Study reveals dire situation in Ontario’s health-care sector

A recent study has found that many health-care professionals in Ontario are burnt out and overworked.

More than two dozen health-care professionals participated in the ‘Running on Empty’ study, conducted by the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions and the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

From nurses to PSWs, housekeepers and clerical staff, officials said workers who participated in the study feel unsupported, overworked and disrespected.

“A nurse coming off the elevator, starting work, bursting into tears because she's so upset about the day that she is going to have, and the feeling that she will not be able to properly care for the people,” said occupational health researcher Dr. James Brophy.

“Or the palliative care nurse who, you know, 15 years seniority, loves her job, always wanted to be a nurse, says now all she thinks about is retiring and even quitting.”

The findings complement recent polling of almost 800 union members that found 81 per cent of northern Ontario hospital workers report high stress and 90 per cent said there are not enough staff to provide quality care.

“What's really called for here is a significant investment to raise the staffing levels,” said OCHU-CUPE President Michael Hurley.

More than two dozen health-care professionals participated in the ‘Running on Empty’ study, conducted by the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions and the Canadian Union of Public Employees. (Photo from video)

“And what's also needed, you know, which other provinces have done … where they've introduced nurse-to-patient ratios.”

In May, NDP health critic France Gélinas tabled legislation to bring patient-to-nurse ratios to hospitals but said the government voted it down.

“Nothing keeps them from taking the exact same idea and bringing it forward through them,” Gélinas said.

“It’s something that every nurse in every hospital is asking for, to know that you will come to your shift, and this is the number of patients who will have will go such a long way to lift this forever growing weight on their shoulders.”

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This is the third study the group has done since 2017 that focused on working conditions in Ontario’s health-care sector.

Brophy said they didn’t believe the situation could get any worse, but said it has.