Vitalité Health Network expressed the ongoing need for nurses who were moved from primary care to the ER in Campbellton. This statement came in response to inquiries about complying with a government directive to allow the nurses to return to their original assignments. The health authority did not explicitly confirm if they would adhere to the directive.
The Nurse Practitioners of New Brunswick criticized Vitalité’s decision to redeploy nurse practitioners from primary care to the ER at Campbellton Regional Hospital. It was reported that around three to four nurses were impacted by this decision. Premier Susan Holt mentioned that the province had instructed the regional health authority to reverse the decision affecting two nurse practitioners.
Initially, Vitalité stated that the nurses were needed to support ER staff during training periods for other employees. When asked about returning the nurses as per the province’s direction, CEO France Desrosiers did not confirm compliance, emphasizing the necessity of temporary redeployment.
While acknowledging the importance of primary care access, Vitalité highlighted the priority of critical care. The network mentioned the temporary redeployment of two nurse practitioners from a collaborative practice team for a limited duration.
Concerns were raised by the nurses’ group regarding the impact of redeployment on patient care continuity and the legal responsibilities of nurse practitioners. Vitalité assured that patients of the affected nurses were receiving care from alternative healthcare providers.
Premier Holt emphasized the responsibility of Vitalité to fill ER vacancies in Campbellton and urged the network to enhance recruitment strategies. She suggested exploring innovative staffing solutions for ERs, likening the role of nurse practitioners to physicians who occasionally cover ER shifts alongside their primary care duties.
Holt commended the province’s success in nurse recruitment, citing the addition of 917 new nurses since the previous January. She offered provincial assistance to fully staff the Campbellton facility and discouraged reliance on travel nurses due to higher costs compared to local recruitment and training investments.
