“There is no common sense”: nurses receive “Lemon Awards” from CISSS de Chaudière-Appalaches

In Quebec, it is Health Care Professionals Recognition Month. So, imagine the reaction such a post would elicit among nurses and other staff.

“We are left with a somewhat bitter taste when we see that a wholesaler like this might lack judgment,” Carole Mercier, president of the Association of Healthcare Professionals of Chaudière-Appalaches (SPSCA), said Thursday in an interview with Noovo Info. “We have a summer that promises to be really tough, with TSO (mandatory overtime, editor's note), full of emergencies, and then what we get are lemon prices.”

“Have you seen this before?” Mrs. Mercier asked in an angry tone. “This doesn't make any sense, I'm still in shock. […] “We cannot believe it.”

In response, the nursing staff returned lemon prices to CISSS.

“They are the ones who deserve a lemon award from an employer that is not our employer of choice,” she said.

The controversial post was removed two hours later after numerous complaints. CISSS declined to give any interview to Noovo Info, but the spokesperson explained that the initiative was aimed at identifying people in a positive way according to the trend in social media.

Carole Mercier replied: “We can defend ourselves well, but I think they escaped.” “They are trying to improve their image, but it is difficult to understand.”

CISSS Chaudière-Appalaches apologized if its message was not received well by its employees.