FILE PHOTO

Image Credit: PEXELS/Cedric Fauntleroy

The new Gaglardi Tower is open at Royal Inland Hospital after years of construction, but the hospital has been plagued with staff shortages since well before patients and equipment were moved in.

Interior and Northern Health authorities partnered up to bring travel nurses to Royal Inland, Interior Health CEO Susan Brown said.

"We'll see what that yields for us, but we're hoping that attracts people to the Kamloops area," Brown said at news conference at the hospital today, July 18.

The hospital is operating with 28 per cent of its positions unfilled, which includes both full and part time positions for nurses, licensed practical nurses and care aids, according to Interior Health.

Brown and Health Minister Adrian Dix hosted media event to announce more operating rooms at the hospital.

READ MORE: Five new operating rooms coming to Kelowna, Kamloops hospitals

While the new surgical suites are expected to open next year, Dix and Brown fielded questions about the ongoing staffing crisis not only affecting health-care workers and patients in Kamloops, but also in rural communities like Ashcroft and Clearwater.

"We're recruiting people now," Dix said.

As Interior Health tries to hire newly graduated nurses to its facilities, Dix said Clearwater's regular emergency department closures stem from a housing shortage in the area.

Brown said Interior Health is meeting with employees so it can figure out how to retain health-care workers considering leaving. She said Interior Health is reaching out to employees that have already left its facilities.

Susan Brown, President and CEO of Interior Health.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Interior Health

Interior Health wants to know "what it would take to bring them back," Brown told reporters.

Royal Inland nurses and other health-care workers are struggling to keep up with patient care. On the May long weekend, for example, the hospital was less than 50% staffed in some departments forcing the closure of others just to keep up with needs in other areas like the intensive care and emergency departments.

READ MORE: Former nurse at Kamloops hospital takes aim at upper management

Brown and Dix said the new Gaglardi Tower will help attract more employees.

"People were feeling happy to be in their new space. For many people that have moved into their new tower, they've come from cramped, darker corners into a beautiful open space," Brown said. "The whole environment will provide that better work environment for staff."

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Nurses have reached out to iNFOnews.ca in recent months complaining about being overworked, taking away from patient care. Some said the work environment can involve bullying from upper management of the hospital.

Dix was asked to provide the current level of staffing at Royal Inland, but he didn't have the exact numbers.

"We don't need to ball park it, we'll send you the numbers," he said.

As the health authority tries to fill its 28% vacancy at Royal Inland, it's so far hired 303 new nurses, including 44 graduates, since September 2021, an Interior Health spokesperson said in an emailed response. Those 303 new hires are gross numbers and do not account for staff the hospital has lost in recent months. It has also moved 31 health-care workers from other facilities to Royal Inland, with 21 more expected to move soon.

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