Quebec’s hospitals have been running low on staff since Covid.

    Another Covid-19 unity has been reopened after the arrival of the fourth wave in Quebec. Despite the lack of personnel, they decided to reopen it because of the coronavirus cases increasing. But, despite the need it is difficult to convince nurses to come back to help at the hospital. 

    Having rough working conditions, nurses are not inclined to return to work. “In the public, we drag shifts of 16 consecutive hours, it is the quality of life that suffers, family life, the children that we cannot pick up from daycare because we are held back at work. with compulsory overtime, ”she added.

     More than 4 000 nurses were needed in the Quebec hospitals because of the crisis. Montréal has also been forced to reroute ambulances because of the lack of personnel and the traffic in the establishment. 

    The number of nurses has increased by 8,4% over the last 10 years. According to NBC news , from the beginning of the pandemic, nearly 190,000 health care workers have signed up to help in hospitals in the United States. Compared to Québec that has signed 80 500 nurses which is an increase of 1,4% since the 31th march 2021, according to Radio-Canada.

    Nurses are also tired because of the mandatory extra time. The average has passed from 6,2 hours in May 2019 to 16,9 hours in May 2020.