VANCOUVER — B.C.’s 42,000 nurses are poised to vote on a tentative five-year contract with the Health Employers Association of B.C. that promises higher pay and better working conditions, including more protection against assaults and violence.
B.C. Nurses’ Union president Gayle Duteil said the proposed contract, which will cover all licensed practical nurses, registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, will improve conditions for both nurses and patients by “establishing a culture of safety and violence prevention,” while providing more benefits to nurses who are injured on the job so they can get back to work sooner. A triage nurse in Abbotsford, for example, remains off the job after being assaulted in an emergency ward last spring.
Duteil said the number of assaults against nurses has been rising as they face more patients with dementia or a “plethora of mental health issues,” particularly with the closure of Riverview Hospital. In the past five years, 5,280 incidents of violence against nurses have resulted in claims, but the union maintains there are scores of near misses while others go unreported.
Duteil said the finer details were still being worked out, but touted the move for improved safety for nurses as “groundbreaking.”
She said the contract is expected to provide millions of provincial dollars to help prevent workplace violence by offering more security officers as well as training to help nurses deal with violent patients, whether it be in hospital emergency wards, mental health units, or long-term care homes.
The union also has received commitments from the province for safer emergency departments, especially in larger hospitals and those with psychiatric units.
“Our goal is to achieve a hands-off approach for nurses,” she said. “We do not want nurses involved in taking down violent or aggressive patients.”
The deal will also put “more money in nurses’ pockets,” address key issues with respect to benefits, and give nurses a stronger voice in shaping health care policy and delivery, Duteil said, while dealing with major issues of staffing and workload.
Duteil would not elaborate on contract details until nurses have had a chance to see the proposed agreement. BCNU’s governing council and bargaining committee will recommend the agreement to members before nurses vote on the package. Results will be available after May 10.
Health Minister Terry Lake said the contract falls under the government’s economic stability mandate, which applies to public-sector employees. More than 250,000 employees have ratified agreements under the mandate.
