"Internal documents from Alberta Health Services show the province plans to cut about 200 hospital nursing jobs, according to the Alberta NDP.
"The numbers don't lie. We did the numbers," NDP health critic David Eggen said Thursday.
"They're down significantly at the (Royal Alexandra Hospital), at the Foothills, and Olds is another place that you see a significant reduction."
Eggen believes the province wants to replace registered nurses with less costly licensed practical nurses and nurse's aides.
"It's to reduce the bottom line, to hire people with lower qualifications and to make a pretty direct attack on registered nurses as a profession," he said.
The United Nurses of Alberta union has yet to reach a contract with the province.
Premier Alison Redford said the job cut numbers aren't accurate. She says more nurses will be needed in future family care clinics
"It's very clear that as we restructure health care that we will ask people to take on new responsibilities," Redford said.
"We know that we want to keep employing nurses on a full-time basis in the healthcare system and that's really important. "
Health Minister Fred Horne said that Alberta Health Services is currently looking for 300 nurses."
I read some of the comments on the article's site and it's interesting..
Would you prefer to work full-time as an RN or part-time? (considering most nurses are women and have family responsibilities, burn out, etc)
If NAs and LPNs are suppose to further their scope of practice doesn't this mean they would need additional training/certification? How do they get away with being unregulated?
What role do you think RNs will that if this "restructuring" is successful?
First: To people who are lamenting their profession of CHOICE: "if I only knew then, what I know now. I would have pick something else...".. well no one is stopping you. Go pursue your dreams! I came to nursing in my late 30's.. it's never too late to make a career change.
Second: I'm not anti LPN [although I don't particularly enjoy working with them as it adds to my workload) but I honestly believe that if someone has the intellect and potential to gain entry into and complete a BN (BSN) program they should take that degree and run with it.
(Right now) It may look appealing to do the 16 month LPN diploma but long term, you're selling yourself short. That degree will open so many more doors for you later in life. It may not be in nursing but you will be much more competitive in the job market 10-15 years from now with a univeristy degree then a college diploma.
Third: This is 2013. There is no such thing as job security anymore. In any profession.
Have a nice day :)
edit added: Good on ya flyingchange. Hope you get accepted. I'm going all the way to doctorate (in nursing) :)
Many of us entered nursing in our 30's or later. I've seen these cycles before, and this period is the worst it's ever been. Some people also cannot just go back to school, for various reasons, either Pete.
Pete, how does an LPN add to your workload? We are independent nurses with a wide range of skills. What unit are you working on? Has your manager decided to limit their use of skills?
No LPN I know desires to work in the ICUs. There are some LPN lines in NICU and the Emerg in my hospital and there have been some examples of them being bullied out of their jobs by RNs who felt their jobs were being threatened.
While I am no lover of the Conservative government, I agree with the right nurse for the right patient concept. Ultimately, it is the Charge Nurse's responsibility when creating the assignment to assign the right nurse for the level of care required.
Yes, I can't pierce a blood or travisol bag. But it's a two nurse check, so the L and the R work together. While the R hangs, the L will go do the blood sugars on the patients for both nurses. Once the blood is started the R walks away if it's the L's patient. End of the R's responsibility.
My unit has never had a patient on Cytotoxic IV meds but if it did that patient would be assigned to an RN.
It truly sounds as if your unit just doesn't "get" how to ultilize their RNs. How old is your manager?
By calling a two year PN programme a "16 month" programme, is just silly. We could say the 4 year degree is really only a 32 month course.
So, yes, it does sound like you are anti-LPN and insecure in your role.
Should we discuss the ongoing never ending shortage of beds for our frail elderly and dementia people.
This is a disaster in the making
Could we also toss in how dangerous it is in acute care when we have the frail elderly and demented on acute care units when there are no NA's, you can't get a sitter to stay with them, the family won't come in, and the other patients are complaining about the wandering senior coming into their rooms and going through their drawers? We've found IV sites open and bleeding out because they have managed to pull the line and leave the cannula in situ. Bed alarms are great if they try to climb out of the bed but it's not great when the foley is ripped out in the process.
Yes on paper staffing ratios in acute care look better than LTC but it really is comparing apples and oranges.
Where do I begin? Pete how does an LPN add to your workload? We are independent nurses with a wide range of skills. What unit are you working on? Has your manager decided to limit their use of skills? No LPN I know desires to work in the ICUs. There are some LPN lines in NICU and the Emerg in my hospital and there have been some examples of them being bullied out of their jobs by RNs who felt their jobs were being threatened. While I am no lover of the Conservative government, I agree with the right nurse for the right patient concept. Ultimately, it is the Charge Nurse's responsibility when creating the assignment to assign the right nurse for the level of care required. Yes, I can't pierce a blood or travisol bag. But it's a two nurse check, so the L and the R work together. While the R hangs, the L will go do the blood sugars on the patients for both nurses. Once the blood is started the R walks away if it's the L's patient. End of the R's responsibility. My unit has never had a patient on Cytotoxic IV meds but if it did that patient would be assigned to an RN. It truly sounds as if your unit just doesn't "get" how to ultilize their RNs. How old is your manager? By calling a two year PN programme a "16 month" programme, is just silly. We could say the 4 year degree is really only a 32 month course. So, yes, it does sound like you are anti-LPN and insecure in your role.[/quote']
flyingchange
291 Posts
Already have my grad school application in for 2014, and it's not in nursing..