“I work a 12-hour shift, processing doctor’s orders on the Intensive Care Unit. It’s a busy unit, and the time goes by quickly.
There are a whole lot of us who make the place run, and HEU members are important. The bulk of hospital workers are HEU members.
I’ve been in health care for over 40 years. In this job, I’m the go-to person for other teams, like the lab, porters, housekeeping.
Having done the job for so long, I feel really comfortable in my position. I like mentoring someone new and sharing my knowledge. I get a lot of questions every shift. I could retire, but I have a pretty sweet gig.
Since COVID, the staffing levels have diminished, and we don’t have the support like we had before. I don’t know why people don’t want to work here, but they show up for orientation and then they never pick up a shift again. I don’t know why.
When I started in health care, you had to work your way up, starting casual or part-time and hoping you would get shifts. Now, there is a staffing crisis.
When I went to Ireland, it was the same thing there. So, I think this is a global problem in health care.
The most challenging thing for us is to find a casual to stay and pick up shifts. Then, I wouldn’t have to pick up so much overtime, and there would be someone to cover my shift when I am off.”
- Liz, Unit Clerk, part of the health care team