February/March 2021 HEADLINES Nurses Outline Priorities for the New Leadership in the Legislature Frontline Faces AGM 2021 – An As COVID-19 vaccines become NSNU Meeting Like Never Before! available, healthcare workers get – and give – the shot COURAGE TO LEAD • CONFIDENCE TO CHALLENGE • COMMITMENT TO CARE ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS NSNU BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nurses Outline Priorities for 3 Janet Hazelton, President the New Leadership in the [email protected] Legislature AGM 2021 – An NSNU Meeting 6 Christine Van Zoost, Vice President Like You’ve Never Seen Before! [email protected] Nurses Raise Privacy Concerns 16 With Surge in Patients Recording Jamie Stewart, VP Finance [email protected] Video in Hospitals Preparing for NNW 2021 20 Gerri Oakley, VP Eastern Region [email protected] 21 Escape Contest! Jen Thiele, VP Central Region [email protected] RN Maggie Ann Marie Murdock, VP Northern Region MacInnis embraces [email protected] active living as a stress reliever Michelle Lowe, VP Western Region [email protected] Maria Langille, VP LPN/Grad [email protected] CONTACT THE NSNU 150 Garland Avenue Glenda Sabine, VP Long Term Care Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B3B 0A7 [email protected] Telephone: 1-800 / 902-469-1474 Fax: 1-902-466-6935 Email: [email protected] Website: www.nsnu.ca Tracy d’Entremont, VP Community Care [email protected] TWITTER: @NS_Nurses FACEBOOK: Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union YOUTUBE: NSNursesUnion MYNSNU APP: App and Google Play stores, nsnu.itacit.com Jayne Fryday, VP IWK [email protected] NSNU staff directory available at nsnu.ca/staff 2 Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union February/March 2021 President’s Notebook Janet Hazelton, BScN RN, MPA Nurses Outline Priorities for the New Leadership in the Legislature On February 6th, the Liberal Party of Nova Scotia chose a new leader - the second youngest premier in our political history. Second to Rodney MacDonald. The 37-year-old former minister of the environment won on a second ballot, beating out Halifax MLA and Labour Minister Labi Kousoulis and former Health Minister Randy Delorey. In the weeks since the new premier officially took office, he has become Premier Iain Rankin and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Robert Strang provide a COVID-19 intimately familiar with our mounting update on February 24th deficit, the intricacies of a daunting global pandemic, and the many with CBC’s Information Morning developed an Office of Mental Health moving parts associated with a on February 24th, radio host Portia and Addictions. Beyond that, little vaccine rollout. In short, Premier Clark asked Premier Rankin about else has been said about healthcare Rankin hit the ground running at top his approach to building bridges priorities, other than stamping out speed, tasked with leading us out with public-sector unions. Saying, the COVID-19 pandemic. We have yet of this dark period. A job not for the everyone has a role to play, the to hear from Zack Churchill, Minister faint of heart. premier noted that unions have of Health and Wellness and the contributed to our way of life and minister responsible for the Office In his acceptance speech, Premier workplace safety. He also said he of Mental Health and Addictions, on Rankin stated, “Whether you’re a respected the work unions do and healthcare matters. union member or a business owner, that having dialogue with unions is whether you live in downtown important. As we prepare for our eventual Halifax or in a rural community, negotiations, we’ll be asking whether you work in an office or He anticipates there will be times members to identify priorities via our on the land or on the sea, or you we’ll disagree on compensation bargaining survey. Information we’ll are a student or are retired, I’ll be increases (his words), something he eventually share with employers. calling on your skills, your experience called a point of contention in the However, the Nurses’ Union will hold and your expertise to guide our past, but that he hopes unions and firm on our perpetual wish list; items decisions.” government can come together. that address issues across the sectors and designations. He had more to say about unions In keeping with one of his major since taking the reins. In an interview campaign themes, the premier Continued P.4 What’s NU? 3 President’s Message Continued For example, we’ll continue to press those in need in their homes. This is One of the many things the for improvements in long term a strongly held position of the union pandemic has taught us is the value care including an updated Homes and our VON members. of healthcare workers and other for Special Care Act that would frontline and essential personnel. capture many of the problems we’ve We want to see increases in overall We are eager to hear Minister