As a retired former RN in BC., in conversation with an RN I met who is working with Covid patients, she requested counselling through a program with her Vancouver City hospital. Was told she could have an appointment in SIX MONTHS. I know this is not at all providing support. 1/2

@cafreeland You state, "...when the pandemic is behind us." Currently, nurses are being traumatized with particularly the suffering of Covid patients and the high number of deaths NOW. I had fewer than 8 in my 34 yr. career in Critical Care. Some RN's now are having 2 of their ICU 2/3
@cafreeland patients die in one 12 hr. shift and may have to assist other RN's in ICU who lose their patients and have to prepare the bodies for the porter to take to the morgue. To not have immediate support and counselling for these nurses is absolutely not okay. There are going to be 3/4
@cafreeland many who leave a career they previously loved and spent 4 years preparing for a long professional career. Now they are disheartened and traumatized as well as exhausted physically (many are working double shifts, many more days without a day off) and definitely mentally and 4/5
@cafreeland emotionally empty. One nurse on Twitter two weeks ago stated in her ICU there had been 12 deaths! Imagine dealing with this one day and having to return to another day of more Covid deaths. There needs to be immediate provision with each hospital to provide an area in the 5/6
@cafreeland specific for stress management, on site available counselling even if over a phone contact with a psychologist 24/7 - since the nurses work 24/7. Unless something is provided now, there will be nurses who attempt suicide (we never have statistics about this in the news) and 6/7
@cafreeland suicides which may also be protected for privacy of families from being in the news. It will happen, I have no doubt. To be ahead of this wave of nurses with PTSD, having no support for failing mental health is not how to keep a strong and healthy nursing workforce. This 7/8
@cafreeland issue absolutely needs addressing on a Federal and Provincial level immediately with communication with the Canadian Nurses Association & RN Registration Colleges in each province with immediate attention. @JustinTrudeau @PattyHajdu @adriandix @canadanurses @nnp_bc @BCNurses
@cafreeland @JustinTrudeau @PattyHajdu @adriandix @canadanurses @nnp_bc Tagging also: @keithbaldrey @steeletalk @NEWS1130 @CKNW @globalnews @CTVNews @CTVVancouver @GlobalBC @PennyDaflos
Also a request to @UnrollHelper with appreciation for this.

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Two things can be true at once:
1. There is an issue with hostility some academics have faced on some issues
2. Another academic who himself uses threats of legal action to bully colleagues into silence is not a good faith champion of the free speech cause


I have kept quiet about Matthew's recent outpourings on here but as my estwhile co-author has now seen fit to portray me as an enabler of oppression I think I have a right to reply. So I will.

I consider Matthew to be a colleague and a friend, and we had a longstanding agreement not to engage in disputes on twitter. I disagree with much in the article @UOzkirimli wrote on his research in @openDemocracy but I strongly support his right to express such critical views

I therefore find it outrageous that Matthew saw fit to bully @openDemocracy with legal threats, seeking it seems to stifle criticism of his own work. Such behaviour is simply wrong, and completely inconsistent with an academic commitment to free speech.

I am not embroiling myself in the various other cases Matt lists because, unlike him, I think attention to the detail matters and I don't have time to research each of these cases in detail.

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I think a plausible explanation is that whatever Corbyn says or does, his critics will denounce - no matter how much hypocrisy it necessitates.


Corbyn opposes the exploitation of foreign sweatshop-workers - Labour MPs complain he's like Nigel

He speaks up in defence of migrants - Labour MPs whinge that he's not listening to the public's very real concerns about immigration:

He's wrong to prioritise Labour Party members over the public:

He's wrong to prioritise the public over Labour Party