Front Lines Is Published by the Manitoba Nurses Union (MNU)
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FrontIssue Three 2011 The MagazineLines for Manitoba Nurses by the Manitoba Nurses Union CFNU Celebrates 30 years WINNIPEG HOSTS BIENNIUM CONVENTION 2011 AGM Review – Resolutions, pictures and more CFNU recap – Winnipeg hosts biennium Hazardous Drugs – Protect yourself Front Lines is published by the Manitoba Nurses Union (MNU). Founded in 1975, MNU continues to be an active member- FrontIssue Three 2011 The MagazineLines for Manitoba Nurses by the Manitoba Nurses Union driven organization dedicated to meeting the needs of its members. Approximately 11,000 nurses province-wide belong to MNU. That’s 97% of unionized nurses In This Issue in Manitoba. 3 Message from the President “To Care for Nurses 4 2011 AGM Review Speakers, Elections, Awards, Resolutions & is to Care for Patients” Constitutional Amendments, Team Building, Joyce Gleason Drumming, Education and Pirates 10 The Economic Case for Editor Universal Pharmacare Samantha Charran 4-9 Costs and benefits of publicly funded Contributors drug coverage for all Canadians Janice Grift Bob Romphf 11 Cover Feature: CFNU Recap Deb Stewart Winnipeg hosts the biennium conference as CFNU celebrates its 30th year anniversary 15 MNU News Briefs Contact Us: • MNU Welcomes Norway House nurses MNU Communications Department 301 - 275 Broadway • Manitoba to expand the role of NPs Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 4M6 11-14 • Nelson House reaches agreement (Tel.) 204.942.1320 16 President’s Tour: Completed (Fax) 204.942.0958 MNU President Sandi Mowat completed her (Toll free) 800.665.0043 tour of all worksites and locals in Manitoba Website: www.manitobanurses.ca 15 Email: [email protected] 19 Hazardous Drugs MNU is affiliated with the Canadian What you need to know to protect yourself Federation of Nurses’ Unions and the Canadian Labour Congress. 20 Across Canada MNU is a member of the Canadian National information and issues Association of Labour Media. 22 LRO Reports MNU adheres to all Privacy Legislation requirements. – Pension and Benefits Review Tips for successfully applying for Publication Agreement #40021526 D&R benefits RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: Manitoba Nurses Union 24 MNU Board of Directors 301-275 Broadway and Committee Executive Winnipeg, MB R3C 4M6 Email: [email protected] 16-18 NOTE: The delivery of your Front Lines was delayed due to the Canada Post strike. CORRECTION: In Front Lines – Issue 6 published 19 in December, 2010, in the article titled: Promoting safer choices for northern youth, please note that Nancy Vystrcil was born in Thompson, Manitoba. Cover: CFNU delegates on the steps of the Also, it was incorrectly stated that Vystrcil had Manitoba Legislature, celebrating 30 years. purchased a television for a client. Message from the President Success In Protecting Nurses! As most of you are aware, MNU has been aggressively lobbying government for initiatives to support safer workplaces for nurses. We know from our research that all health care givers are victims of violence at an increasing rate. We met with the Minister of Health, Theresa Oswald, in September of 2010 and presented her with preliminary findings from our membership research which showed that the situation in our workplaces urgently required the government’s attention. In early May, Oswald, along with Labour and Immigration Minister Jennifer Howard announced amendments to the current workplace safety and health regulations that would see improved protection in health care settings. Sandi Mowat, MNU President In a media release Howard said, “We acknowledge the risk for violence exists in all health care facilities and we are committed to protect nurses and other frontline workers, along with their patients and families.” “To address this issue, we are pleased to partner with the Manitoba Nurses Union to strengthen the current workplace safety and health regulations to help prevent violence in health care facilities.” The Ministers also announced a Nursing Safety and Security Fund to invest in measures that improve safety and security for nurses in the workplace. I will be co-chairing an advisory committee which will monitor the imple- mentation of violence prevention programs, incident investigation, tracking and follow-up as well as identifying new initiatives to strengthen safety and security for all health workers. I will report progress to you on a regular basis. Congratulations to the MNU leadership for recognizing the importance of this issue and moving forward with it. I must also recognize the government for listening to our concerns and for their quick response. Details of the regulation changes are carried in this issue of Front Lines. CFnU CoMES HoME It was with great pleasure that we welcomed CFNU delegates from across Canada to Winnipeg, the birthplace of CFNU, to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Thanks to the support and hard work of our many volunteers we pulled off a successful biennium convention. Special thanks to Val Wotton and the