Canadian nursing leaders meet provincial health ministers in Banff

Nursing leaders from across Canada met with provincial and territorial health ministers and officials in Banff this morning to discuss the links connecting safe staffing levels, patient safety and quality care.

The roundtable briefing for official participants in the health ministers’ meeting was organized by the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions and the Canadian Nurses Association. It was attended by ministers from B.C., Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and P.E.I. and by senior officials from most other jurisdictions.

President Heather Smith and First Vice-President Jane Sustrik attended on behalf of United Nurses of Alberta.

Nurse leaders and provincial and territorial health ministers discussed national and international lessons from examples such as Britain’s public inquiry into the relationships among safe staffing, patient safety and quality care.  

 “Above all, we need to ensure patients are protected,” said CFNU president Linda Silas in a news release. “We understand it is increasingly challenging for governments and health administrators to balance the needs of patients with the financial realities. “

“We realize nurses have to lead patient safety strategies,” said CNA CEO Anne Sutherland Boal in the same release. “One way we can achieve progress is making sure that the staff assignments are based on what is the best match of patient needs with nurse competencies.”

Nurses are the largest group of health care providers in Canada and are responsible for providing the majority of health care to Canadians  thus making them a key link in the chain of safety.

The CFNU and CNA presented the ministers with a joint plan for collaborative action on a sustainable health human resources strategy and for patient priority care needs to be properly assessed using real time tools, based on factors such as acuity, stability and complexity.

The CFNU represents close to 200,000 nurses and student nurses across Canada, including members of UNA. CNA is the national professional voice of registered nurses in Canada, representing 151,404 RNs.

Click here to read the CFNU new release.