Registered nurses rally for 'safe patient care' in Gander

Registered nurses gatheredat James Paton Memorial Hospital in Gander early this afternoon for a rally for "safe patient care" as part of their 25th biennial convention.

Three busloads of people were dropped off at the hospital around noon.

"The time is ripe, we really need some real solutions," said Debbie Forward, president of the Registered Nurses' Unionin Newfoundland and Labrador.

"We need some on-the-ground strategy to support registered nurses and our patients in this province."

Forward spoke infront of roughly 170 supporters, calling for a review of core staffing to get a clear understanding of the workload for nurses in the province.

"We haven't done [a review]since the late 1990s," said Forward. "The system has changed."

'It's making us sick'

Forward said a review would lead to better staffing that would lower costs.

"We're paying millions and millions of dollars in overtime and sick leavebecause people are unhealthy," said Forward. "Our members are getting sick in the workplace and they're being told now you're going to have to do more with less. It's making us sick and it's costing the system more."

The rally was held ahead of the provincial's fiscal update Thursday, which Forward expects to be a "bleak picture" of the provinces finances.

"We're very aware that the province is in an economic downturn. We're also very aware though that the public puts healthcare as their number one priority and they've been very clear that they want their services maintained," said Forward.

She said the union is concerned that the province may take a "slash and burn" approach which could include cuts to nurses in the province.

Forward said that registered nurses have started documenting when they feel patient safety or care quality is compromised.

"We don't want to be in a situation where we're saying this decision is wrong, the employers or government doit anyway and we're having to havethe fallout of that [decision]in order to prove that the decision was wrong in the first place," said Forward.

She saidthat members feel a "lack of respect, lack of engagement with the employer, feeling like they're beating their heads against a wall because it isn't working and no one is listening."

More than 200 registered nurses are in Gander this week to take part in the four-day convention.