Fixing nurse staffing crisis should be new health minister's top priority

United Nurses of Alberta congratulates and looks forward to meeting as soon as possible with new Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange to discuss solutions to the nurse staffing shortage and how patient care can be improved in our publicly-funded and publicly-operated health care system.

“We look forward to meeting with Minister LaGrange to ensure the front-line knowledge and experience of Alberta’s nurses is drawn upon to improve the quality of public health care,” said UNA President Heather Smith.

LaGrange was re-elected as MLA for Red Deer-North on May 29 and sworn in as Minister of Health today. She previously served as Minister of Education.

The alarming increase in use of agency nurses contracted by private-for-profit staffing companies to fill the gaps created by the nurse shortage in public hospitals is a growing area of concern. As of June 8, more than 355 agency nurses were working at more than 70 Alberta Health Services-operated hospitals and health care centres across Alberta, including 33 at the Red Deer Regional Hospital.

“As an MLA from Red Deer, Minister LaGrange will understand the enormous pressure and challenges the nurse staffing shortage has put on hospitals like the Red Deer Regional Hospital,” said Smith. “Nurses have solutions to the staffing shortage, and it starts with retaining, recruiting, and most importantly, respecting nurses and health care workers.”

UNA will request an in-person meeting with Minister LaGrange as soon as possible.

UNA continues to advocate vigorously on issues that have a direct impact on patient care and the nursing profession and looks forward to working with the government to improve the public health care system that Albertans depend upon every day.

United Nurses of Alberta is the union for more than 30,000 Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and allied health workers.