It’s like day and night

Cypress Health Region - Palliser Regional Care Centre

Day shifts are more difficult, to be sure because the residents are awake and more demanding.

Workers are hesitant to accept day shifts because they know what they’re in for.

This affects LPNs, SCAs, and RNs.

It’s not unusual for the employer to go without a nurse on the night shift.

But what if there were an emergency?

Rural Sask Hospitals proudly announce the ‘patience first’ delivery of care model…

Cypress Health Region - Maple Creek Hospital

When a member of the general public goes to Maple Creek hospital for laboratory testing there is a good chance that they will get to wait for their results.  Every single patient should be asking: ‘where are my test results being done’?  Don’t be surprised when you learn that there is a delay associated with transporting the sample to another location. 

While the CEO has indicated that the surplus generated by this health region does not come from any vacancies that remain unfilled within the SEIU-West bargaining unit, this is simply not the case.  A part-time CLXT position was posted in September of 2010 – it was never filled and it has never been re-posted.  We would like to know why union members are being stone-walled in their pleas to have this position filled.  Over the last 6 months, there have been approximately 29 shifts where the staff have worked short.  This causes a further increase in the wait time to collect the sample…so now you get to wait twice.

Saskatchewan now offers two-tiered health care – urban Saskatchewan offers the ‘patient first’ model and in rural Saskatchewan you get the ‘patience first’ model.  What is your preference?

If you don’t like it why don’t you leave?

Cypress Health Region - Palliser Regional Care Centre

We are scared that the strong, efficient caring organization we have helped to build will fall apart, because of un-carefully dictated changes.

Scheduling calls have reached the point of outright harassment. They are calling people already working full-time hours in an attempt to get staffing levels mandated by our management for safety.

Can management not see that there is a major crisis just around the corner if they do not take full responsibility for this fiasco, admit that they were WRONG in changing the shifts and take positive steps to stop the hemorrhaging, if not, there will be no one here for them to manage. We will have all taken management’s advice and found work elsewhere.

 

Stretching the leash to the brink

Cypress Health Region - Palliser Regional Care Centre

 

We understand that our workplace is our resident’s home and we do our best to accommodate everyone’s needs.

We know the families are upset with increased wait times but when you reduce the number of workers from 9-10 at a time to 6-7 and you increase the amount of residents who need extra attention from 6 to 12 in one area something is going to give.

If staff had more input on how workloads are organized, we would be able to stem this issue.

If you leave, who will take care of me?

Cypress Health Region - Palliser Regional Care Centre

Mass exodus of Palliser staff from November to the end of January – 4 from 2^nd floor alone – there will be more leaving because of understaffing and stress. They were good staff.

Others are trying to job-share because they can’t handle the FT changes from 12 to 8 hours and then being scheduled 7 days a week.

“Retention and Recruitment is Ruff”

Cypress Health Region - Palliser Regional Care Centre

How many people want to work weekends/evenings/holidays all the time? On top of being very physical and mental work, how many people want to spend money on schooling to work like this every day?

Let there be 8 hour shifts!

Cypress Health Region - Palliser Regional Care Centre

Since the move from 12 hour shifts to 8 hours has been implemented:

• Management is scheduling people 7 days in a row. At least with 12 hours there would be days off. Could management work 7 days in a row doing the job that SCAs do? Doubtful.
• SCAs are complaining of more headaches, back aches, etc...
• Staff’s lack of home life. Some staff are saying they are having problems at home. Where’s that work/life balance.
• Overtime has skyrocketed since new rotations were implemented.

Managers and Directors should be confident in the depth of employees work experience and should listen to what employees are telling them 8 hour shifts are not working.