'Not going to get better anytime soon': No end in sight for health care staffing shortage in Ottawa and Ontario
Nurses and hospital staff describe it as a dire situation.
While COVID positive cases aren't overwhelming the health care system like they did at the start of the pandemic, the virus is impacting the health care system in Ottawa and across Ontario in a different way now.
"This is not going to get better anytime soon, it's just going to get worse, and I think it's going to get worse quickly," said Ottawa nurse Christie Cowan.
Her candid words come as she experiences the shortage on the front lines. Cowan says hospital staff are rundown, overworked, and struggling to hold on.
"Moral is very low, nurses are tired, burnt out, almost everyone who I work with is on some type of medication for anxiety or depression and therapy," she said.
The issue – some are describing as a secondary effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. While hospitals aren't overwhelmed with COVID positive patients anymore, the impacts of the virus are still being felt.
"It's not COVID per-say because it's not sick COVID patients in the hospital, it's like the secondary impacts," said Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, a critical care physician with the Ottawa Hospital.
"We’re seeing closures of emergency departments, ICUs scaling back, struggling to get shifts covered; this is not a short-term solution issue, this is having meaningful and long-term solutions to build back our health care system better," said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases physician in Toronto.
It comes as another COVID wave in the province has crested according to several experts, but they also say this stage of the pandemic isn't over yet.
"COVID’s not going anywhere and these problem's we're seeing don't have easy solutions, unfortunately," said Dr. Kyeremanteng.
And so without answers to a dire problem, some workers are already making difficult decisions.
"Nurses don't need much reason anymore to leave the hospital, leave the bedside, and some leave the profession. With higher workloads, higher stress and less time off, it's happening faster and faster," said Cowan.
Now despite the health care system suffering with staffing issues – one message from health care professionals has not changed at all: if you are sick and need care do not hesitate to go to the hospital.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.