100 nurses deliver strong message to Island Health Board
The BC Nurses' Union has documented more than one hundred instances where a new care model prevented Vancouver Island nurses from meeting their professional standards and providing safe patient care.
The affidavits will be presented during arbitration hearings set to begin in April.
In a letter to Island Health's board members, BCNU's Vancouver Island chairs say "...how can cutting over 48,000 annual nursing hours in Nanaimo and up to 186,000 annual hours in Victoria be said to improve care for patients whose complex illnesses require more - not less - nursing expertise?"
BCNU will provide specific instances of lapses in patient safety due to excessive workloads, including:
- Inability to provide medications in a timely manner
- Inability to complete patient assessments and monitor adequately
- Incomplete charting and care plans
These situations are all associated with increased risk of adverse patient outcomes. Nurses are licensed professionals whose goal is to always provide safe patient care.
About 100 nurses are expected to attend Island Health's public meeting March 26. New petitions and the above referenced letter will be given to board members, signed by Adriane Gear and Lynnda Smith, Co-chairs of South Islands and Jo Salken, Pacific Rim Chair of BCNU.