FILE PHOTO.

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Nurses at Royal Inland Hospital are struggling to find parking, which according to the B.C. Nurses Union, is not an issue unique to Kamloops.

Nurses Union President Christine Sorenson said parking has been an issue for nurses since she began her career over thirty years ago.

The issue at Royal Inland is that the parking designated for nurses is a 30 minute walk away from the hospital, and if they park on site, they get ticketed.

"We’ve had nurses getting parking tickets, and numerous parking tickets," Sorenson said. "That just adds to the anxiety and stress nurses are already feeling as we’re moving through this pandemic."

Because their shifts are scheduled at irregular hours, many nurses find themselves walking alone in the dark to or from their vehicle, in all kinds of weather.

"That’s just not acceptable, it’s completely unsafe," she said.

All of the parking complaints from nurses have been made anonymously, and the reason for that points to an even bigger issue within the healthcare system, she said.

Sorenson explains that while there are regulations in place for nurses to maintain patient confidentiality, there are also very real consequences for nurses who speak up about anything at all, even parking.

"If they speak up about issues in their facility where they work, whether it be as simple as parking, or patient care, or staffing, or safety risks, there can be repercussions from the employers," she said.  "There are many things that nurses would like to inform the public about, and speak the truth about, but unfortunately are not permitted to do so."

Nurses can face consequences like disciplinary action from their employer, losing their job, or even their licence.

"There have been disciplines that nurses have received in this province, and in other provinces simply for speaking out," she said. "And that’s wrong."

READ MORE: Kelowna and Kamloops nurses share heart-breaking choices being made to protect their families

Sorenson said she originally became involved with the union because she was struggling with the inability to advocate for her patients and fellow nurses. While the union can safely speak on nurses' behalf and advocate for them, Sorenson said there's more to be done to protect nurses who want to speak up for themselves.

"I think that the employers should promote a psychologically healthy and safe culture where nurses feel comfortable coming forward with concerns," she said.

She and the union support putting the Public Interest Disclosure Act in place for nurses, to protect them the same way it protects government employees. 

However, she said health authorities have been reluctant for that same legislation to apply to them, and have asked for it to be delayed.

"Nurses are there to care for everyone, they’re there to do their best, and they see so many problems in the healthcare system," she said. "They have been essentially gagged, and they’re not entitled to speak out."

To resolve the parking issue in Kamloops, the union is calling on the city and health authorities to work with the local parking companies to find a solution. 

"The reason why nurses are speaking out is because they don’t feel valued," Sorenson said.

"I would hope that health authorities would value their staff enough to at least provide them safe, affordable, and accessible parking."

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