By Michael Boriero
Syndicat des professionnelles en soins des Cantons de l’Est Interim President Stéphanie Goulet has issued a warning to the public about another major staffing shortage poised to hit the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS throughout the summer.
According to Goulet, the Quebec government and the Eastern Township’s local health authority are aware of the situation, and they’re trying to find solutions. They’re predicting that they will be short 800 nurses, compared to 500 last year, she told The Record in a phone interview.
“Well, for us, the reason why we’re very concerned is because in order to keep the services open, our members will be forced to do more mandatory overtime and they’ll have to work on severely shorthanded teams,” she said, adding it will only lead to more burnout cases.
The nurses, auxiliary nurses, and other health care professionals are already unable to provide quality services because they’re simply overwhelmed by the number of patients, Goulet continued, and it’s creating a dangerous environment for both patients and professionals.
The CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS declined to comment on the situation regarding the summer staffing shortage crisis. However, The Record was told that Human Resources, Communications and Legal Affairs, Mr. Yann Belzile will provide an update in early June.
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