N.L. nurses say employers threatening discipline over job action
09.10.2008 23:01
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
Nurses' Union president Debbie Forward said some of her members have been threatened by management. (CBC)Newfoundland and Labrador's nurses are being threatened that they could face disciplinary action from their employers if they don't continue doing non-nursing duties, their union says. The Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses' Union has added a number of "non-nursing activities" to a list of duties it has already asked members to stop doing, the latest move in a dispute over wages between the government and the province's nurses. On Thursday, the union urged nurses to stop running routine samples to the lab, booking appointments for clinics and calling in other nurses to fill vacant shifts. Debbie Forward, president of the nurses' union, told a news conference Thursday afternoon that the province's health authorities are warning nurses if they don't continue with those duties they could face penalties and discipline. "Managers, we understand in some places, are calling nurses at home who are scheduled to work and telling them if they refuse to do the non-nursing duties when they come to work, they'll be charged with insubordination," Forward said. She produced a memo from the Eastern Health authority to its managers asking them to inform nurses that the withdrawal of services is prohibited, and if nurses refuse it's considered insubordination and discipline will follow. Forward said nurses in some locations have been told they'd be laid off if they don't keep doing non-nursing duties. "Employers can threaten us, they can intimidate us, which is what they're doing right now in our workplaces. Nurses are feeling very threatened and intimidated, and they're very angry," she said. "For the employer to say that by doing this we're not putting patients first. I think it's the employers who are not putting patients first by saying to nurses we're going to discipline you if you keep this action up." Forward said nurses will continue to concentrate only on patient care. She said there are not enough nurses in the system now to do all the nursing tasks that need to be done, and until government addresses the overall shortage of nurses, the campaign will continue. So far, provincial government officials have not commented. Last month, the nurses' union halted other activities, including housekeeping work like emptying garbage pails in hospital rooms. The union broke off conciliation talks with the province last month because of a standoff over wage increases. The government is offering increases of more than 20 per cent over a four-year period while the nurses want wage increases of 12 per cent per year over two years, and significant hikes in the opening and top salary scales. Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal LinksFriendship will keep hospitals ticking, minister says amid nurses' campaignRun your own lab samples, nurses sayHealth HeadlinesMost recent listeria finding 'very, very low,' says Maple Leaf CEO Maple Leaf's CEO says the most recent findings of listeria at the company's Toronto plant are a sign its testing system is working.New strep strain moving east across CanadaA new strain of streptococcal bacteria infection contributed to the deaths of 10 people in northern Ontario area over the past year, public health experts said Thursday.Advocates want funding restored for community AIDS programsA coalition of AIDS advocacy groups are calling on Canada's next federal government to restore funding they say the Conservatives diverted from support programs for people living with AIDS and HIV.Drug makers to change codeine labels to prevent overdose in babiesNursing mothers who take codeine medication should be aware that, depending on how quickly they metabolize the drug, their breastfed babies may be at increased risk of morphine overdose, Health Canada warns.Check driving ability of seniors with dementia: studyDoctors should assess whether seniors who show psychiatric symptoms or are prescribed antidepressants and sedatives for dementia are fit to drive, Canadian researchers say. Health FeaturesIN DEPTHNobel PrizeFrom Alfred's willOct. 9, 1984 On This DayMissile protester defaces ConstitutionHEALTHPsychologyInside the endurance athlete's mindHEALTH CAREMapNursing homes across CanadaHEALTHTuberculosisAnatomy of a killerCHILD PSYCHOLOGYPoliticians' behaviourHow do we explain it to our kids?People who read this also read …
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