 EDMONTON - A mediator has been appointed by the Alberta government at the request of the United Nurses of Alberta to assist in negotiations with the owners of an Edmonton nursing home.
UNA has also asked Health and Wellness Minister Fred Horne to investigate the Hardisty Care Centre to ensure the provincial regulation that requires such facilities designate a nurse in charge at all times is enforced.
UNA, which represents Registered Nurses at the facility, has been frustrated in negotiations for a new collective agreement by mixed signals sent by Hardisty's B.C.-based parent corporation in response to the union's demand the employer correct the absence of the designated nurse in charge on evening and weekend shifts as required by the regulation.
"We view this as a serious safety concern because there is no clear process in place at the Hardisty facility on how to respond in emergencies such as a patient going missing or undergoes a sudden health crisis," said UNA Second Vice-President Jane Sustrik.
During negotiations, parent company Park Place Seniors Living gave different responses, telling the UNA bargaining team it is not prepared to designate a nurse in charge on evening and weekend shifts but telling government officials they intend to do so.
Sustrik said UNA's request in its letter to Horne, who was appointed to cabinet by Premier Alison Redford on Wednesday morning, is really one of the first important tests that the government's new leadership needs to pass to show Albertans it is serious about health care and the protection of vulnerable citizens.
"It is not uncommon for the operators of nursing homes in Alberta to treat the law and regulations as if they are merely guidelines that can be followed or ignored at the company's convenience," Sustrik said.
"Premier Redford and Minister Horne need to demonstrate clearly that they are prepared to enforce the laws and regulations our Legislature has passed to protect Alberta's seniors and others in care," she stated.
"We asked Minister Horne to exercise his jurisdiction under the Act to investigate the situation at the Hardisty Care Centre and to ensure that the province's regulation is enforced," Sustrik concluded.
Alberta's Nursing Homes Operations Regulation states that “an operator shall designate a person as the charge nurse for his nursing home for each shift." The regulation defines nurse as a Registered Nurse, Registered Psychiatric Nurse or Certified Graduate Nurse.
Click here to read the letter sent to Horne by UNA Director of Labour Relations David Harrigan on October 12.
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