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|  |  Funding for late-career registered nurses a short-term solution to long-term problemsCanada Newswire July 26, 2005 TORONTO, July 25 /CNW/ - The provincial government's announcement of temporary funding for late-career registered nurses, while appreciated, is not enough to address the serious problems caused by the ongo ing nursing shortage, says the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA). "Although we appreciate the funding that will keep many of our experienced veteran RNs working until March 2006, we're left with two major concerns," said ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN. "We continue to hear about RN layoffs in major hospitals across the province, the latest being Sarnia's Bluewater Health, St. Joseph's in Hamilton and Sault Area Hospitals in Sault Ste. Marie, as some hospitals seek to balance their budgets on the backs of the nursing staff. Every layoff means the loss of approximately 2,000 hours of nursing care for patients." The other area of concern is that 45,000 Ontario hospital nurses have been working without a collective agreement for over 16 months and are currently waiting for a binding arbitration award, Haslam-Stroud added. "Our hospital nurses are looking for the government to provide dedicated funding for wages, health and welfare benefits, and job security. They want a collective agreement that reflects the value they provide to the health care system," she said. "Although we're pleased to see some support for late-career nurses, the funding announced today is not going to provide permanent positions or long-term solutions to the nursing shortage. Nor does it address the frustration felt by 45,000 hospital RNs who are without a contract." ONA is the union representing 51,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals across Ontario working in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, community health agencies and industry. For further information: ONTARIO NURSES' ASSOCIATION, Melanie Levenson, (416) 964-8833, ext. 2369, Cell: (416) 801-8958
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