The Protecteur du citoyen received a report about Centre hospitalier affilié universitaire régional (CHAUR) de Trois-Rivières. The hospital reports to the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux (CIUSSS) de la Mauricie-et-du-Centre-du-Québec.
Allegedly, the workload in the orthopedics and orthopedic surgery unit is too heavy for the staff, resulting in care and service quality being compromised. The Protecteur du citoyen decided to intervene.
Findings
The investigation showed that the staff on the unit want to provide quality services in a safe manner. However, they have a hefty workload. Given this, and sometimes due to a lack of coordination, they neglect:
- The initial assessment of patients’ health condition;
- Pressure ulcer and fall risk assessment;
- Nursing follow-up and note-taking when opiates such as morphine are administered;
- To draw up therapeutic nursing plans describing patients’ problems and priority needs.
The Protecteur du citoyen also noted poor communication between the staff on the unit and that in the operating room. This situation complicates the proper management of patients.
During the investigation, the CIUSSS added staff to the unit in question. The Protecteur du citoyen applaudes this initiative. It nonetheless made eight recommendations and two follow-up requests to the CIUSSS, all of which were accepted.
The Protecteur du citoyen sees to it that the rights of health and social services network users are upheld. Want to report a troubling situation you have witnessed? Do you feel that the rights of a service user or several service users have not been respected? Report it by calling us at 1-800-463-5070 or by using our online complaint form.
