Many of Ontario’s practical nurses work in long-term care facilities which have been hard hit with COVID-19 infections and deaths. (WeRPN)

Practical nurses report experiencing ‘a breaking point’

A recent study found that while 67 per cent of practical nurses in the province of Ontario have never been more proud to be a nurse, 71 per cent also say they have experienced a breaking point over the past several months. The pandemic has worsened the mental health toll and financial stressors they face and one in three are considering leaving their profession. 

About 47,000 people are represented by the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario. They care for patients with more predictable outcomes, many of them in long-term care facilities or with seniors elsewhere. Long-term care facilities have borne the brunt of serious outbreaks of COVID-19 in Ontario both in terms of numbers of infections and deaths.

There were already warnings about a shortage of nurses in Ontario before the COVID-19 pandemic began. (WeRPN)

Nurses say work is ‘exponentially more stressful’

Nursing associations and health care partners were warning about a shortage of nurses long before the pandemic hit Canada in March 2020. A different survey in January of that year suggested that 95 per cent of Ontarians thought more nurses should be hired to meet growing needs, including that of an aging population. The pandemic made the situation worse.

“If we walked a day in our nurses’ shoes right now, we simply couldn’t unsee the difficulties – the immense pressure and strain –  that so many of them are facing,”  said Dianne Martin, CEO of the Registered Practical Nurses association of Ontario. 

The study found that 90 per cent of her members said their workload had increased since the beginning of the pandemic and 96 per cent said their experiences at work have become exponentially more stressful. Another 83 per cent reported they had reduced the time they spend with their immediate family because of concerns they might expose them to the coronavirus.

Testimonials speak volumes

There were several testimonials from practical nurses: 

 “I slept underneath a desk, as I couldn’t leave the nursing home because there were too many critical patients that needed my attention, and we had no staff. I’ve had to be a caregiver, a nurse, housekeeper, family, friend, dietitian and even infection control lead.” 

 “I’m a single mom. When COVID-19 hit in March, I moved to my parents’ apartment, and they moved to my house to care for my 3-year-old. It was devastating to us all. I stayed away until COVID-testing was opened to anyone and I could be sure that I was not infected. But my daughter now suffers from separation anxiety and sleep issues.” 

“I have held hands with those dying alone.”

“We provide support to families whose loved ones are dying or who have died. That for me is heroic- keeping it together as a nurse and not breaking down in front of family members.”

Nurses seek help from the public, policy makers

To help ease the pressure on practical nurses, the association is asking the public to follow public health guidelines such as not seeing people outside their own household, physical distancing in public, restricting trips outside the home to essential purpose, wearing masks and carefully washing hands often.

Of governments and other policy makers, they ask for the swift rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, the creation of more full-time positions for nurses with fair compensation, more opportunities for education and advancement, enhanced mental health supports and a say in healthcare reform and policy in Ontario.

This poll involved 765 registered nurses and was conducted in December 2020.

Categories: Health, Society
Tags: , , , ,

Do you want to report an error or a typo? Click here!

For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.