Winnipeg hospital says doctors are now helping sexual assault examination program
Manitoba's largest hospital has brought in reinforcements following the resignation of several nurses from a provincial program that serves sexual assault victims.
Doctors and nurse practitioners have agreed to fill in temporarily as needed so that the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, or SANE, program at the Health Sciences Centre can continue to operate with fewer interruptions.
"There is a significant number of people that have stepped forward so we will be able to commit to filling those gaps as best we can," Jennifer Cumpsty, the hospital's executive director of acute health services, said Thursday.
The SANE program relies on casual nurses who normally work in other areas and agree to pick up shifts. They examine victims and collect physical evidence of sexual assault.
Last year, the Progressive Conservative government announced plans to expand the service so that it would be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The government has also moved to hire permanent nurses for the program and has filled six of seven positions, with most new hires requiring training that is still underway.
The Manitoba Nurses Union has been sounding the alarm for several months over the program's staffing levels. It said earlier this year that some sexual assault victims were being told to not shower and to come back later because no one was available to examine them.
On Tuesday, there was a 16-hour gap when no nurse was available, the union said.
Seven of the 13 casual nurses have resigned this week. Cumpsty said she learned of the latest resignation Thursday morning and planned to talk to the departing nurses later in the day about their reasons for leaving.
The Opposition New Democrats said the nurses are quitting because they feel overwhelmed and unsupported by the government.
"SANE nurses have told us they resigned because they can no longer enable a system that doesn't support them or their patients," NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara said.
Health Minister Audrey Gordon said the government is improving the service by switching to permanent nurses and round-the-clock care.
Cumpsty said the program has had service gaps in previous years, at times when no casual nurses were available for shifts. Casual nurses who applied for permanent positions were offered them, but only one accepted, she added.
The first batch of new permanent nurses should be fully trained and on the job by early June, Cumpsty said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2023
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
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.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Bayer recalls hydraSense baby product over 'potential contamination'
Bayer announced Thursday it is recalling two lots of its hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Easydose due to a potential contamination.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.