The general surgeon said Western Health won’t be granting nurses annual leave at the Corner Brook facilities over the Christmas season until 7 a.m. on the day they want off.
That means nurses in the operating room and the endoscopy suite and other specialty areas won’t be able to travel to see their families over the Christmas season as they’ve done for years.

He said the nurses in the specialty areas may be at higher risk of injury from having to lift patients and other activities they’re not used to. Dr. French said it’s bad for patients, bad for nurses and bad for the corporation, but it saves money, so that’s why it’s being done. He said he’s speaking up for nurses who can’t speak up for themselves.

“When I speak to the nurses about it, they say ‘we’re not allowed to go public about any of this. We’re not allowed to tell anybody because we’ll get reprimanded and we’ll get suspended’,” Dr. French said. “They have been specifically instructed they’re not allowed to go public with internal matters, for fear of suspension.” Read more…