Lying on a bed, I can hear an elderly man on the bed beside me, very much in pain from a leg injury. The curtain between us gives us some privacy, as a couple of nurses move around quickly, but calmly.

I am slowly nodding off after getting a shot of something to ease my own pain. The nurse comes in regularly to check on me and reassure me things will be fine.

After some time on an IV drip line, I notice there is a new nurse. The gentleman next to me may be gone now, and I’ve now been in the hospital long enough for a nurse’s shift change.

This is not a regular occurrence for me, but it is the second time I’ve found myself at Seton General Hospital emergency room in my ten months in Jasper – both times unexpected and not always during regular business hours.

Having nurses ready to care for patients at any time of the day is something I was always aware of, but never gave much thought to until I experienced it myself. I knew there had been a fear of losing nurses in Jasper, as well as around the province, but having never been to the Jasper hospital, it never really sunk in.

In November, the Fitzhugh reported a Jasper nurse’s concern on layoffs across the province, and that they could potentially lose nurses in Jasper when they are already working overtime.

The Fitzhugh also reported of a recent patient that received excellent care from nurses while in Seton hospital. However she was appalled by the conditions in which they are forced to work – overworked, putting in overtime, missing breaks and not having a minute to go to the bathroom, not to mention in the summer months when there is an influx of visitors and the likelihood of having more patients than beds.

During both of my recent visits to the hospital, I think I was fortunate  there were only a handful of patients. Any more and I can’t imagine the nurse’s workload, as even my own needs were keeping them busy, not to mention the other patients.

In March, 2010 the CBC reported that Alberta Health Services offered a new contract in which one of the changes included reducing the amount of required rest time between shifts from 15.5 hours to ten hours, as well as other cutbacks.

Forcing nurses to work more hours with fewer breaks will not improve hospital services.

Later that month, CBC claimed 200 to 300 nurses had been hired in the last couple of months – something of a positive.

As I realized in my hours of lying on an emergency bed, there is always a need for nurses. People will never stop being sick and Jasperites and visitors will never cease to injure themselves while biking and skiing.

When I was at my worst, health-wise, I for one was grateful for the care given to me by a handful of different nurses over my two visits to the hospital, and I can tell you the need for nurses is not going to decrease.

When I was sitting in the emergency room, I found myself surprised at the number of patients. Jasper is so small – but even the smallest of places needs these essential services. Hopefully, for all of us, things start to improve, because as I’ve learned, you never know when you will be the next one in the hospital.