FRIDAY
AUGUST 30, 2013
< Earthlings dream of a new life on proposed Martian colony
Deschenau, > Shirley extra motivated at Ice camp
Page 14
Page 9
1
Like Us
$ 10
TownsmanBulletin
INCLUDES G.S.T.
Follow Us @crantownsman
Vol. 61, Issue 170
Proudly serving Cranbrook and area since 1951
www.dailytownsman.com
Nursing shortage not sustainable, union says Between October 2012 and February 2013, 40 shifts on EK Regional Hospital’s medical floor were worked short at least one nurse, according to the Nurses Union S A L LY M AC D O N A L D Townsman Staff
The medical floor at East Kootenay Regional Hospital is chronically understaffed, according to the local chapter of the B.C. Nurses Union. Patt Shuttleworth, chair of the East Kootenay region for the union, said Cranbrook nurses report “the staffing levels and morale on the medical floor are at the point of crisis.” On one shift recently, Shuttleworth said, the unit was short three staff, and worked five hours of the shift with only three nurses. Meanwhile, the unit was beyond capacity, with 34 patients when full capacity is 29. “The response from the manager on call was, ‘The patients will have to go without care.’ I can’t begin to tell you how incredibly distressing this is for the staff on that floor,” said Shuttleworth.
The problem is not a lack of nurses applying for positions at the hospital, she went on. “When you have new grads who want to work, who get turned away and told there is no job for them, but you don’t have enough staff to do the work, then you have a problem.” The medical floor cares for patients who are ill but do not require surgery, Shuttleworth explained. “It might be someone who had a heart attack and is not quite ready to go home. It might be someone who had some sort of a gastro illness,” she said, adding that there are sometimes paediatric patients and palliative patients. Shuttleworth said that Interior Health, which manages the Cranbrook hospital, has deleted the float pool of nurses for that floor.
BARRY COULTER PHOTO
THERE’S A GREEK MYTH IN HERE SOMEWHERE: We suggest the Myth of Actaeon and the Goddess Diana (see Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’, Book III). In the meantime, this velvety fellow was cooling his heels on 10th Avenue in Cranbrook on a sultry summer Saturday. Speaking of Summer Saturdays, turn to Pages 12 and 13 for the final episode of “A Summer Day in the Life of Cranbrook.”
See NURSES , Page 3
Dear Daily Townsman readers: There will be no newspaper published on Labour Day, Monday, Sept. 2. Publication will resume on the Tuesday. Enjoy your long weekend.
Fly me to the moon... and other short journeys
St. Mary’s prepares for new school year A RN E PE T RYS H E N Townsman Staff
The new school year is just around the bend now, with classes starting next week. At St. Mary’s Catholic Independent School staff and teachers are getting prepared. Principal Jerelynn MacNeil said enrolment is similar to last year at 155 students. The school has some
new additions as well. “We have a brand new computer lab, all laptops with Window 8,” she said, adding that it was a direct result of work done by the school’s Parent Support Group, which donated $25,000. The story was covered in the Townsman back in April. “It takes a while to get it up and going, but it should be affective next
week actually.” MacNeil said this year they are working on themes of self-regulation and mindfulness. She said these incorporate being aware of the things around you, whether they be responsibilities that you have, your demeanour towards others or other things that are asked from you, such as homework and chores.
“You know, if you’re asked to do something, can you self regulate and do it or do you need someone to step in and direct you or do it for you,” she explained. “It’s kind of bringing an awareness to children about what they’re age appropriate responsibilities are.”
See ST. MARY’S , Page 3
A Vertical Dance performance on Kimberley’s Platzl, (by water park)
with Marta Zeegers, Geoffrey Haynes and Trina Rasmuson. August 30 & 31, Friday and Saturday, 7:00 p.m. September 1, Sunday, 1:00 p.m. By Donation • Information 250-427-3167