St. Francis Memorial Hospital Cuts More Registered Nurses: ONA President Says Cuts Will Devastate Patient Care, and the Future of the Hospital
BARRY'S BAY, ON, Feb. 10, 2015 /CNW/ - Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) Provincial President Linda Haslam-Stroud says that another cut to registered nurses at St. Francis Memorial Hospital will be "absolutely devastating" to patient care, and possibly the future of the hospital.
"This hospital has seen too many cuts and has reduced RN positions again on its medical unit," says ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN. "Management of St. Francis Memorial is telling us the cuts aren't due to financial reasons, but rather blaming it on their own ability to recruit nurses. If the hospital IS truly having troubles, it can only blame itself. RN staffing has been cut so low the workloads are not only horrendous, but dangerous for patient care."
Haslam-Stroud notes that RN cuts in our hospitals have increased the risk that patients will suffer from increased morbidity (complications) and mortality (death). The most recent cut will see an RN replaced with a personal support worker when the change takes place in June.
"Every scientific study out there came to the same conclusion – more RN care equals better health outcomes for patients and saves health care dollars by preventing patient readmission," she said. "The people of Barry's Bay deserve high-quality, safe health care and this hospital is knowingly cutting that. If the short staffing continues, the eventual outcome will be a disaster for patients and the possible loss of viability of keeping this hospital operating.
Haslam-Stroud is calling on the community to speak out now and send messages to their elected officials that they deserve the high-quality and safe care that registered nurses provide.
ONA is the union representing 60,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals, as well as more than 14,000 nursing student affiliates providing care in hospitals, long-term care, the community, public health, clinics and industry.
Visit us at: www.ona.org; Facebook.com/OntarioNurses; Twitter.com/OntarioNurses
SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association
Ontario Nurses' Association, Sheree Bond, (416) 964-8833, ext.2430; cell: (416) 986-8240; [email protected]; Melanie Levenson, (416) 964-8833; ext. 2369; [email protected]
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