B.C. nurses gathered for a vigil Monday evening in Victoria and plan to return Tuesday for a rally to demand the province address the health-care crisis.
The BC Nurses Union (BCNU) hosted the Vigil to Heal Health Care May 9 as an opportunity for nurses, first responders and family members to share in their grief and reflect on the impact of the last few years on communities and the health-care system.
Nurses are using their voices on National Nursing Week to highlight problems impacting their mental health and patient care, the union said in a news release.
READS ALSO:
Nurses don鈥檛 feel like celebrating National Nursing Week, according to union president Aman Grewal.
鈥淚nstead, hundreds have travelled to Victoria from communities across the province with a sombre message that the health-care system is buckling under the pressure. Enough is enough. We need action now,鈥� Grewal said.
BCNU numbers show 82 per cent of members surveyed last year said their mental health has worsened over the pandemic.
鈥淭he act of holding a dying patient鈥檚 hand while they lay intubated and alone or balancing an iPad so family members can say their final goodbyes is something that stays with you,鈥� said Grewal. 鈥淚t鈥檚 had a profound impact on our members, and they are not allowed to share this reality openly.鈥�
READ ALSO:
Staffing concerns, working conditions and patient care will be top of mind on Tuesday afternoon as nurses take their message to the provincial government with a rally on the steps of the B.C. legislature.
The rally starts at noon at the Empress Hotel with nurses expected to arrive at the legislature around 12:15 p.m.
Do you have a story tip? Email: vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca.
Follow us on and and like us on
