Lack of French-speaking staff leading to burnout at P.E.I. long-term care home, MLA says

Issues were raised in the P.E.I. Legislature around staffing shortages and patient safety at a provincially operated long-term care home in Charlottetown. 

Some nurses from Beach Grove Home were looking on Friday as Opposition health critic Gord McNeilly brought up their concerns about vacant bilingual nursing positions. 

The Liberal MLA said staff told him up to 84 resident-care worker (RCW) shifts go unfilled every month at the home due to a lack of French-speaking workers. 

"A nurse reached out to me and she said that… she's stressed. She goes home, can't relax. She used to do things like run and cycle and she had to put those on hold," said McNeilly, who represents Charlottetown-West Royalty where the home is located.  

"This is the dedication of our health-care staff, but we're burning them out… and it was heartbreaking to get that message." 

P.E.I. Health Minister Mark McLane confirmed that one of two bilingual licensed practical nurse positions at Beach Grove Home is vacant, while five of eight French-speaking RCW positions are unfilled. 

While he admitted it can be challenging to hire bilingual health workers, McLane said Collège de l'Île has restarted its training program for French-speaking RCWs, and the province is trying to recruit internationally. 

"At this time, there's actually only one bilingual resident at [Beach Grove Home], so the demands aren't too great," he said. "With New Brunswick being our neighbour, it's tough to compete for bilingual positions."

In the legislature, the health minister pointed to efforts Health P.E.I. is making to recruit more nurses to its system, including grant programs and an expansion of UPEI's nursing program. 

McLane also said 500 nursing positions across the Island are being made permanent, which he said will help stabilize the workforce. 

But McNeilly said those efforts do little to help the burned-out staff at Beach Grove Home in the short-term.  

"We want the French services, but… you're leaving vacant shifts because of this technicality," he said. "It's not a language issue; it's a service issue."

McNeilly asked whether McLane would commit to directing Health P.E.I. to hire English-only term roles for one year to complement the home's staff until those permanent positions can be filled. 

The health minister said he would take that suggestion back to his department.

Unsafe shower facilities, says staff

Beach Grove staff also wrote to McNeilly with concerns about subpar shower facilities for patients on the facility's Harbour wing. 

They said the stall's flooring is not designed for a shower, so water leaks out into the common area — conditions that caused injury to one worker, who slipped on the wet floor. The workers wrote that the shower also doesn't have a temperature gauge, which is against provincial policy. 

McLane said he would visit the home to speak to staff about the issues, adding that there is money in the provincial budget for upgrades.