VJH is in the news again, and it's not good

[Verminator]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... tigue.html

Well, here we go again. This is story has played out so many times at our venerable hospital it's old news to anyone as familiar with it as I am. Overwork, burnout and staff shortages have plagued VJH for years and are now finally coming back to bite us. As usual, IHA's reaction is straight out of their playbook - deny, deny, deny. Working one shift after another without a single break and even double shifts - an entire day in many cases - isn't something that staff can sustain for very long, and those are the main reasons I left when I did. People are literally killing themselves to maintain a decent level of patient care, but the patients will be the ones who pay for this in the end. Sadly none of this surprises me, but it does scare the daylights out of me.

If IHA had paid half as much attention to the staff at VJH as they did to their shiny new edifice we wouldn't be in this boat right now. The really infuriating part is that all of it was totally avoidable.

[toughnut]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/12/22/bc-vernon-nurse-fatigue.html

Well, here we go again. This is story has played out so many times at our venerable hospital it's old news to anyone as familiar with it as I am. Overwork, burnout and staff shortages have plagued VJH for years and are now finally coming back to bite us. As usual, IHA's reaction is straight out of their playbook - deny, deny, deny. Working one shift after another without a single break and even double shifts - an entire day in many cases - isn't something that staff can sustain for very long, and those are the main reasons I left when I did. People are literally killing themselves to maintain a decent level of patient care, but the patients will be the ones who pay for this in the end. Sadly none of this surprises me, but it does scare the daylights out of me.

If IHA had paid half as much attention to the staff at VJH as they did to their shiny new edifice we wouldn't be in this boat right now. The really infuriating part is that all of it was totally avoidable.

Verminator? you say staff is overworked and burnt out?? I dont see it that way at all.The patient care in Vernon hospital is terrible and I dont see any one nurse or doctor that is overworking.I watched two male nurses the other day(was visiting very sick friend) sit and do nothing the whole time i was there(45 minutes) except one talking about the new house he was going to buy.they were very far from stressed or overworked let me tell you that for sure.My friends toe nails were in terrible condition.When i asked one of the nurses he said he was not a nail expert and was not willing to do anything at all
Iam sorry but I am not very impressed with the way the nurses are working at VJH

[Verminator]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/12/22/bc-vernon-nurse-fatigue.html

Well, here we go again. This is story has played out so many times at our venerable hospital it's old news to anyone as familiar with it as I am. Overwork, burnout and staff shortages have plagued VJH for years and are now finally coming back to bite us. As usual, IHA's reaction is straight out of their playbook - deny, deny, deny. Working one shift after another without a single break and even double shifts - an entire day in many cases - isn't something that staff can sustain for very long, and those are the main reasons I left when I did. People are literally killing themselves to maintain a decent level of patient care, but the patients will be the ones who pay for this in the end. Sadly none of this surprises me, but it does scare the daylights out of me.

If IHA had paid half as much attention to the staff at VJH as they did to their shiny new edifice we wouldn't be in this boat right now. The really infuriating part is that all of it was totally avoidable.

Verminator? you say staff is overworked and burnt out?? I dont see it that way at all.The patient care in Vernon hospital is terrible and I dont see any one nurse or doctor that is overworking.I watched two male nurses the other day(was visiting very sick friend) sit and do nothing the whole time i was there(45 minutes) except one talking about the new house he was going to buy.they were very far from stressed or overworked let me tell you that for sure.My friends toe nails were in terrible condition.When i asked one of the nurses he said he was not a nail expert and was not willing to do anything at all
Iam sorry but I am not very impressed with the way the nurses are working at VJH

First of all, the story I linked to and my own experiences generally relate to the acute care areas such as the ER. That said, every department in VJH has these problems to one degree or another, some much worse than others.

Secondly, the quality of many of the newer hires unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired. Initiative and a willingness to pitch in and help without being asked are becoming very rare attributes indeed, but that's fodder for another thread. The people that do care and do have a good work ethic, and there are lots of them - end up picking up the slack, and they're the ones this story is about. Management has always dodged the issue for reasons known only to them, but maybe now they'll finally be forced to address it.