board volunteers for their part in making this event a success. MnU Front Lines Magazine Issue Three 2011 3 PresidEnts address: Protecting nUrses a PrIority Province takes steps to improve workplace safety for nurses Before a packed room, MNU President Sandi Mowat announced that the provincial government has agreed to amend the Health and Safety Act, providing much needed protection to health care workers. “We called upon the government to strengthen regulations, which did not give adequate support to health care workers,” Mowat said. “We urged the government to change regulations, to mandate a violence prevention policy.” Based on recommendations from the Manitoba Nurses Union, in addition to the prominent placement of violence and abuse free signage in all health care facilities across the province, the policy requires: n all health care facilities to develop a violence prevention policy and strategy; n a procedure for summoning immediate assistance; n procedure for flagging potentially violent individuals; and n a system for reporting and reviewing incidents. Canadian Statistics A consultative process will begin immediately in partnership with the Manitoba Nurses Union, on Violence in Health Care as well as other unions and partners, to strengthen the regulations for health facilities. n National studies show that 48 per cent This process will help ensure employees have the information they need to address risks of of all non-fatal injuries from occupational violence in the workplace and determine how best to report, monitor and review incidents assaults and violent acts occur in health that do occur to learn and make further changes to prevent their recurrence. care and social service settings. Final recommendations are expected by the end of June 2011; with changes to the regulations n Nurses are the most likely of all health for stronger workplace safety in health care will be in place by the end of August 2011. care workers to be assaulted. “We are pleased to see further steps being taken to improve workplace security and safety in n Up to 95 per cent of violence committed health facilities across the province,” said Mowat. “We appreciate the ongoing commitment against nurses in health care facilities is from the Manitoba government to seek nurses’ advice on improving the work environment inflicted by patients. Violent acts are also and improving care for patients across the health care system.” committed by family members and other visitors. The province will also launch additional initiatives to help improve workplace safety in health facilities, including the creation of a health n Survey data shows that most abusers are workplace safety fund for equipment and other initiatives to improve male; they are often cognitively impaired security. and older than 66 (for physical violence) or between the ages of 35 to 60 (for An advisory group on staff safety and security in health facilities verbal violence). will also be created including membership from MNU, regional health authorities and other health care unions. This will create a permanent ongoing process to review workplace security issues broadly in health care, determine how best to invest the new health workplace safety fund and identify further opportunities to strengthen security and safety for frontline health workers across the province. Mowat said that these legislative amendments are a significant step, and that the union will continue to lobby the government and to work with them to deal forcefully with the issue of work place violence. “We should never accept violence as a routine part of our work,” Mowat said. 4 MnU Front Lines Magazine Issue Three 2011 KEynote ADDRESS – InSPIrEd Yellow RibbonS – AWARDEd New vice PresidEnT – elected Left to right: Bluma Levine, MNU President Sandi Mowat, Twenty years ago, diana Swain was just Maria Veronica Pasia and Terry Wareham Delegates at the 36th annual general meeting beginning her career with CBC as a reporter elected donna McKenzie as MNU’s new for the local news program, 24 Hours, when For over 15 years, the Yellow Ribbon has vice president. McKenzie has been active in she covered what is still regarded as the been a symbol, throughout Manitoba, the union since the late 1980s and was the longest nursing strike in Canadian history. of MNU Nurses’ willingness to: first elected president for the Central Region, n stand together in support of each other following regionalization in 1997, a position The Gemini-Winning CBC News Anchor and n advocate for patient care she still holds today. CBC News’ Senior Investigative Correspondent n and be strong union activists delivered the keynote address: The Big Impact She became president of her worksite, Portage of Quiet Leadership: A Challenge to Lead in The following individuals were awarded Hospital, in 1991 and also sits on the Nursing Ways You've Never Thought Of, at the annual the Yellow Ribbon for their outstanding Advisory and Union Management Committees. contributions to the health care system, general meeting. McKenzie also has experience at the provincial to their union and their communities.