Peterborough Regional Cuts More Registered Nurses: 153 RNs Eliminated to Date
PETERBOROUGH, ON, Oct. 21 /CNW/ - The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) is deeply concerned about the latest round of registered nursing cuts at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
Yesterday the hospital eliminated more front-line registered nurses (RNs), bringing the total number of RN cuts to 153 as part of its "hospital improvement plan" and seriously impacting the quality of patient care.
"The plan released by the hospital called for 170 staff cuts in total," notes ONA 1st Vice-President Vicki McKenna, RN. "But to date, almost all of the positions cut have been front-line registered nurses. The hospital laid off or eliminated 12 full-time and two part-time RN positions yesterday, and in total the community has lost more than 200,000 hours of skilled RN care per year."
RNs are the front line of health care. Studies have repeatedly shown that cutting RNs out of the system results in higher rates of complications; as well, studies demonstrated higher death rates for patients. ONA has been advocating for an end to RN cuts as the province is already grappling with a severe shortage of these skilled and knowledgeable professionals.
"Balancing hospital budgets by cutting the expertise of RNs out of the system is short-sighted and detrimental to our patients' health outcomes," says McKenna. "Yet throughout the province, we've seen more than 2,400 RN positions cut. Peterborough has been particularly hard hit, and we are alarmed at the large number of patient care hours that this community is losing."
ONA is the union representing 55,000 front-line registered nurses and allied health professionals and more than 12,000 nursing student affiliates providing care in Ontario hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, and industry and clinics.
For further information:
Ontario Nurses' Association
Melanie Levenson (416) 964-8833, ext. 2369
Ruth Featherstone (416) 964-8833, ext. 2267
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