identified over the past decade or funding in health care that would Churchill’s views on health care and so. Increased hours of care (licensed prevent Nova Scotians from falling how he intends to build a productive staff per resident), and appropriate through the cracks. Our Nursing working relationship with healthcare and safe staffing are high on our Potential research study released in unions. list, as well as a plan to see nurse 2019 called on government and the practitioners as a fixture in that NSHA to take measures to increase Nurses, like other healthcare sector. We want a timeline from our nurse practitioner workforce workers, have made tremendous government on enhancements in LTC based on projected needs in all sacrifices throughout the pandemic. that will make it safer for residents sectors, with an initial goal to bring In return, we hope that our new and employees to live and work our NP numbers from the current 200 government leaders will reflect on there. to 500 by 2028. We will encourage the contributions made by so many, the new Minister to meet or exceed valuing the professionalism, courage The NSNU acknowledges the that goal. and dedication these workers tremendous contributions that personify. paramedics make in our communities The pandemic has shone a light and knows that without their services on deficiencies in health care, We established good our province would be in dire straits. including the procurement of communications with previous That said, we believe that nurses personal protective equipment. As ministers in the health and wellness should be providing care in homes, such, we need a memorandum of portfolio and hope that the same not paramedics. Our VON are trained understanding that addresses access will be true with Minister Churchill. to deliver services in the community. and supply of PPE and point-of-care As always, our aim is to work We must allow paramedics to risk assessment. This is imperative collaboratively and respectfully respond to the urgent needs of Nova and non-negotiable. with government and employers to Scotians while nurses give care to address the concerns of nurses. Meet the New Minister of Health and Wellness On February 23rd, 2021, The Honourable Zach Churchill was sworn in as the new Minister of Health and Wellness. He is also the Minister Responsible for Office of Mental Health & Addictions. Churchill was first elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly as MLA for Yarmouth in a by-election in 2010, becoming the first Lebanese Canadian to sit in the Nova Scotia legislature. He was re-elected in 2013 and 2017. He has served as Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Minister of Communications Nova Scotia, and Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. The 36-year-old graduated from Saint Mary’s University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts. He served as National Director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations from 2007 to 2009. 4 Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union February/March 2021 Access to Immunization for Nurses Since Nova Scotia first announced that the COVID-19 Your calls to the NSNU regarding the vaccine rollout have vaccine rollout was to get underway, nurses have been not fallen on deaf ears. We are inspired by the number of eager to get the shot. Our members were some of the nurses who want to receive the vaccine and the urgency first to step up, exhibiting courage and leadership in the in which you are prepared to roll up your sleeves. path of adversity. The Nurses’ Union is a strong advocate for you, your Vaccine hesitancy has not been pervasive within the safety and your rights. While our desire to see all nurses nursing community, but for individuals who question across all sectors and designations immunized as quickly whether getting immunized is safe and effective, nurses as possible, determining or influencing the priority list is have been role models and knowledge leaders. Nurses outside our purview. continue to champion public health directives, including immunization, while providing excellence in care and Due to issues beyond the control of the chain of innovation for those in need. command, vaccine supply falls woefully short of the demand around the world. Thus far, close to 10,000 At a time when nurses could have been celebrating healthcare workers in Nova Scotia have received the full the Year of the Nurse, our profession was called upon vaccine with thousands more waiting patiently for the to demonstrate precisely why 2020 was awarded that call. Based on public health projections, all remaining distinction. We modified our practice and daily routines. healthcare workers (including nurses) will receive their In some cases, nurses volunteered to venture outside vaccine in Phase 2, expected to begin in April. their comfort zone, entering unchartered territory and assuming new challenges.