Raise the Hammer
Aznive Mallett asks why a process is supported when it does not give community nurses job-stability or incentives to keep them.
By Letter to the Editor
Jan. 18, 2008
We praised the McGuinty government's new and insightful program to encourage graduating nurses to stay within Ontario hospitals. There is already a dramatic shortage of nurses, but as more people with acute care and chronic care requirements are discharged earlier from hospitals, along with the increasing demands as we baby-boomers age, there is a need for more community nurses.
Not to belabour the Request for Proposals (RFP) process, but why is a process supported when it does not give community nurses job-stability or incentives to keep them?
The Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) contracted agency nurses are already paid less than their hospital counterparts. Is there "transparency" to show that these two agencies, Victorian Order of Nurses and St. Joseph's visiting nursing program, which started community nursing in our City, do truly deserve to lose their contracts?
Was there an opportunity for these two to change or improve the issue(s) which caused this decision? Like our hospitals, perhaps an Accreditation process should be considered for all CCAC contracted nursing agencies.
Unfortunately, it is doubtful there will be a "seamless transfer" of services like the supporters of the current process hope. The nurses in these rejected-contract agencies will not all take positions with the favoured-contract agencies. There is a good chance most of these very-experienced nurses over 50 will retire.
This could mean a net loss of 100 experienced, hard-working nurses within Hamilton. What will happen then? Will hospitals keep people longer? Will this domino-effect cause further delays for those who need surgery or emergency attention?
A mistake has been made. All the agencies, if they were doing the job well, should continue with their contracts and be given the chance to comply with reasonable, outstanding issues.
Some years ago, the CCAC changed the VON contract to provide nursing to the peripheral areas of Hamilton, and gave the downtown core to another agency. This did not work well and so it was changed.
Prior to the creation of the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), each City was receiving services within its catchment. The recent RFP conditions required each agency to service more than one city because the LHIN represents a larger area. Is this really necessary when the agencies are already short staffed?
Sincerely,
Aznive Mallett
Conservation doesn't break, it doesn't need service and you never need to take it to a shop for repairs." -- Dave Braden
NewsfeedsISSN: 1715-1554
Aerotropolis: Will It Fly? - Wednesday, December 3, 2008, at Mount Hope Community Hall, 3027 Homestead Dr., Mount Hope.
Bratina: City Hall Plan Could Save $110 Million Over 20 Years (Dec. 2, 2008) - Councillor Bob Bratina, who has proposed that the City remain at Hamilton City Centre, is claiming that this move will cost only $50 million over the next 20 years, compared to $150 million to com
City Backs Down on Airport Development Size (Dec. 1, 2008) - Citizens at City Hall (CATCH) reports that the city has backed down on at least one aspect of its dispute with the province on the size of the Airport Economic Growth District (AEGD), a planned in
Same Old 'Traffic Trumps Everything' Thinking (Dec. 1, 2008) -
Apparently, the City Traffic department still doesn't get it.
After turning James and John into two-way streets that slowed traffic down, the city is now looking for ways to speed thing
Toronto Council to Vote on Corporate, Union Donations (Dec. 1, 2008) -
Toronto City Council has another opportunity today to decide whether to allow corporate and union donations to be proffered during municipal campaigns.
City Council has voted against such don
Poor and Dirty (Dec. 1, 2008) -
Your humble editor presents a modest tribute to the Hamilton Spectator report, "Poor and dirty", published November 27, 2008.
Poor and Dirty
They see us rollin'
On the highway
The
Double Downtown Density? We Should be Aiming to Quadruple It (Nov. 28, 2008) - Today's Spectator carries a head-scratching article on a proposal by Councillor Brian McHattie to double the downtown's urban density of 200 people and jobs per hectare to 400 people and j
By Airesdark
Posted 1/20/2008 12:51:08 AM
Its a bloody shame what this government is doing to VON, its a bloody shame that these Nurses who have been on front lines of giving home care for over 100 odd years is getting treated this way, this is maddness!!
McGunity better smarten up, and treat VON and all nurses with the respect and honor they deserve, they provide one of the most important service in the world, and this is their reward...bloody wrong..shame..pay these nurses well and lets give the the honor they deserve!!
(Permalink)