Sando nurses sick of overcrowding

The nurses are expected to return to work this morning after two days at home. Over the past few weeks, overcrowding has shifted from the medical wards to the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E).

Yesterday, two nurses, who are usually stationed at another department, were on duty at the A&E. A protesting nurse said they were fed-up and took action to highlight the problem.

“The overcrowding problem we are now experiencing in A&E is as a direct result of nurses not wanting to overcrowd their wards, so unless there are available beds, they refuse to accept patients on the respective wards.”

According to reports, patients-in-waiting are forced to “hold on” for long hours in the asthma room, located next to A&E, until space becomes available. The nurses complained that it is now common to take up shift the next day and meet the same patients still waiting to be warded.

“The public isn’t aware of the problem and so they become hostile. We are often verbally abused because of the length of time before their loved ones can get to the ward.”

Protest action forced hospital officials to transfer nurses from other areas of the institution to work the three shifts at A&E.

The nurse said because A&E was a specialised area in which to work, in-coming patients are placed at risk when nurses from other wards are on duty.

“It takes time to understand the workings of A&E, the different areas. We deal with resuscitation, asthma, we are trauma trained, you can’t just take any nurse and put in A&E.”

She said during the peak period of afternoon into night the situation becomes even more unbearable. “The 2 pm to 10 pm shift is the worst when it comes to overcrowding. Something must be done now and fast, somebody must listen or we promise more.”

Yesterday, the South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA), in a statement, said it had established an additional observation area where patients requiring admission would be kept until beds become available. If this fails patients would be transferred to another health facility.

The SWRHA said the observation area is expected to relieve the overcrowding in A&E.

It admitted the hospital has been overwhelmed by the large number of persons requiring admission.