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LETTERS: Legislated mandatory staffing ratios at hospital will impove health care system

Bring the nurses back to the bedside, retain the ones we have now
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Letter to the editor.

Editor;

I appreciate our MLA Lorne Doerkson’s column, MLA’s Corner, comment on the latest solution to the doctor and nursing shortage by bringing in physician assistants (PA). At least it is a possible suggestion or solution that might contribute to the shortage of doctors or nurses? There are variables in having PAs filling in for doctors as opposed to nurse practitioners, but that’s another dilemma.

We hear about importing more foreign nurses and doctors or making the paperwork less extensive and expensive, but this solution will not manifest itself for at least five years and hasn’t been proven.

There are lots of complaints about our current health care system from absolutely everyone.

As a RN for over twenty eight years I have seen the intentional practices of IH in reducing nurse staffing.

I offer a solution that is based on evidenced-based practice, shown to work in todays hospitals successfully and can be measured in a timely manner to improve the standard of care we have lost, bring the nurses back to the bedside and retain the ones we have now. It is legislated mandatory staffing ratios. This means each nursing unit will always have a specific nurse-to-patient ratio. For example on a medical surgical unit the ratio would be five patients to one nurse, OR recovery, one-nurse-to-one-patient and so on for each unit. Decades of studies have shown staffing ratios lower the patient assignment load so nurses have the time, energy and capacity to actively provide the care that makes the difference.

Important studies have been conducted and published on the success of mandatory staffing ratios; it saves lives, fewer deaths, less nosocomial infection and less complications. Poor working conditions have driven nurses from the bedside, but data has shown providing better care with more nurses improves the present dangerous working environment bringing the nurses back to the bedside. Staffing ratios has shown to improve nurse recruitment and retention. Less burn out, less job dissatisfaction, less turnover and recruitment which is extremely costly. There was a time not long ago when the nurses in each department of CMH had an active participation in the structure and delivery of health care. Mandatory staffing ratios will immediately begin to benefit and improve our health care system.

Tanya Caldwell, RN

Williams Lake

READ MORE: MLA’S CORNER: Health care workers need better support

READ MORE: Williams Lake city council raises concerns about Cariboo Memorial Hospital ER



monica.lamb-yorski@wltribune.com

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