2026-09-24 from theglobeandmail.com

More than a dozen emergency room nurses have resigned from a hospital in the Greater Toronto Area over the past two months, owing to unmanageable patient volumes and an unsafe work environment, according to a provincial union.

Fifteen registered nurses have left their positions at the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, and a number of other nurses have limited their hours or not returned from leave, the Ontario Nurses’ Association said. The Oakville emergency department, which sees roughly 80,000 patients yearly, is now scraping to bolster its work force, the union said.

ONA president Erin Ariss said the Oakville hospital has “turned its back” on its staff, who are experiencing burnout because of an unsustainable workload and frequent violence and abuse from patients. She said the hospital made matters worse by eliminating, earlier this month, unit assistants, who help with such tasks as transporting patients, cleaning equipment and stocking supplies.

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