The situation remains “serious” at the emergency room of the Maisonneuve-Rosemont hospital in Montreal, despite the offer of some 70 nurses to lend a hand, according to the Union of healthcare professionals in the East. -Island of Montreal. “In the past three days, there have been 19 TSOs [temps supplémentaire obligatoire]i.e. 14 in the evening and 5 at night”, maintains its president, Denis Cloutier.
Two weeks ago, the CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal called for nurses from the health network to come and help their sisters in the Maisonneuve-Rosemont emergency room. About sixty of them, who already work in this CIUSSS, raised their hands, according to the health establishment.
Seven others, from outside the CIUSSS, applied to be hired for a permanent position in this unit. “Among these, one has already taken office,” said the spokesperson for the CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Christian Merciari.
According to the CIUSSS, “potential help” was also offered by three health establishments in the Montreal region. Five nurses and a nursing assistant could thus come as reinforcements, it is specified. The hospital will also use placement agencies as needed.
“Precarious”
This aid is welcome, says Denis Cloutier, but it will be insufficient to curb the current crisis. He explains that the 60 CIUSSS nurses who came forward “have positions elsewhere” in the establishment. “They offer additional overtime availability,” he says. As for the freelance workforce, an agency nurse did a shift but did not return, he said.
Denis Cloutier indicates that “6 or 7” nurses left the emergency room on January 29 to take up a new position elsewhere in the health establishment. “One of them had 22 years of seniority in the emergency room and held the position of evening assistant,” he says. Another had 12 years of experience and did triage. For the coming weekend, there is no experienced person to do the sorting in the evening and at night. »
According to the CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, the change of position of these nurses has led to more compulsory overtime in the last few days in the emergency room. The health establishment indicates that 19 “TSO” were recorded in the emergency room – all shifts combined – during the week of January 29. But this number rose to 7 the previous week, it is pointed out. The CIUSSS ensures that the situation “should improve” in the coming days.
Despite everything, Denis Cloutier fears the end of the diversion of ambulances from Maisonneuve-Rosemont to other Montreal hospitals. This is scheduled for mid-February. “Are they going to have managed to find enough people to reopen the floodgates? ” he asks. According to him, the mediation gives hope to the troops, but the morale remains “precarious”.
The union points out that 50% of emergency evening positions and 70% of night positions are currently unfilled.