~—

A2 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 27, 1999

Trying to hire casual
nurses is criticized

RELYING ON casual or
on-call nurses isn’t work-
ing out at Mills Memorial
Hospital, say health care
- professionals,
"Nurses. won't move to
- Terrace from places with-
- Out a guarantee of steady
work, they say,
The idea of casuals to
replace permanent people
_ who are on leave or on ho-
liday or during busy per-
iads is that they are less
expensive because they
aren't paid benefits.
Mills restricted admis-
sions in the summer when
_ its casual pool wasn’t suf-
ficient to fill in for staff

"nurses who had quit or
_ went on leave.

It thea filled as many
staff vacancies as possible
_ With existing casuals but

; that then meant a further

' depleted casual pool.
Without casuals to rely

on, staff nurses were asked

to work overtime to the

Tom Novak

Hospital
closure

habit
forming: =

GLQSING: MILLS:Memo
“idk “Hospital? s dodis to” Pp
tient admissions has be-
come a recurring condition
due to a shortage of nur-
sing staff and an availabil-
ity of beds,

A memo from the Ter-
race and Area Health

council dated October 19. -

States the hospital won’t
be admitting any more pa-
tients to the main-ward or -
the inlensive care unit
(ICU) until further notice.

“This is going to be a

regular thing,” said Tom
Novak, acting chief exec-
utive officer of the Terrace
Area Health Council
which runs the hospital.

The reason for the clo-
sure is that 30 acute care
beds were in use las?
week, which is the max-
imum number of beds set
up al the hospital.

The hospital only has a
budget for 25 acute care

beds. There are also 10 -

psychiatric ward beds and
three beds in intensive
care, although that latter
number has risen to four on
occasion.

Doctors have criticized
the hospital for limiting ©
the number of acute care
beds to 25, saying the
community's medical
needs exceed that number. .

Last week, lhere were
four beds in the [CU and
all were filled, ;

“It's packed,” Novak
said of the busy ICU ward.
“There’s nowhere to put
anyone.”

Novak added that any-
one other than an emer-
gency patient will
transferred {(o Prince |
Geurge or another area fa.
cility in the area,

Part of the problem at —

the hospital is a.shortage
of casually employed
nurses.

Whenever fuil time or
part time nurses are sick or
take holidays, there aren't
enough casual nurses, who ..
work onan on-call basis”
only, to fill in for casual
work, |

Novak said once all
nurses are back to work
from holidays or have re- -
covered fram the flu, the
hospital will be: open to
admissions again. .

for casuals to come,”
Penny Henderson, a shop
steward with
Nurses’ Union, in ques-
tioning why Mills Memor-
ial was advertising only for
casual nurses.

be ..

Penny Henderson

point more leave was re-
quired to compensate.

This translated into ad-

mission restrictions first in
the summer and now this
fall.

incentive
said

“There’s no

the BC

Offering educational

opportunities might help,
she added.

Local physicians Dr.

ate limited to
$25,000/830,0

AER BL oye
aos :

Lani Almas added that. ad-

ministrators should consid:
er creative ways of staffing
the hospital, so it’s not-re-
lying on casual labour.

She said in order‘ to gel
casuals working -here, the
hospital will have to offer
them incentives -like bene-
fits and proper cricatation.

Another. local physi-
cian, Dr. Geoff Appleton;
said it would be cheaper to
hire fulltime permanent

nurses to avoid problems: ~ -

such as over: time -and

scrambling to find enough

casuals.

Dr. lan Courtice, the
president of the B.C,
Medical. Association,

wasn't Surprised to hear of ©

the trouble in n finding cas-
uals,

“They can’t find enough
in. Vancouver or Victoria
so I can understand why
people wouldn’t move here
for a casual job,” he said,

Courtice acknowledged,
as do others, that there is a
nation-wide shortage of
nurses.

Courtice was in Terrace
last week taking part ina
forum on health care is-
Sues sponsored by the B.C.
Medical Assaciation,

_ Carlson Wagonlitisy

VANCOUVER DEPARTURES

1 week 2 weeks

499 1829

Dec. 16 - 1 week Dac. 9 — 2 weeks

1249 "1699

1 week 2 weeks

1549 2129

air Transaf vail holidays

Prites are per person, based on double and subject ta Taxes & travel related teas
are extra, For full details and terms and conditions, reler to the current Air Transat Holidays Brochure.

PUERTO VALLARTA
REEF CLUB
PUERTOVALLARTA
(std-A.l,) Noy. 5, 12, 19, 26
(Nav, 5 one week only)

PUERTO PLATA

HOTEL OCCIDENTAL
PLAYA DORADA
(td-Al)

PUNTA CANA

LTI SOL DE PLATA
BAVARO BEACH
(ste-Al,)

fan. 6, 13, 20

We make. your. vacation...right from. the start!

