Ontario Nurses Call for More RNs Over Growing Concern of Negative Impact on Patients
TORONTO, May 4, 2015 /CNW/ - The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) is warning that further cuts to registered nurse (RN) care due to a fourth consecutive year of frozen base funding for hospitals will mean a greater risk to patients.
To ensure the public is aware of this grave situation, ONA is launching a radio ad campaign today to raise awareness of the growing concern for the impact of RN cuts, and in fact the need for more registered nurses for Ontario.
The radio ad is airing in 80 communities in all regions outside of Toronto, where a pre-roll television ad will play on-line. You can listen to the radio ad at www.ona.org/morenurses.
"We are hearing from our front-line members of the devastating impact of RN cuts on their patients and their ability to provide safe, high-quality care: excessive workloads, more complications and infections, higher morbidity and mortality levels and readmissions, longer waiting times and poorer health outcomes," said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN.
"The research is clear: more RNs means better, safer care. Ontario nurses demand an end to the RN cuts that are causing our patients to suffer needlessly. Rather, we need more RNs so that our patients receive the best care possible."
Research has shown that for every patient added to an average RN's workload, patient risk of complications and death rise by seven-per-cent. So far this year, Ontario has lost more than 400 RN positions, which means that approximately 800,000 hours of RN care has been removed from the bedside at hospitals across the province.
"Ontario continues to have the second-worst ratio of RNs-to-population in all of Canada," says Haslam-Stroud. "The underfunding of Ontario hospitals has led to RN cuts as administrators balance the bottom line on the backs of nurses. Ontario can and should add funding for more RNs to meet the needs of our patients."
ONA is asking Ontario residents to question their MPPs on where they stand on more RNs, not cuts.
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 facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.
Visit us at: www.ona.org; Facebook.com/OntarioNurses; Twitter.com/OntarioNurses
SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association
![](http://rt.newswire.ca/rt.gif?NewsItemId=C7881&Transmission_Id=201505040858CANADANWCANADAPR_C7881&DateId=20150504)
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]
Share this article