Art supplies are given to KGH staff for the break. A Kelowna General Hospital nurse with a decade of experience says she has never seen morale and conditions at KGH as bad as they are now. “We don’t take pride in the care we provide. Most of us love our jobs. I love being a nurse, I love taking care of people. I am not a disgruntled nurse who is miserable. I like helping people, even the horrible jobs, but not like this.’ The nurse was motivated to contact Castanet after reading a story about some KGH staff being offered coloring posters and Crayola markers as a way to take a break to relieve stress. An Interior Health media relations representative told Castanet, “yes, this was a suggestion as a way of supporting staff to have dedicated break time where they can ‘switch off.’ The nurse Castanet spoke to, who remains anonymous to protect her employment, said she wishes she could speak publicly about what hospital staff are dealing with. “It’s very easy to do nothing when none of us can talk. We don’t take breaks these days, and color? This is a bigger story.” Castanet contacted the BC Nurses Association, which represents more than 48,000 professional nurses and health care associates in the province, and was told no one was available to answer our questions. The nurse continued, “Don’t take my word for it. Ask them how many pay questions have been submitted about missed meal breaks in the last three months. Because we don’t even take breaks and the attitude towards us is, ‘too bad we can’t do anything, here’s a coloring book?” “Whoever spoke. He hit it right on the head. It’s about patient safety.” The nurse said that for the first time in her career she would hesitate to take her family members to KGH for care. “I love KGH, but I work about eight full-time jobs. I wouldn’t go to KGH, which is scary to say, this is the first time I would go anywhere else. It is absolutely appalling how our patients are treated.” Internal Health restrictions around staff talking publicly about their work put further strain on nurses, the nurse said, “we can’t even talk about it, that’s half our burnout”. BC doctors have urged both the federal and provincial governments for action to increase health care funding. In a letter sent on July 11, Doctors of BC reported “a clear message to BC Premier John Horgan. BC cannot wait for increased federal transfer funds to address the challenges in our health care system. Almost one million British Columbians do not have a family doctor. Not only are our clinics closing, but our A&Es are closing as well, with patients facing staggering waiting times in those that are open.” A surgeon at KGH told Castanet earlier this year that the hospital lost some of its “best of the brightest” nurses due to unfavorable working conditions. Castanet reached out to Internal Health Communications for comment, but was told they are also short-staffed.
