Nurses in Canada's most populous province of Ontario are now calling for higher minimum staffing standards in long term facilities to protect patient safety and health.
Photo Credit: Ontario Nurses' Association

Nurses: Critical need for higher minimum staffing standard in long-term facilities

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Faced with an increasingly critical health and safety situation in long-term health facilities, nurses in Canada’s most populous province of Ontario are calling for minimum staffing standards.

At the moment, whether there are 60 or 300 patients, the minimum staffing requirement is one registered nurse (RN). The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) thinks this is unacceptable, particularly because the severity of the needs of long-term patients is rising rapidly.

It’s calling on the provincial government to increase minimum staffing of registered nurses to protect these patients’ health and safety.

A study a few years ago suggested Ontario’s staffing levels were among the lowest in the industrialized world.

Beverly Mathers

Beverly Mathers

RCI’s Wojtek Gwiazda spoke to Beverly Mathers, ONA’s Labour Relations Manager, after she made a presentation to the province of Ontario’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs on Monday (January 13).

More information:
Ontario Nurses’ Association press release – RN care needed to keep residents safe, healthier – here
Ontario Nurses’ Association website – www.ona.org

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