NURSES ARE KEY TO HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
A linchpin works to hold the elements of a unit together, allowing for continuity and continued success. If one looks at the medical community as the unit, then nurses are that pin that holds the system together.
As the largest single professional group within the healthcare system, nurses are vital in the delivery of care, and in ensuring long-term sustainability. Without nurses, the healthcare system would not function.
To ensure the best possible patient care, our healthcare system requires a full complement of healthcare professionals working together, including doctors, registered nurses (RNs), registered practical nurses (RPNs), nurse practitioners, personal support workers and anyone else who can have a positive impact on patient outcomes.
Unfortunately, in recent years, some organizations have worked to create division rather than unity within the nursing profession, which is not conducive to providing the highest level of patient care .
Whether an RPN or an RN, the impact of the care provided within our healthcare system is expansive, and unions such as SEIU Healthcare and its Nursing Division are constantly working to foster a community of healthcare providers who are rweaching their best professional potential while delivering stellar care to patients across the province of Ontario and receiving the recognition they deserve.
“We want to help each nurse to understand that they are a vital part of the team, regardless of designation or union affiliation, or whether they are on the front line or at the front door,” SEIU Healthcare President Jackie Walker said. “We should all be helping and mentoring each other.”
With more than 60,000 healthcare workers represented, SEIU Healthcare works with those providing quality care in retirement and long-term care facilities, homecare and community services, and hospitals. Its representatives advocate for professional practice and negotiate for improved wages and benefits, safer working environments and increased job security for members.
Ontario is suffering from an underfunded and overburdened healthcare system with too few nurses. Advocating for a lack of unity will only exacerbate those problems.
“We want to inspire a culture shift in how we grow the nursing profession and how we collaborate with one another and our intraprofessional healthcare team. We want a connection that changes the ‘them and us’ mindset to a united ‘we’,” states Walker. “We are stronger together. Unity will help us make the changes necessary to deliver an outstanding level of care for everyone.”
To policy makers, she says, “Open a dialogue with us. Nurses at the bedside are a connection to the patients and people of Ontario. We know what they need, and we want to share it with you. We are too important to leave out of the conversation.”