Nurses self-scheduling pilot could help with retention amid rising vacancies in N.B.: union
CBC
New Brunswick has more than 1,000 vacant nursing positions, data from the regional health networks shows.
More than three-quarters of the permanent positions are within the Horizon Health Network. It's looking to recruit 542 registered nurses, 163 licensed practical nurses and 65 patient care attendants.
Horizon spokesperson Kris McDavid did not say how many of those vacancies are within hospital emergency departments.
Meanwhile the Vitalité Health Network needs to hire 261 registered nurses, 77 licensed practical nurses and 87 patient care attendants, as of Dec. 31.
Thirty-five of those openings are in ERs, according to a spokesperson.
Nursing shortages are hampering health care in the province. Health facilities are understaffed and emergency departments are routinely closed temporarily because of a lack of nurses.
Many nurses are burned out from working extra shifts and some are leaving the profession.
Paula Doucet, president of the New Brunswick Nurses Union, contends the province can't hire its way out of the nursing deficit right now, but is hopeful a pilot scheduled to begin at Horizon in the coming weeks will help with retention.
As part of the provincial government's ongoing health-care reforms, some nurses in certain units will be able to set their own schedules.
It's meant to increase job satisfaction, provide some flexibility, and offer a better work-life balance.
"It's one part of a plan that's going to take a multitude of ideas to help get us out of the mess that we're in," said Doucet.
"It's not going to be a quick fix, but I think the fact that they're willing to give some autonomy back to the nurses is a small step in showing that respect for what they do."
Respect is a "huge factor" in job satisfaction for nurses, who were already struggling with staffing shortages before the COVID-19 pandemic and have spent the past three years of working in what she called deplorable conditions.
As it stands, scheduling is either centralized or nurses get their schedules in advance without much say as to when they would prefer to work or when they need time off, said Doucet.
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