Nurses present plan to heal nursing in Alberta
It’s time to heal nursing in Alberta, UNA President Heather Smith told over 200 UNA members who rallied for International Nurses’ Day at the Legislature on Monday, May 12.
The rally was in part a celebration of the 188th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. It also continues her legacy of advocating for good care for patients, UNA President Heather Smith told the crowd.
The nurses were also at the Legislature to present the Alberta government with UNA’s “Nursing Care Plan for Nursing in Alberta”, a detailed plan with eight recommendations for tackling the nursing shortage.
Nurses at the rally carried white nurse cut-outs that represented the nurses who couldn’t come to the rally, because they could not get the time off. But the blank cut-outs also represent the nurses the province needs.
The shortage of at least 2,000 Registered nurses (RNs and RPNs) will get worse unless the government acts now, Heather Smith said.
“We can’t create nurses overnight. We need to retain, recruit and educate, these are short term, medium term and long term strategies.”
Looming retirement of thousands of nurses means the problem could get worse.
“We have nearly 6,000 nurses who are ready to retire or leave their jobs in the next five years,” Heather Smith said. “If they all do, we will have big problems.”
The nursing shortage is now
The shortage of nurses has an impact on patient care every day, UNA says.
A recent survey of 1,500 UNA members shows that nearly 70% of nurses have a workplace that is understaffed normally, every day. And, for a vast majority of shifts, nurses who are off ill or on vacation are not replaced. The remaining nurses have to pick up the extra work.
The survey shows nearly 9,000 nurses pick up one or more extra shifts in the average week, with many working two or more extra shifts on top of their normal schedule. That’s equivalent to 2,000 additional full-time nursing jobs that are being stretched over the nurses we already have.
RN Crystal Triembacher from Spirit River explained at the rally how the shortage of nurses has reduced the care she was able to give labouring mothers-to-be. “There were some shifts where I felt so overwhelmed that I wanted to cry, but I didn’t have any time,” she said.
UNA gives government “care plan” for tackling the shortage
UNA’s “Nursing Care Plan for Nursing in Alberta” lists eight specific recommendations for improving working conditions and retaining nurses in the short term. It also calls for more recruitment, programs for retention and expanded education to meet the need for nurses over the longer term.
“The citizens of Alberta cannot have their nursing care put on the back burner,” Heather Smith said. “Unless we implement this nursing care plan now the shortage will get worse. “We need to deal with crushing workloads and high stress levels. We need to interrupt the downward spiral of shortages, extra shifts and working short-staffed.”
“Today almost a century after the death of Florence Nightingale we are here celebrating her leadership. She pioneered our profession and we are here, in a province proud of the pioneering spirit, to keep her legacy alive by advocating for the nurses of today and tomorrow,” Heather Smith concluded.
Nursing debated in the Legislature
Several UNA member nurses also attended the Question Period in the Legislative Assembly in the afternoon. Here is an extract of the debate they heard.
Mr. Dave Taylor MLA: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. May 12 commemorates International Nurses Day, and we are fortunate to have several nurses with us in the gallery today. The desperate shortage of nurses in this province is what I would like to question the health minister on today. The minister has promised to boost the annual graduation rate of registered nurses up to 2,000 in just four years even though doubt has been raised on all sides about how that can actually be done. Will the minister explain to everyone here today what specific action will be taken to increase the student intake this September to make that goal a reality?
Mr. Doug Horner Minister of Advanced Education and technology: Mr. Speaker, the number of seats for nurses falls under the purview of Advanced Education and Technology. Certainly, the health workforce action plan, that we have developed in consultation not only with the nurses and the health care providers but also Health and Wellness, has identified a number of areas where we will be able to add nursing spaces across the province. Campus Alberta is ready to meet the target of 2,000 graduates by 2012.
Mr. Taylor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. How will the health minister be working with the minister of advanced education to increase funding for the province’s RN education programs to hire additional faculty and increase capacity by this fall? I wait with interest to see who gets up.
Mr. Horner: Well, again, Mr. Speaker, this falls under the purview of Advanced Education and Technology. Certainly, last week we had my budget estimates in this House, and we debated them thoroughly and had some very good discussions about where the dollars were going and how they were going to achieve the goals, which are in our business plan.
Mr. Taylor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pretty sure this question falls under the purview of the health minister and only the health minister, but one never knows. What is the minister doing to help the nurses who want to retire and deserve to retire yet are being asked to work extra shifts because of the desperate need for nurses in hospitals in the province of Alberta?
Mr. Ron Liepert Minister for Health and Wellness: Well, Mr. Speaker, I’m not quite sure what this minister or any minister could do to prevent someone from retiring. When someone is at an age that they decide they want to retire and it’s in their best interest, that’s clearly up to them. However, we should be ensuring that there is an adequate supply of nurses so that when nurses decide that it’s time to retire, we have nurses that are prepared to step in.
Mr. Brian Mason, MLA: Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. As has been mentioned by other members, today is International Nurses Day and the start of National Nursing Week in Canada. Today I’m pleased to introduce to you and through you to this Assembly three individuals representing this largest group of health care providers in Canada. They are Joan Lampkin from Fort Saskatchewan, Susan Gallivan from Grande Prairie, and Marie Corns from High River.
“Mr. Speaker, the professionalism, dedication, and creativity of all 30,000 registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and registered psychiatric nurses across this province in all settings makes us proud of all these unsung heroes. Our nurses are essential to every aspect of health service delivery, from high-tech to high-touch care. These are the nurses who care for vulnerable Albertans in our hospitals, in clinics, in nursing homes, and in people’s own homes right across the province.”
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