For Immediate Release February 6, 2003
Authoritative Canadian and U.S. research shows
Inadequate nurse staffing puts patients at risk
Increasing nursing care could save hundreds of Albertans’ lives each year
EDMONTON — The United Nurses of Alberta presented a package of current research on the critical value of qualified nursing care to Members of the Legislative Assembly today.
Four authoritative research projects that reviewed hundreds of thousands of cases in thousands of hospitals in Canada and in the U.S. produced some dramatic conclusions about the importance of adequate nursing care.
Adding just one extra patient to the caseload of a registered nurse increases the likelihood of a patient dying by 7 percent, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last October.
An Ontario study of 47,000 patients found that increasing the amount of care by registered nurses by 10% was associated with five fewer deaths for every 1,000 patients.
Put in the Alberta context, where over 300,000 people are hospitalized each year, increasing the care by registered nurses could save hundreds of lives.
“This is compelling evidence that cutting corners on staffing by registered nurses is a formula for cheaper health care with poorer results. Patients are sicker, suffer more, require more costly care, and more patients die,” UNA President Heather Smith says.
UNA is providing the package, called “Care that makes a difference”, to MLAs as well as to CEOs and Board Members of all the Health Regions.
Smith said it was important that health policy makers be aware of the research because of the Health Regions’ proposals in current contract bargaining. They have proposed, for example, to eliminate the Registered nurse in charge provision, the only requirement that guarantees there is an RN on every ward.
For nurses, the priority in these negotiations is protecting the standards of nursing care provided to the people of this province. UNA has proposed patient-to-nurse ratios, a minimum standard of safe levels of nursing care. Recent legislation in California and provisions in Australian nurses’ collective agreements, have brought in ratios to protect patients.
“Health policy makers must absolutely deal with the crisis in the nursing workforce, and do it soon,” Smith said. “Fortunately the Canadian Nursing Advisory Committee report has identified the solutions. Action now can improve patient care today and ensure that we have enough nurses in the future.”
For more information, Contact Heather Smith, President, UNA, 780-425-1025
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