Nursing Shortage No Surprise!

Nursing Shortage Is No Surprise!

November 29, 1999 By: Rosemarie Selinger

I would just like to respond to the article written by Mario deSantis, "Saskatchewan Nursing Shortage" on November 27, 1999. I have just become a new browser on your web site and enjoy it very much, along with many of the articles that are written. Many of the opinions that have been written appear to make a great deal of sense. But unfortunately the government of Saskatchewan, as
usual, in its arrogant ways, has failed to listen to the common people.

governments continue to fail to listen to the plight of the direct care givers I myself work within the nursing profession and have seen first hand, the results of the decisions that the government has made, in regards to the deterioration of patient care and the morale of the staff working at the bedside. I have been through three nursing strikes and have seen how the governments continue to fail to listen to the plight of the direct care givers, whom obviously can see the ramifications of the decisions that are being made higher up in the food chain. And yet we have a so-called party that is suppose to represent the working people, order them back to work without due bargaining process.

our health care is in shambles There are many reasons that are our health care is in shambles across this country of ours, but not one level of government appears to be accepting any responsibility for the situation that we see ourselves in today.

has the government finally realized that we nurses are worth our weight in gold It amazes me that the Saskatchewan government continues to be so narrow minded, by blaming the plight of the nursing shortage as one of the major causes for the deterioration of health care within the province. And yet in the last contract talks, this same government stated that we were asking way too much in regards to wage and benefit increases. Or has the government finally realized that we nurses are worth our weight in gold. Is $9,000 still too much Mr. Romanow? Many districts are presently offering signing bonuses of up to $2,000. And yes, what about the nurses that have been working within these districts for over 20 years. Well, obviously the government hasn't been listening to them. Otherwise they wouldn't be in the predicament that they're in today. The governments own health minister, Louise Simard, as recent as last year stated that she wasn't even sure if the nursing shortage was as bad as they were being led to believe. I wonder if she's convinced
yet?

nurses were laid off in significant numbers in the early 90's There are many players within health care that have impacted directly or indirectly towards the nursing shortage that we see today. Even though it was predicted years ago,( probably not to the extent that it is today), never the less, it was foreseen. And yet budgets continued to get slashed; nurses were laid off in significant numbers in the early 90's; nursing education was extended into a four year degree program; and the number of students accepted into these programs was reduced.
According to the Canadian Nurses Association, presently most nursing programs across the country are accepting only one third to one half of the students that are applying.

All levels of government need to take some responsibility All levels of government need to take some responsibility for the state that health care is in today, including our own nursing professional associations. Perhaps there needs to be some emergency
revamping of the education requirements (at least for now). And perhaps the provincial and federal governments can puts its money where its mouth is, and provide more funding and a larger enrollment for the education of new nurses.

inevitable evolution Unfortunately, if there is no initiative for some drastic measures within the next few years, it's going to be a sad state of affairs for health care in this country. And perhaps what is happening in Alberta (
with privately funded clinics), could very much be an inevitable evolution of the direction in which we are going. Our health care cannot be sustained if the governments continue to proceed in the manner
with which they are at present. There is no light at the end of this tunnel. And if the nursing shortage is the root of all this evil, then perhaps our governments should redirect its focus and look at ways of
encouraging more people to enter the profession, instead of the quick-fix remedy of closing beds. Which obviously is the easy way out of this problem( in the interim), but in the long term it will be to the detriment of health care as we know it.

Nursing Shortage Is No Surprise!
*November 29, 1999 By: Rosemarie Selinger*

	I would just like to respond to the article written by Mario deSantis, "Saskatchewan Nursing Shortage" on November 27, 1999. I have just become a new browser on your web site and enjoy it very much, along with many of the articles that are written. Many of the opinions that have been written appear to make a great deal of sense. But unfortunately the government of Saskatchewan, as usual, in its arrogant ways, has failed to listen to the common people.

governments continue to fail to listen to the plight of the direct care givers	I myself work within the nursing profession and have seen first hand, the results of the decisions that the government has made, in regards to the deterioration of patient care and the morale of the staff working at the bedside. I have been through three nursing strikes and have seen how the governments continue to fail to listen to the plight of the direct care givers, whom obviously can see the ramifications of the decisions that are being made higher up in the food chain. And yet we have a so-called party that is suppose to represent the working people, order them back to work without due bargaining process.

our health care is in shambles	There are many reasons that are our health care is in shambles across this country of ours, but not one level of government appears to be accepting any responsibility for the situation that we see ourselves in today.

has the government finally realized that we nurses are worth our weight in gold	It amazes me that the Saskatchewan government continues to be so narrow minded, by blaming the plight of the nursing shortage as one of the major causes for the deterioration of health care within the province. And yet in the last contract talks, this same government stated that we were asking way too much in regards to wage and benefit increases. Or has the government finally realized that we nurses are worth our weight in gold. Is $9,000 still too much Mr. Romanow? Many districts are presently offering signing bonuses of up to $2,000. And yes, what about the nurses that have been working within these districts for over 20 years. Well, obviously the government hasn't been listening to them. Otherwise they wouldn't be in the predicament that they're in today. The governments own health minister, Louise Simard, as recent as last year stated that she wasn't even sure if the nursing shortage was as bad as they were being led to believe. I wonder if she's convinced yet?

nurses were laid off in significant numbers in the early 90's	There are many players within health care that have impacted directly or indirectly towards the nursing shortage that we see today. Even though it was predicted years ago,( probably not to the extent that it is today), never the less, it was foreseen. And yet budgets continued to get slashed; nurses were laid off in significant numbers in the early 90's; nursing education was extended into a four year degree program; and the number of students accepted into these programs was reduced. According to the Canadian Nurses Association, presently most nursing programs across the country are accepting only one third to one half of the students that are applying.

All levels of government need to take some responsibility	All levels of government need to take some responsibility for the state that health care is in today, including our own nursing professional associations. Perhaps there needs to be some emergency revamping of the education requirements (at least for now). And perhaps the provincial and federal governments can puts its money where its mouth is, and provide more funding and a larger enrollment for the education of new nurses.

inevitable evolution	Unfortunately, if there is no initiative for some drastic measures within the next few years, it's going to be a sad state of affairs for health care in this country. And perhaps what is happening in Alberta ( with privately funded clinics), could very much be an inevitable evolution of the direction in which we are going. Our health care cannot be sustained if the governments continue to proceed in the manner with which they are at present. There is no light at the end of this tunnel. And if the nursing shortage is the root of all this evil, then perhaps our governments should redirect its focus and look at ways of encouraging more people to enter the profession, instead of the quick-fix remedy of closing beds. Which obviously is the easy way out of this problem( in the interim), but in the long term it will be to the detriment of health care as we know it.