Northern Health is making progress in filling vacant nursing positions at Prince Rupert Regional Hospital and providing greater stability to health services overall.

As of August, the hospital will fill all of its Maternity nursing vacancies with the addition of two new staff members. By the fall, the hospital will have a nursing rotation that provides three registered nurses on the patient care unit (emergency and the operating room are staffed separately), two of which will have maternity training.

Due to the need for nursing staff to take vacations and the potential for staff sick calls, the hospital could experience some nursing vacancies over the summer months. NH is working to bring nurses from outside of Prince Rupert to work at the hospital for shifts through the summer. Recruitment for vacant medical/surgical nursing positions also continues.

"We want our patients to understand that in the event of a nursing shortage during a particular time due to a sick call or unexpected staffing vacancy, we may need to conduct transfers to other facilities to ensure our patients receive certain procedures," said Sheila Gordon-Payne, interim health services administrator for Prince Rupert and the Queen Charlotte Islands.

"We are hopeful this will not happen. Even so, we're advising patients such as expectant mothers to discuss their birthing plan or alternative arrangements with their physician, in the event a transfer has to happen."

Northern Health and local staff continue to work hard to fill vacant nursing positions at PRRH. New registered nursing students are receiving their education at North West Community College in conjunction with the University of Northern British Columbia. These students will receive clinical education in NH sites across the Northwest.

NH has also provided summer employment for registered nursing students at sites across the North, providing them with hands-on learning opportunities.