing stations face ‘extreme shortage of nurses’ over holidays | 24CA News

The chief of a northern Manitoba First Nation fears for his neighborhood’s security amid a crucial nursing scarcity at nursing stations throughout the province over the vacations.

Three of 16 nurses are working this week in Pimicikamak, which has an on-reserve inhabitants of almost 5,000.

“It’s putting our people at risk. We can’t even get our people to be seen by nurses. They have to be triaged by phone,” mentioned David Monias, chief of Cross Lake. 

The neighborhood, which is 540 kilometres north of Winnipeg, offers with a chronically understaffed nursing station, he mentioned. He discovered simply final week certainly one of 4 remaining nurses was being pulled to go to a different neighborhood. 

“They’re saying they can only see emergencies. So we’ve got three nurses that’s working 24/7 — they have to sleep as well, so to me, I feel they’re setting up the nurses to fail,” he mentioned. 

According to a memo from Indigenous Services Canada to First Nations and nursing stations within the province, a replica of which was offered to CBC, 17 of 21 nursing stations will likely be staffed with solely two nurses over the vacations, or a mix of medical professionals.

The memo, which lays out a sequence of contingencies, thanks nurses and nursing stations who’ve gone “above and beyond during this extreme shortage of nurses.”

Monias says for some smaller First Nations, equivalent to Tadoule Lake or York Landing, two nurses could also be enough, however for bigger First Nations like his, that quantity is “scary.”

Except in circumstances of emergencies, individuals in First Nations are anticipated to name the nursing station to be triaged and get an appointment with a nurse, he mentioned.

“Someone who has serious medical issues, they won’t be able to be assessed properly. Especially if you’re doing it by phone. If there is a serious injury or should a patient die, the nurses will get the blame, and that isn’t right,” he mentioned.

‘Difficult resolution’ to cut back capability

In a press release, a spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada mentioned the crucial nursing scarcity throughout the nation is impacting staffing ranges in ISC-run distant and remoted Indigenous communities. 

The federal division is “having to make the difficult decision to reduce capacity at some nursing stations in Manitoba that have access to other health-care resources to ensure others in more remote and fly-in communities maintain lifesaving services,” wrote the spokesperson. 

Staffing ranges will stay crucial in Pimicikamak Cree Nation till Jan. 2, however the station will keep open for main care. 

Leadership of Tataskweyak Cree Nation — which is greater than 700 kilometres north of Winnipeg — confirmed to 24CA News it can solely have two nurses at its nursing station this week, with help from two paramedics. 

It’s usually staffed with 5 nurses, 24CA News has confirmed.

The nursing station in Bloodvein First Nation will even have “limited services” till Dec. 29, and sufferers who current will likely be triaged to different health-care centres, in response to the spokesperson.

Bloodvein First Nation, about 200 kilometres due north of Winnipeg, has an all-season highway and may entry a hospital two hours away in Pine Falls, in response to Indigenous Services.

The spokesperson added within the occasion that no main care suppliers can be found in any respect, the division will work with the neighborhood and province to determine different locations for health-care providers. 

“ISC will make every effort to provide access to health care by phone, at an alternate nursing station or health clinic. In the case of an emergent or urgent medical situation, medevacs will transport patients to the closest hospital,” wrote the spokesperson.

‘We cannot wait for somebody to die’: chief

Monias desires to see individuals flown out for medical care or triage that the nursing station cannot present, not simply emergencies. He mentioned at one level throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, 20 individuals have been ready to be flown out of the neighborhood for medical care elsewhere.

“We have a hard time getting people flown out when there’s [an] adequate number of nurses and doctors. It’s even going to be harder to get someone to even see a nurse in the community,” he mentioned. 

“We can’t wait for someone to die before action is taken.”

He mentioned his neighborhood has docs, however they too are overwhelmed.

He advises individuals to maintain notes of their signs if they should name the nursing station, to allow them to totally describe what they’re dealing with. 

“Be persistent if your child’s life is in danger or your family member’s life is in danger,” he mentioned. 

He mentioned he understands that it is troublesome to workers communities with fly-in nurses — many have retired or need to be with household over Christmas.

He’d just like the federal authorities to think about staffing stations with licensed sensible nurses and funding coaching packages for neighborhood members who will not need to “parachute in and out.”

“I think government needs to step up,” he mentioned. 

The Indigenous Services spokesperson mentioned the federal authorities’s non-insured well being advantages program, which gives eligible First Nations and Inuit purchasers with protection for a spread of well being advantages not in any other case coated, will likely be accessible to assist sufferers in search of remedy outdoors of their neighborhood.

The division is continuous its nationwide recruitment technique with incentives to spice up staffing in distant areas, the spokesperson mentioned.

Monias despatched a letter to Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu final week, calling consideration to the nursing scarcity.

“In comparable populations that are non-Indigenous, they won’t accept there are only three nurses in their community,” he mentioned.

“We can’t allow the government to neglect us medically. It’s just too dangerous.”