Campbellton Regional Hospital: nursing units reorganized to maintain services

Campbellton, Friday, January 17 – Vitalité Health Network is reorganizing the nursing units within the Campbellton Regional Hospital to ensure the safety and sustainability of the services delivered by this facility.

“This reorganization will allow us to use the facility’s 165 beds more efficiently by grouping clienteles and tailoring our master schedule to fit this new configuration. The end result of this reorganization will be stability in our care teams and continuity of our care and services,” explained Johanne Roy, Vice-President of Clinical Services of the Network.

The Network is launching this project in response to the many nursing recruitment challenges compromising the organization’s ability to maintain the continuity of critical care services (Emergency, Surgical Suite, Obstetrics and Intensive Care). “A solution had to be found to avoid further service interruptions and to shift from reactive mode to proactive mode, which is why we are taking action,” stated Gilles Lanteigne, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Network. “This initiative should be completed in April.” 

Beds will be redistributed as follows:

  • Geriatric Unit: Six palliative care beds will be permanently transferred to Geriatrics. Doors have been installed to maintain the calm within the palliative care area and a family lounge will be added in coming weeks;
  • Transition Unit: The number of long-term beds will be increased from 23 to 33 and the approach to care will be adjusted;
  • Medical Unit: ALC patients (those awaiting another level of care) and medical patients will be grouped together;
  • Surgical Unit: Surgical patients, medical patients (complex cases) and pediatric patients will be grouped together;
  • Intensive Care: 8 intensive care and step-down beds will be accessible.

In terms of our staff members, this reorganization of units will have minimal impact on their employment status. It is anticipated that 14 employees will be affected by this initiative. All will be offered the options spelled out in their respective collective agreements, including the possibility of filling one of our vacant positions. “We are confident that the measures adopted over the coming weeks will ease the pressure on our human resources and ensure our patient care is sustainable,” Ms. Roy concluded.