BNA, NUPW push back against QEH nurse staffing claims

Assurances from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) that nurse staffing levels are adequate are being strongly challenged by both the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) and the Barbados Nurses Association (BNA), who warn that these healthcare providers are suffering stress and burnout.

Their comments follow recent remarks by QEH Chief Executive Officer Neil Clark, who dismissed claims of a nursing crisis at the island’s main hospital. Clark had insisted that the situation was not as bleak as reported by the hospital’s director of nursing services, Henderson Pinder, who, addressing a BNA Nurses Week seminar, said the nursing workforce was under threat “from chronic understaffing, unsafe work conditions, and an alarming rate of migration by skilled professionals.”

Clark said that nursing staff levels were within acceptable and even commendable ranges compared with international standards.

While acknowledging steps being taken to strengthen the healthcare system, BNA president Dr Fay Parris rejected claims that the nursing situation at the island’s main hospital is under control.

“Nurses across all healthcare facilities are under tremendous stress,” the BNA said in a statement.

She further noted the issue stretches beyond “any single institution”, stating that several frontline workers are stretched thin, burned out, and watching colleagues leave the profession altogether.

She said: “They are coping with the effects of brain drain, adjusting to the integration of new nurses, and navigating staffing shortages that impact patient care. These challenges are felt not just at QEH but at polyclinics, private hospitals, long-term care facilities, and psychiatric hospitals as well.”

Parris argued that blanket averages ignore the pressure points in high-dependency and intensive care units where needs are more complex.

“When assessing nursing levels, we must recognise that high-dependency and intensive care units demand more intimate staffing ratios. A broad nurse-to-patient calculation does not fully capture the realities nurses face daily,” she said.

The NUPW also accused the QEH of understating the severity of staffing challenges.

The chairman of the NUPW’s nurses division, Mechell Marshall, insisted that the “lived reality” of frontline healthcare workers did not match up with the QEH’s contentions.

“Contrary to the assertion that there’s no understaffing, our members are constantly reporting unsafe nurse-to-patient ratios, leading to increased risk for both patients and nurses,” she said. “Fatigue, burnout and moral distress are on the rise, which are impacting the quality of care and are leading to challenges with staff retention.”

Marshall said the core issue is not just headcount, but well-being, capacity and sustainable working conditions.

“Nurses are now being asked to be stretched beyond capacity—and that is deeply concerning to us. We call for nurses’ relief now,” she said. “Efforts to strengthen nursing must include immediate and transparent actions.”
She appealed for urgent short-term interventions, arguing that current strategies lack the immediacy required to address acute stress and safety concerns.

“We appreciate that your work is on the way to improve the systems,” Marshall said, addressing hospital management. “But urgent and short-term interventions are necessary to stabilise staffing, to improve safety, and to support the frontline.”

She called for nurses to have direct input in the hospital’s staffing and policy decisions.

“We request a seat at the table in the conversations—as no sustainable solution is possible without the input of nurses,” she asserted.

Parris also acknowledged the government’s recent efforts to support the profession, particularly the launch of a national nursing strategy and the addition of nursing posts, but noted those developments must be matched by an honest reckoning of the current conditions nurses are facing across the health network.

“We want our nurses to know that we see them, we understand their challenges, and we deeply care about their well-being,” the statement read.

“The nursing profession is at the heart of healthcare, and strengthening its foundation must be a priority across all institutions.”

The BNA also commended Pinder for his continued attention to the concerns raised by nurses and his role in implementing key workforce measures.

“As nurses, we feel the impact of these challenges firsthand, and we appreciate all nursing leadership efforts in addressing these issues and advocating for the profession,” the association stated.

But the president cautioned that the road ahead requires more than goodwill: “We cannot depend on broad metrics or distant strategies alone. We need meaningful, immediate action to protect our nurses because when we protect them, we protect our healthcare system.”

Meanwhile, Marshall raised alarm over the emotional and economic toll borne by healthcare professionals, noting that many nurses remain unable to access safe housing or qualify for basic mortgages on their salaries.

“You can’t qualify for a mortgage of $500 000 on your salary—and that’s what basic housing in Barbados costs if you want to live in a community that is safe,” she explained. “Where should nurses be? Should we not be included in communities with the resources needed to raise our children in safe places?”

The union leader also questioned the fate of past initiatives, recalling an aborted mortgage plan announced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said: “I remember going to sign up for a mortgage at Golden Square in 2021, but nothing happened. None of the nurses can say they’re recipients of that initiative.”

Marshall further highlighted a mismatch between national wellness goals and the conditions faced by nurses, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. She acknowledged that while the government has developed a national wellness policy, practical support systems within healthcare institutions remain inadequate.

“There has always been a network of counselling services that offers three free sessions, but there’s nothing integrated into the actual layout of the organisations,” she said.

As the nursing profession is predominantly female, Marshall said the structural issues faced by women-dominated professions needed urgent addressing to “accelerate growth”.

“We need to create spaces where nurses can thrive, so that societies can thrive,” she said. “Hurt people hurt people, and well people help people.”

Marshall made a rallying call for those in authority to treat nurses better.

“Nurses are the backbone of health, in COVID and out of COVID. Their realities must be acknowledged and addressed with urgency and with full respect,” she said. “We wish to work with the current organisations to improve the well-being of our nurses—because in fact, we are no longer working for only the Ministry of Health, but we are working for the Ministry of Health and Wellness.”

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb

shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb