NORTH BAY –
There will be no
clinical
supervision of
night shifts at
the Northeast
Mental Health
Centre in North
Bay this weekend
due to a
staffing
shortage.
“We went to work
this week and
were told this
is happening
because there
aren’t enough
clinical co-ordinators,”
said Jackie
Smythe, a nurse
at NEMHC and
second
vice-president
of Ontario
Public Service
Employees Union
(OPSEU) Local
636.
The union is
concerned the
lack of a
clinical co-ordinator
will put staff
and patients at
risk. The
clinical co-ordinator
is the “officer
in charge” and
has duties
including
directing
patient care,
finding
replacements for
staff who call
in sick, and
managing
emergencies such
as a fire or
aggressive
patients.
“We were given
no clear-cut
direction as to
what front-line
staff are
supposed to do
in case of fire,
injury to staff
or patients or
being
short-staffed,”
Smythe said.
The union says
that with the
shortage of co-ordinators,
this could start
happening on a
regular basis.
“The hospital
has a legal
obligation to
keep its
employees safe,”
said Smythe.
“The hospital
must act now to
address the
staff shortage.”
