Alberta Health Services

The RN contract is different from the LPN contract in regards to OT. Part time PNs can only claim OT pay on their alternate weekends off. The part time RNs are covered by the UNA contract which gives them designated days off, on which OT is a paid, and designated days off when straight time is paid.

The AUPE LPNs lost this clause in 2006 (if I remember correctly) and were told the RNs and RPNs would lose it in the next contract. Alberta Health never brought it up. I work with RNs who remain part timers for that very clause. They are guaranteed part time hours and by picking up an extra two shifts on the designated OT days make more than a full time RN. Over the last couple of months before the "not freeze" is was getting pretty obvious who staffing liked to have on the units and many RNs couldn't even pick up a straight time shift.

The article you posted Jan states that one surgical unit worked one RN short one shift. That would be a luxury on my unit. We are constantly one RN and one LPN short. It's so bad that we just fill up incident reports reporting the short staff situtation without even thinking about it. Five fresh post ops on a day shift is brutal but common.

RAH's Surgical LPNs are working at full scope and most shifts, I think UNA would be hard pressed to figure out who was their member and who was a "lesser skilled LPN". I've never had my assignment changed because my patient became unstable, or if the empty bed was filled by a ICU discharge. Hell, the experienced LPNs on my unit get more complex patients than RNs with less than two years experience because "we know you guys can handle it".

Liepert needs to come in and be a patient. We've never forgot the patient who tried to pull the "Ed Stelmach farms next me" crap to try and get a private room

You really don't understand the political climate in North America. Alberta is a Conservative voting province. With a capital C.

Been that way as long as I've lived here. Elect Conservatives, ***** and whine about the slashing in bad times, economic upturn, praise and re-elect the same crew.

The voters here (or lack of them) have only themselves to blame for the mess. And yes, I did vote in the last election but no, I didn't vote Conservative.

Google, like Jan suggests. Look at Alberta politics.