Urgent care nurses call on province to give same pay bump provided to ER nurses
A group of nurses is calling out the provincial government, saying they are not doing enough to address staffing shortages in Manitoba.
"Our health care system is in chaos," reads a letter from eighty five urgent care nurses from Concordia, Seven Oaks and Victoria hospitals.
"Nurses are constantly working short staffed and being mandated with no end in site, resulting in burnout.”
The group is asking the province why urgent care nurses are being excluded from a pay premium that ER nurses started receiving in mid-August.
They say the extra $6 an hour will help to address staffing shortages as "ER and UC wait times are at an all-time high,” adding that hallway medicine is a common occurrence.
According to the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP), staffing shortages are currently being experienced across the healthcare system.
"We cannot continue to undergo inaction on such severe short staffing. It has to happen now. We have to get our health care system back to being healthy because it's not,” said MAHCP President Bob Moroz.
During a Thursday news conference, the Manitoba NDP asked why the province isn't implementing the pay increase to all nursing staff.
"You're alienating nurses that we need to keep on the job and on a policy level, you're ignoring one of the strongest tools - a financial incentive - that we have to address the staffing crisis,” said Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew.
On Tuesday, Health Minister Audrey Gordon acknowledged the nursing staff shortage facing Manitoba.
"We're working to increase capacity. We're working to increase the number of nurses that are in our system,” Gordon said.
The province said on Thursday it could not comment on providing a pay premium to urgent care nurses, citing ongoing talks with the nurses union on a new contract.
In a statement provided to CTV News, Manitoba Shared Health said Thursday that comprehensive negotiations continue.
"We look forward to resolving the remainder of the outstanding proposals, which include general wage increases with retroactive effect and other monetary proposals,” the statement read.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.