St Ann’s Hospital nurses raise concerns over staffing and workplace safety

Trinidad and Tobago: Nurses of St Ann’s Hospital have expressed concerns regarding staffing levels, breaks, and general working conditions of their work environment. They said that this situation is putting pressure on employees and may lead to inappropriate care of the patients.

The concerns are related to the number of nurses being assigned to certain wards for specific shifts. Some wards have only 2 nurses assigned at certain times, making it hard for either of the two nurses to take a break without leaving the other to manage the ward alone.

According to the nurses, the situation is more challenging for nurses assigned to male wards, as there can be more than 25 patients requiring supervision and care.

The nursing staff also shared that it will be difficult for them to respond quickly if a patient becomes aggressive or a medical emergency occurs while only two nurses are available. They said that understaffing causes a situation where nurses have to put their safety at risk for the sake of their patients.

Break periods are also another issue highlighted by the nurses, as it makes it difficult for the staff to take proper breaks during shifts as leaving the ward may place additional responsibility on their colleague.

Issues reported by the staff have also led to increased frustration, with nurses saying that their concerns about staff levels and safety have been repeatedly ignored.

One of the complaints by the staff stated, “Nurses' safety isn't important to management. Management are not taking nursing staff complaints seriously.” Another one read, “It's only a matter of time till another nurse is injured by a patient.”

Nurses are asking for greater attention to ward staffing, proper break arrangements, and measures for staff protection when working with patients that may require extra supervision. They said that addressing these issues would ensure safety in their work environment, while providing appropriate care to patients.

Inadequate staffing can increase the stress of nurses during their shifts and can make it difficult for them to manage their daily tasks and emergency situations. Adequate staffing is essential for both staff and patient safety.