[toughnut]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/12/22/bc-vernon-nurse-fatigue.html

Well, here we go again. This is story has played out so many times at our venerable hospital it's old news to anyone as familiar with it as I am. Overwork, burnout and staff shortages have plagued VJH for years and are now finally coming back to bite us. As usual, IHA's reaction is straight out of their playbook - deny, deny, deny. Working one shift after another without a single break and even double shifts - an entire day in many cases - isn't something that staff can sustain for very long, and those are the main reasons I left when I did. People are literally killing themselves to maintain a decent level of patient care, but the patients will be the ones who pay for this in the end. Sadly none of this surprises me, but it does scare the daylights out of me.

If IHA had paid half as much attention to the staff at VJH as they did to their shiny new edifice we wouldn't be in this boat right now. The really infuriating part is that all of it was totally avoidable.

Verminator? you say staff is overworked and burnt out?? I dont see it that way at all.The patient care in Vernon hospital is terrible and I dont see any one nurse or doctor that is overworking.I watched two male nurses the other day(was visiting very sick friend) sit and do nothing the whole time i was there(45 minutes) except one talking about the new house he was going to buy.they were very far from stressed or overworked let me tell you that for sure.My friends toe nails were in terrible condition.When i asked one of the nurses he said he was not a nail expert and was not willing to do anything at all
Iam sorry but I am not very impressed with the way the nurses are working at VJH

First of all, the story I linked to and my own experiences generally relate to the acute care areas such as the ER. That said, every department in VJH has these problems to one degree or another, some much worse than others.

Secondly, the quality of many of the newer hires unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired. Initiative and a willingness to pitch in and help without being asked are becoming very rare attributes indeed, but that's fodder for another thread. The people that do care and do have a good work ethic, and there are lots of them - end up picking up the slack, and they're the ones this story is about. Management has always dodged the issue for reasons known only to them, but maybe now they'll finally be forced to address it.

I hear you for sure.There are good hard working doctors and Nurses for sure.Its too bad there are some bad apples that spoil a good image."BUT" where is the head Nurse(boss) and why is she or he not kicking some A$$.
I saw the same pathertic no body gives a chit when my father died there in 2002 and when My step son had a heart attack in 2006.Lots of people running around spining there wheels is all I ever see.Ask a nurse a question and you cant even get a straight answer

[imahoser]

Well I think the Vernon hospital sucks, and always has.

I was experiencing a mis-carriage and waited in the waiting room for 2 hours before I had to threaten to step outside and call an ambulance for myself. I immediately got a bed in the ER, only to wait another hour before I finally walked out to the 3 nurses having a tea party and told them to open the godamn door and let me out. They begged me to stay and I might have gotten immediate attention if I wasnt so *bleep* off at that point. I went to a walk in clinic later on, got some hormone pills and saved my pregnancy.

This is just one of several stories I can share.

A friend gave birth at VJH several years ago. She was brought someone elses infant to nurse in the middle of the night and she did so, in her 3am half asleep state until several minutes later.

While I don't spend a lot of time in the hospital, I have never witnessed any sort of chaos or stress in any of the departments during the times I have visited. Quite the contrary. many nurses sitting around in groups chatting, leisurely walking about.

I gotta say though that 12 hour shifts are enough to kill a person slowly though. Who's awful idea was that??

[toughnut]

whats awefull about a 12 hour shift when all u do is sit around and make 45$ an hour?

[Verminator]

whats awefull about a 12 hour shift when all u do is sit around and make 45$ an hour?

12-hour shifts are a slow death sentence, that's all there is to it. If you've ever worked them for any length of time you'd know that and not made such an asinine comment.

And no, I've never EVER 'sat around and made $45 an hour' on my 12-hour shifts.

[toughnut]

whats awefull about a 12 hour shift when all u do is sit around and make 45$ an hour?

12-hour shifts are a slow death sentence, that's all there is to it. If you've ever worked them for any length of time you'd know that and not made such an asinine comment.