THE RIGHT VACATION!
THE RIGHT PRICE!
THE RIGHT REWARD!

A&
Cee eM RE reward!

; PACKAGE A --
Great Golf

An Accuform Whistler Driver
or Accuform Sensor putter

rox. netadl value: "229 (Oriver)
: Apron retati value; 7110 (Putter)

(AP accurorm

a+

«> PACKAGE B --- }

Hot 5. hades! H
eee ets hy Torla ne Secittolt

aun gia.
Appros, retail value: * 12

-— PACKAGE C€ -~

A Time for furl
farther stores gift certificate,
a ramnenus Playem faynous night: out
& a Crabtree Evelyn photo album
Approx. retatt value: > F

4 ssa eny
Mesos WAY Eas

Cube Ede

babe:
Bel ieiany

5.
An scctaa Ss offer from

.
adisson
RENILS wostpeine

The difftecace ib genuine.

Minimum purchase applies, Certain
restrictions, Valid while quaritites last,

Ask your consultant for details.

Suite 2 - 4736 Lakeise Ave., Terrace

635-2277

GPEN SATURDAY

Asif there weren't enough reasons
to choose Canada's best-selling minivan,
we ‘ve Just added two more.

LEASE FOR

$26

26T Package Includes: 3.0L V6 engine -4-speed automatic transmission -Tilt steering ‘Speed control
“*Duat sliding doors -Power windows, locks, mirrors ‘Power rear window quarter vents :Alr conditioning
"7 passenger seating *Easy Out Roller Seats™ ‘AM/FM stereo cassette *Next-Generation dual alr bags ©
oo : , Child: Protection rear door locks “Sunscreen glass. Side- door impact beams 3 year or 60,000 km warranty.

LEASE FOR

$31

/montht

/montht

2000 Dadge Caravan
OR CHOOSE

3. 8%
PURCHASE FINANCING
uP 10.48 MONTHS

for 3G months. Plus $3,923 sownpayment
or equivalent trade and §325
security deposit. $a55 freight Included,

2000 Dodge Grand Caravan SE
OR CHOOSE

0 Yo"
PURCHASE FINANCING
UP TO 48 MONTHS

tor 36 months, Plus $3,040 gewnnayment
or equivalent trade and $37°5
security deposit. $855 freight included,

~ 29D Package Inchides: -3.8L V6 engine -4-speed automatic transmission ‘Tit steering ‘Speed contrat :

: “Ait conditioning + Qual sliding doors ‘Power windows, locks, mirrors “Power rear windew quarter vents

*AM/FM stereo with cassette *Anti- ~tock brakes “Sunscreen glass "15" Cast Aluminum wheels
"7 passenger quad- command seating “Easy Out Roller Seats™ +Next- Generation dual air bags
: Chie: rotection rear door locks. “Side door r impact beams "3 year or "60, 000 km warranty -

nya your neighbourhood B.C. Chrysler, Dodge, Jeeps tle

Gider/iada may be necesiay, Leases swbjecl td appraval by Chrysler.

00/425,000 @ 3.8% APR month farm, montily payraént Is $562.28/9674

Dodge ©) Caravan

mA

Chrysler customers read the fine prints t. #4, These até Himited time atfers whieh may Hal he combined ith any olhe!aflers aad epply to ralall deliveries for personel use only on all new in- slack 2000 vehicles,
Credif Canada LW, Leases/financing include $85% lieight and exclude licence, inswcance,
lease for 2000 vehicles equipped as dpicribed: Dodge Garivan 261+ AM +AAF+GKO; Dodge Grand Caravan 290+C¥5+AAM+ WIB, Lease nonce interest catels 18% / APR. Total tease obligation:

ADA‘'S BI SELLING MENT A No

Retailer hay eas for lass, Retailer
fegistration and lines, Sew relailat for complete celal and conditions, HBased 00 436 month

$13,896 Coravin: $18,763 Grand Cataven.. Milometris
81.200. Gharge of $0.12/hm for evcess- kilometres. Those ate clsed end leases with no buyback requirements, 4f 3.8% purchase financing up ta a 48 month term oh all 2000 Catavan sod Grand Caravan modes. Examp'y,

69/$787.14, Cost of bortawingis $1,988/$2,385/82,783, late! obligation is $26 987/$12,385/34 7,782, Those are Sawracahuetns ea hen Ib a registered
Urademarh of DaimnlérChrysler Ctipotalion oud undat Heenca by DaimalerChiysler Canada Inc.- Daimlerchrysler Canada Ine, is wholly owned subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler Corporatioa. : ;

You tan reach us on the web at www. dainlerchrysler.ca or call us at 1-800-361- 3700,

ee ee