United Nurses of Alberta
December 11, 2006
Statement on the 2005 National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses
The national study on the health of nurses shows shortage causing problems
United Nurses of Alberta says the national Statistics Canada 2005 National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses corroborates concerns Alberta nurses have been raising.
“This massive study shows that a positive nursing work environment is best for our patients,” says UNA’s Vice President Bev Dick.
More than one-third (38%) of nurses reported inadequate staffing and a high percentage also noted they felt it affected the quality of care for their patients.
“The report mirrors closely what Alberta nurses have been telling us over and over. Too often they are working short, or they are regularly under-staffed. It’s highly stressful and they say it affects the level of care,” Bev Dick says.
“In the past year hundreds of nurses have filed written complaints about compromised care and the vast majority of them are about inadequate staffing.”
The overall lesson of the report is that reaching good nurse staffing levels has to be a high priority.
“When you have enough nurses working it reduces the number of errors, it lowers the stress, and it keeps nurses and our patients healthier,” Bev Dick says.
The report shows that Canadian nurses report more workplace stress, more illness and more job dissatisfaction than other Canadians. The study shows, for example that 60% of Alberta nurses say they have too much work for one person.
“The fact is nurses work too much overtime and it is a problem,” Bev Dick said. “The shortage of nurses has hit, and we still have a great many nurses close to the point where they can retire. When we keep overloading nurses, they often choose to retire rather than work a bit longer and that is going to worsen the shortage,” she said.
She also expressed dismay the continuing high numbers on violence and abuse directed at nurses.
“For years, we’ve been saying we have to reduce the abusive behaviour directed at health workers,” Bev Dick says. “It’s disappointing that the numbers are still so high. Nearly one third of nurses have been attacked in some way in the past year. That takes a real toll.”
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