And no, I've never EVER 'sat around and made $45 an hour' on my 12-hour shifts.

you maybe did not but there,s a many that have and do. 12 hour shift is not a so called slow death sentence if you know your job,do it as required and know exactly what your doing.its the people that have the job,dont care and just want the pay check

[Fritzthecat]

whats awefull about a 12 hour shift when all u do is sit around and make 45$ an hour?

You'd last about 5 minutes on the floor. First time you had to deal with death you'd leave crying and go straight to therapy for a long time. Your response is only meant to inflame. I won't indulge.
Also, most nurses you see on the floor these days are LPNs who make approx. $24/hr while doing 90% of what the Rn's (who also DO NOT make $45/hr) used to do. Saving money, isn't that what it's all about and to hell with patient safety?

Where do these nurses who make $45/hr and sit around all day work? I want to apply there. The 37 people I look after every day (and HAVE TO know all their tiny, intimate details, likes, dislikes, allergies, preferences social history, family dynamics etc) are wearing me out.

[toughnut]

*removed/try reposting in a civilized manner/Jo*

[gordon_as]

There are about 15 nursing jobs of varying description advertised for Vernon Jubilee on the Interior Health Website. The rate of pay for all of them says $30.79 - $40.42 . There will likely be more than 15 after the expansion at Kelowna General is open. Some from here will likely go there , just as some ( nurses and support staff ) came to the new tower in Vernon from other IHA locations. You can apply for a position at any IHA facility and take your seniority with you.

[Dizzy1]

12-hour shifts are a slow death sentence, that's all there is to it. If you've ever worked them for any length of time you'd know that and not made such an asinine comment.

Two questions ...

1) Having worked 12 hour shifts in other fields of employment for years myself with no negative side effects, my father has been working 12 hour shifts for the last 30 years, also with no negative side effects. What makes a 12 hour shift in a hospital environment a slow death sentence as opposed to other, and in some cases, more physically or mentally stressfull jobs?

2) What is the work week for a 12 hour shift like, I'm assuming its not a 5 day work week? More a 3 or 4 on and 3 off or similar depending on seniority.

[xjeepguy]

Verminator? you say staff is overworked and burnt out?? I dont see it that way at all.The patient care in Vernon hospital is terrible

My experience was totally opposite . I was at VJH for a gallbladder issue a year ago ( about a 10 day stay ) and the staff and hospital experience there was second to none. I even went back a week later and brought the nurses some flowers , that's how much I appreciated how well I was treated .

[juz516]

I am on both sides on this one....SOME of the staff seem to be caring, hard working people.....on the other hand, there are those that can't give you an answer to a simple question or care not to bother. I was in the ER with my Dad 2 nights ago and initially, the care was adequate. Downhill from there. In the "Minor Trauma" area, there are no beds as such, but extremely uncomfortable "chairs" not made for 6 or so hours, especially for an 84 year old man. He ended up, because the minor trauma rooms close at about 11 pm, being wheeled in a wheelchair over to another area and sitting there until 1:15 am before they were able to find a "porter" to take him over to his room. The porter said she was the only one in the whole place, and was run off her feet, apologizing profusely. Very nice lady, by the way. When we arrived upstairs in the old building and got off the elevator, it looked like a storage unit, not a hospital ward.
You know.....you have this "tower", built in large by the public of the Okanagan and surrounding area. It is expansive with a ton.....a TON....of wasted space, even in the ER. You can spend 7 hours in the Er and not even be able to get a drink of anything....some of the young nurses can be snippy and rude, but then maybe that is simply a sign of the day and age we live in. Always before when having to use the Er it was crowded and had wait time, which can be expected....but always have come away commending the docs and nurses there.....I don't believe this is the case any more. Understaffed? Overworked? Maybe. Likely. But the health care in this province is going downhill fast, IMO.

[xjeepguy]

But the health care in this province is going downhill fast, IMO.

If people would stop packing the ER's , clinics and doctor's offices with sniffles and coughs maybe there would be some money left in the system for serious issues , such as your dad's . IMO .