There are demands in Greater Sudbury for action following a study at Laurentian University that found 41 per cent of new nurses have contemplated suicide. At a recent news conference, one local tragedy was in the spotlight, a case of suicide that was related to burnout and violence in hospitals. The family of Jordan Heffern, a young Sudbury nurse who died by suicide at age 22, shared their story at the Sept. 11 event. Heffern worked as a mental health nurse for 13 months. “First and foremost, Jordan was a dedicated nurse,” said her father, Darin Heffern. “This career was cut out for her. She was such an empathetic and caring person, you know. It brought her to a mental health ward.” Her family said Jordan was diagnosed with two concussions after being assaulted twice by the same patient. At one point, she was dealing with WSIB, but her father said she received little support from the hospital or the union. “She was met with barriers,” he said. “Management weren’t reporting properly or efficiently. There seemed to be very little support in place. Nurses take care of the patients. It appears the managers take care of the hospital, but no one is taking care of the nurses.” In their study, Laurentian University researchers interviewed 134 new nurses across Canada. They call the results of their work “staggering.” Dr. Lori Rietze, associate professor of nursing, said that “41 per cent of these new nurses that we interviewed had suicidal thoughts since entering the profession.” “These nurses were working for the last five years,” Rietze added. Dr. Roberta Heale, professor of nursing at LU, said the results are a call to action. “Anytime that somebody feels that they have to start medication or counselling because of their job or have suicidal ideation because of their work, there should be a red flag,” Heale said. Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas said she will present the Jordan Heffern Memorial Act in the Ontario legislature this fall, based on the results of the study. “The first thing is nurse-to-patient ratios,” Gelinas said. “(You need) to give them a workload that a human being can handle.” Gelinas said other key points of the bill include non-punitive reporting systems, expanded mental health coverage and front-line inclusion in policymaking. If you or someone you know is in crisis or struggling with mental illness, here are some resources that are available. Canada Suicide Crisis Helpline (Call or text 988 or visit 988.ca) Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (1-800-463-2338) Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) If you need immediate assistance, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
