The negative ramifications of Island Health’s newly introduced fatigue policy have flipped the script and made healthcare professionals very afraid. Union leaders contend that this policy not only exacerbates existing staffing shortages, but contributes to employee fatigue. We unveiled a new policy this spring. For example, it prohibits employees from working more than 16 hours in any given 24-hour period and places a cap on the number of consecutive workdays. Now the Health Sciences Association of B.C. and the B.C. Nurses’ Union are sounding the alarm. They point out that this prospect is dangerous for patient care and hazardous for employees’ safety and health.
The fatigue policy specifically forbids overtime for healthcare assistants, nursing unit assistants and general workload coverage shifts. Union representatives argue these regulations dump more burdens onto an already stretched-thin healthcare system. Health care has experienced a major staffing crisis since the beginning of the pandemic. Union leaders fear that if the demands increase, it’s only going to get worse.
Concerns from Union Leaders
Health Sciences Association of B.C. president Sarah Kooner weighed in on the fatigue policy. She emphasized that the policy is meant to address employee burnout. It also, and more obviously, harms patients by reducing the quality of care that they receive.
“We don’t want to be relying on overtime as a long-term solution,” – Sarah Kooner
Kooner brought attention to the ethical conundrum that healthcare workers are being put in. This is why they know that addressing staff fatigue is key. Yet with chronic staffing shortages, they often view overtime as the quickest way to ensure patients receive the care they need and when they need it.
Adriane Gear, also a member of the B.C. Nurses’ Union, voiced similar opinions, pointing to pervasive burnout experienced by nurses. “The burnout factor for nurses just by themselves, I would imagine, would be enough to rethink the approach,” she said. This sentiment underscores the imperative to revisit the fatigue policy. We all agree we need to find a balance between the well-being of employees and safe, effective patient care.
Impact on Nurses and Patient Care
Nurses are being pushed to the brink with Island Health’s exhaustion policy furthering the staffing crisis. Most of them are doing so under the weight of increasing burdens and dwindling resources. Cutting back on overtime hours denies hospitals the ability to utilize more nurses on the floor, who could better address skyrocketing patient needs.
This situation leaves nurses stretched thin, impacting not only their mental health but the quality of care provided to patients. As nurses fulfill the roles of more than one nurse due to staffing shortages, fears continue to escalate regarding their capacity to provide the best care possible.
According to the B.C. Nurses’ Union, member nurses have reported increased demoralization and overwork. When these staffing levels are insufficient, nurses have to make up the difference with additional duties. This double workflow leads to greater errors and worse patient care.
Island Health’s Response
Island Health did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Yet, they issued no public statements about the enactment or effects of the fatigue policy. The organization still has not publicly addressed the issues union leaders have raised. These problems are primarily concerned with the potential impact on staffing and patient care.
As Island Health persists in upholding its controversial fatigue policy, healthcare workers and advocates call for a reconsideration of its terms. Together, they fight for a partnership model of care — one that protects employee health as well as patient safety.
