Alberta RNs/LPNs

[edmontonain]

I have been away all summer, so dont know if this is news or not - but I see that UNA has applied to represent LPNs, as well as RNs. See http://una.ab.ca/

No idea if they will be successful, but it will be interesting to watch.

[Fiona59]

Well, that's the first I've heard of it or any of my co-workers (RNs included).

It is interesting to note that the LPNs they are wanting to bring in are all LTC nurses. I know that the LPNs in acute care are more interested in HSAA. The Ortho Techs already have a clause in the AUPE contract giving them parity with Ortho Techs who belong to HSAA.

UNA has never been seen as pro-LPN by anyone I have ever worked with. They have never been vocally supportive of us nor have they spoke out against CARNA's insulting ad campaigns about getting quality health care from "educated, professional - Registered Nurses".

Between UNA and CARNA advanced practice LPNs have been "robbed of the designation "nurse". Ortho Techs, Dialysis Assistant and OR Tech are the terms used to describe LPNs who hold post grad education and skills and work alongside RNs in the ortho/cast clinics, dialysis units and operating rooms. They are techs or assistants not nurses.

Despite having identical skills in many cases and attending the same training courses. Dialysis LPNs are educated at the same Capital Health courses as Dialysis RNs, the only skill difference is the IV push of one drug upon return. The OR Techs work as scrub and circulating nurses and assist the anaesthtist (damn I can never spell that word) set up, just as the OR-RN does.

The recent AUPE contract was seen as a slap in the face by many LPNs when it came to wages and shift premiums. Whether acute care LPNs would be interested in UNA as opposed to HSAA is up for debate. We have already seen that in order to keep Ortho Techs working, Capital Health was willing to meet HSAA contracts and that is why HSAA is looking good to a lot of us.