Retirement News : Seniors : Nursing Homes Arbitration Award disappoints RNs

Nursing Homes Arbitration Award disappoints RNs

Date Added: 28-06-2005

An arbitration award covering approximately
2,000 registered nurses working in the province's nursing homes, fails to
address key recruitment and retention issues, says Ontario Nurses' Association
(ONA) President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN.
    "We were hoping to see reflected in this award some forward movement on
recommendations coming out of the Casa Verde coroner's inquest around RN
safety and wages, and the recruitment and retention of nurses in the long-term
care sector. Unfortunately, it isn't there," said Haslam-Stroud.
    Recommendations from the Casa Verde inquest, which investigated the
deaths of two residents at the hands of another resident, recognized the
impact of excessive patient volumes and RN understaffing in Ontario nursing
homes. A key recommendation called for immediate implementation of steps to
attract and retain RNs, and "provide the skilled continuity of care required,"
through enhanced working conditions. Specifically:

    -  Immediately change the funding system to ensure parity in wages and
       benefits with Ontario hospital RNs.
    -  Significantly increase the number of full-time RN positions and the
       total percentage of full-time RN positions.
    -  Monitor and track long-term care facilities use of funds in the
       nursing and personal care envelope to ensure funds are used to meet
       the agreed upon staffing mix and RN/resident ratios.

    "There are simply not enough nurses in the field to always ensure safe
levels of care, and Casa Verde is a prime example of what could happen," said
Haslam-Stroud.
    The nursing homes award, imposed by an arbitrator after months of
bargaining failed to result in a negotiated settlement between ONA and the
team representing 124 participating homes, did not address a key priority for
nursing home RNs - wage parity with hospital nurses.
    "This is a key priority to addressing retention and recruitment issues in
the long-term care sector," said Haslam-Stroud. "We're looking at the
potential loss of about 40 per cent of our nursing home RNs in the next five
years due to retirement, and we need the incentives built into our collective
agreement to attract replacements and keep those nurses considering early
retirement working in the system longer. Otherwise, it could have a
devastating impact on nursing home residents in the coming years."

    ONA is the union representing registered nurses and allied health
professionals working in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health,
community health agencies and industry across Ontario.

For More Information:

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2005/27/c6123.html