Ontario Nurses’ Association President Outraged as Government Quietly Weakens Health-Care Safety Legislation

TORONTO – The President of the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) is outraged at amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, buried in omnibus budget legislation, that will weaken measures meant to protect health-care workers from violence.

The amendments in Bill 70 give the chief prevention officer expanded powers to accredit and set standards for health and safety management systems and an accreditation program. ONA understands that the minister’s office has signaled that employers who meet the standards would be ‘spared the burden’ of routine Ministry of Labour inspections. Inspectors would continue to investigate complaints and incidents.

“Health care has some of the worst accident and injury rates of all sectors,” says ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN. “These amendments propose that employers that meet accreditation standards can then self-regulate, and will not be subject to proactive inspections. This is akin to saying that traffic cops will stop patrols and only investigate a crash.

Haslam-Stroud notes that, “ONA’s experience with accreditation in hospitals has not been positive. In hospital accreditation this summer, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health was given ‘exemplary standing,’ with "prioritizing staff and client safety" their third area of excellence. Yet CAMH has been convicted three times of offences related to violent attacks on workers and critical issues, and the Ministry of Labour is still investigating violence issues, including at least two more critical injuries from attacks.”

Haslam-Stroud is an appointee to the ministries of health and labour’s violence leadership roundtable, with a mandate to reduce the rates of workplace violence against nurses.

ONA is the union representing 62,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals, as well as almost 16,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

Prenatal and Postpartum Nurse Practitioner Services Cut at Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit

SIMCOE – The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) is angered following notification that Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit management has cut invaluable Nurse Practitioner services provided to mothers, babies and families in the communities of Haldimand and Norfolk. 

“In yet another decision that puts dollars ahead of our patients’ health, this employer has chosen to cut our highly educated Nurse Practitioner and opt for the community’s new mothers, babies and families to pay the price,” said ONA First Vice-President Vicki McKenna, RN. “It’s so disheartening to see the decisions being made that will cut the excellent care and services our NP provides to our most vulnerable group of patients.”

Health unit management provided notice to ONA that it would cut the NP’s position on February 8, 2017; management cited a decrease in Ministry funding to maternal& child health programs. 

However, notes McKenna, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services reports no decrease to maternal and child health program funding provided to the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit. 

The Health Unit has one Nurse Practitioner who provides prenatal and postnatal care to many populations, including teen mothers and those who are experiencing difficulty accessing medical care. Children of women receiving prenatal or postpartum care by the Nurse Practitioner may also receive wellness care up to the age of six years. Other services provided include well baby check-ups, pregnancy testing, birth control counselling, immunization for children 0 to six years old, and cervical screening and breast exams.

“Cutting this position means no NP services for vulnerable patients and clients in the community,” says McKenna. “Many patients are without a family doctor and our highly educated NP fills this gap, providing outreach services in Simcoe, Caledonia, Dunnville and Langton. NPs perform all necessary physical assessments, order laboratory tests and x-rays, diagnose and treat common illnesses and injuries, write prescriptions, and provide counselling and education. Services are provided free of charge. The end of Nurse Practitioner Services will close the Mothers Care Clinic offered to residents in Haldimand and Norfolk Counties. 

McKenna urges citizens to protest the cut of this vital NP by writing or calling the health unit, their local councilor and the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. “Nurses know our patients depend on our care and their health depends on it.” Visit www.ona.org/hnhu to send a message. Local health unit nurses plan to raise public awareness by leafleting in the coming days.

ONA is the union representing 62,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals, as well as almost 16,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

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Ontario Nurses’ Association Supports Safety for our Patients and Staff in Long-Term Care

TORONTO – The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) continues to call for improved funding and a minimum of four hours of care per resident per day, including 48 minutes of registered nurse care, to address the ongoing understaffing in provincial long-term care facilities.

“It feels like groundhog day every day for those of us who know that our vulnerable and frail residents and nursing staff in Ontario long-term care homes are continuing to be at risk of violence,” says ONA First Vice-President Vicki McKenna, RN.

“It is vital that long-term care funding is provided in order to ensure that residents receive the quality of care they deserve,” she says. “It’s no secret that inadequate long-term care staffing has hurt our residents and our nurses. We know the solution to preventing resident-to-resident attacks, we just need the political will to make long-term care facilities safer.”

ONA has called a Code White, a campaign highlighting the increase of violence in health-care facilities across Ontario.

ONA is the union representing 62,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals, as well as almost 16,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.