So I had an interesting discussion with some nurses in Parksville (on the island) this weekend. We went up there for a beach day and the BC Union of Nurses had a booth set up at the park/beach. They were there advocating public support for the health professionals shortages in hospitals.

I asked the three nurses there (one female and two males) what they attribute the shortages to? They said underfunding from the government.

I asked where the existing nurses who where practicing went? They said many of them have relocated to other provinces or to the States.

I asked why? They said because things are too expensive in BC and stress from being overworked and underpaid is taking its toll.

I asked if nurses get paid overtime? They said yes. So I said that the underpaid thing is not an issue then if they are paid overtime, as many professions do not get paid overtime but still have to put in more hours than what they get paid for. They then said their union has not represented their interests well enough to have more staff hired and more appropriate pay provided.

So I asked whether the problem is actually with their union? They said yes, it is one of the problems, but staff shortages are the main issue.

I asked if the mandatory vaccine mandates may have displaced many nurses who may have chosen to maintain their bodily autonomy, and were either fired from their profession, or made the decision to practice elsewhere where there were no vaccine requirements in place. They said only one percent of nurses lost their jobs because of the vaccine mandates.

I asked how many nurses that represented? They said there are 5500 nurses in BC, so 55 nurses lost their jobs.

I asked how many nurses were forced into early retirement because of the mandates inoculations? The female nurse walked away from the conversation at this point in time because she didn’t like that question. The two male nurses remained and said they didn’t know.

I said they may want to ask their union that, and then stated to them that based on what they’ve said, they have staff shortages because their union hasn’t represented their interests, that they have lost some nurses due to the the vaccine mandates (either to firing, relocation or retirement) and that they have a union booth set up advocating to the public for support for their situation.

I then asked them whether they stand in solidarity with their fellow nurses or in solidarity with the union that is under serving them? One of the male nurses walked away from the conversation at this point in time…I guess he too didn’t like the way things were going.

One male nurse remained. I restated the question and he responded; “dude, the whole situation is totally messed up and we are all getting screwed over.”

I asked him what he meant? He said that he knows the union and the government is “ in bed with each other” and just playing a game with everyone, and that they are frustrated and don’t know what else to do. I said he should start standing up for the right side instead of the wrong side. He said he knows he should, but peer pressure is influencing him to go against his instincts.

I said he needs to look at himself in the mirror that night and see if he likes what he is looking at, and then decide what side he wants to advocate for. He said thank you and shook my hand.

It was a good day!