Burnout reaches new levels for Sask. health-care workers: psychiatrist
As the province moves to ease pressure on hospitals through patient transfers and federal help, healthcare workers say they're experiencing a new level of burnout.
Tamara Hinz, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, says moral distress has evolved over the last two years.
"For the first several months a lot of us were running on fear and adrenaline and those gas tanks are empty now,” Hinz said.
According to Hinz, those empty tanks are leading to chronic stress and constant fatigue for healthcare workers. She says rationing care and planning for life or death decisions is taking its toll on many staff.
While medical professionals are trained to deal with bad outcomes, Hinz says nothing prepared them for this.
"The magnitude and the frequency and the severity of all of those bad outcomes has really just been ratcheted up"
As of Friday morning, 117 people were in Saskatchewan ICUs.
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) says an overwhelmed critical care system is leading to burnout across the country.
"It is much worse in provinces like Saskatchewan where healthcare providers feel gas-lighted, lied to by government and not as if their concerns are being taken seriously,” said CMA president Dr. Katharine Smart.
In the summer, physicians penned a letter to government calling for greater restrictions.
In mid-September, the province reintroduced the mask mandate while announcing proof of vaccination requirements. Premier Scott Moe has since said the government should have brought those measures in two weeks sooner.
"I worry about how people are going to get through this time and who's going to leave,” said NDP leader Ryan Meili.
“We can't spare any of these doctors or any of these nurses, and yet people are going to be so burnt out they're not going to want to continue to practice."
The Saskatchewan Health Authority and Saskatchewan Medical Association are offering resources for workers, including a peer support program.
Hinz says it's encouraging to see supports, but it shouldn't have come to this.
“That moral distress and that burnout would certainly be a lot easier to prevent in the first place than trying to treat it,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.