First Nations hurt by nursing shortage

First Nations in Northern Ontario say a severe nursing shortage is affecting the health of their community members.

Across Ontario, 45 per cent of federal nursing positions are vacant, according to Health Canada.

But chiefs say that in remote fly-in First Nations, there’s a 60 per cent vacancy rate. Doctors visit those communities periodically, but nurses are the primary health providers for dozens of First Nations north of Sioux Lookout.

"It hurts us bad," said Chief Pierre Morriseau at North Caribou Lake First Nation.

"We had some kids asking to see the nurse and they were getting pretty bad not seeing the nurse because they’re so busy."

Health Canada said it responded to the cuts in the federal budget by eliminating $15 million from First Nations agencies, such as the National Aboriginal Health Organization. A spokesperson said those cuts were made so the department could "focus on direct service delivery such as primary health care, nursing and community-based programming."

But Nishnawbe Aski Nation deputy grand chief Mike Metatawabin said Health Canada has known for a long time that its nursing services don't meet First Nations needs.

"I think we’ve always had a challenge with nursing up in the north," Metatawabin said.

"A lot of it is people retiring, also it’s the remote locations of the communities. It’s a challenge to maintain the personnel."

A 2010 Health Canada report said northern Ontario has lower retention rates for nurses than other regions. "For example," the report said, "over three years Sioux Lookout Zone hired 50 nurses, but lost 45 for a retention rate of 10 per cent."

The report suggests Health Canada do a better job of "exit interviews," asking nurses why they’re leaving so the federal government can refine its recruitment and retention strategy. Other solutions for the problem are more costly.

The report said nurses from private agencies are hired to fill some of the vacancies but that affects "the continuity of care for First Nations clients" and costs Health Canada approximately $106,000 per nurse, per year in "additional salary costs."

In North Caribou Lake First Nation teacher Nessie Benson said she called the nursing station when she caught a bad cold that was going around.

"I told the nurse, like I was wheezing and all that," Benson said. "I was just told to take honey or butter, that’s it. I didn’t bother calling back."

Others who caught the virus had to be airlifted out of the community to hospital. The education director said there were seven medical evacuations in one day. After that the community decided to close the school for several days so the illness didn’t spread any further.

The Health Canada report said "while a nursing station would not likely close due to lack of staff, they are often under-staffed resulting in a heavy work burden for the remaining nurse."

Sometimes that means two nurses are providing round-the-clock service in First Nations without any other emergency medical services.

Morriseau said he’s concerned the few nurses who serve his community of 800 are overwhelmed by the health care demands in his community.

"We’re getting calls that community members cannot be seen [by the nurses] because they have to take the ones who are high risk," Morriseau said. "But without seeing the patient, you can’t tell whether he’s high risk or not."