The Tribune

IT is Nurses Month this month – an event in Freeport marked the start of the series of events to honour the efforts of healthcare workers in The Bahamas.

Those efforts have been greater than ever before in these past two years, as the world has battled with the pandemic of COVID-19.

At the event on Monday, the personal cost of that battle was highlighted – with principal nursing officer Cheryl Bain saying: “At the beginning of COVID-19, I can tell you the fear was there. And during the pandemic unfortunately we lost one nurse. It was traumatic for us during that time when one of our colleagues was impacted, and it hit us in the face.”

So heavily impacted was the nursing profession during COVID that Nurse Bain said that at one point 45 nurses and support staff were out at the same time.

She said: “I think that was another realisation that, hey, this could wipe you out.”

She talked of how when extra hands were needed, they simply were not there, while nurses were left burnt out by the workload and worrying about infecting their own loved ones when they returned from work.

Staff numbers dwindled – with Nurse Bain saying that she lost about 31 registered nurses who left, both Bahamians and expats who went abroad.

It highlights the scale of the challenge that has faced the profession – and the challenge it still faces to replenish those numbers, and give people the level of staff and support they need.

That need, of course, is there to look after us. To care for the public when we fall ill. To deal with the next wave of COVID if it comes.

So this year’s celebration of nurses comes at a time when the recognition of the effort they put in is more needed than ever.

These nurses have put their own health on the line for us – and we should be thankful, and honour them in return.

It is sad, then, that this comes at a moment when the Bahamas Nurses Union has felt it has no option but to file a trade dispute against the Public Hospitals Authority and the Department of Public Health.

The union president, Amancha Williams, detailed safety issues – noting five nurses who had suffered electrical shocks, and highlighting the presence of mould in the workplace leading to staff being sick.

There are also concerns over a lack of promotions and appointments.

Some of those issues may still remain at dispute – but for the sake of those nurses who have given so much, the very least we can do is make sure their environment is safe.

There should not be any dispute over fixing issues of mould or identifying problems with electric shocks. We should not have staff working in environments that can make them ill.

It has been hard enough for nurses to deal with the fallout from the effects of COVID-19 – we should not allow them to struggle against the infrastructure itself just to get the job done.

So we hope officials will honour our nurses this month – and that isn’t just through ceremonies or church services or school visits, that’s through making sure they’ve got what they need to get the job done – enough staff and a safe environment. That should not be too much for nurses to ask.