Editorials
Contents:
- Editorial:
Canadian Nurses Association: Working With Governments for Health
Reform - The Past and The Future
- John
Scherer Leads Good Samaritan Society Workshops in Edmonton and
Lethbridge Work as Spiritual Practice: The Five Questions that
Change Everything
- From
the Editor's Desk
Did You Know…?
- National
Nursing Week: Take a closer look at how the nursing profession
is strengthening your community
- Saskatoon
Health Region is using innovative strategies to recruit and retain
healthcare professionals
- Recognizing
Special Dates in
June and July 2008
Editorial:
Canadian Nurses Association: Working With Governments for Health
Reform - The Past and The Future
by Jennifer (Jay) Sherwood, BScN, MEd.
2008 marks the centennial year for the Canadian Nurses Association
(CNA). CNA is a federation of 11 provincial and territorial associations
and colleges representing almost 135,000 registered nurses. Its
mission as the professional voice of registered nurses is to provide
support for registered nurse practice and “…advocate for
healthy public policy and a quality, publicly funded, not-for-profit
health system” (CNA, 2008). Since its inception in 1908, it
has worked with the government of Canada in key areas such as: health
policy; emergency preparedness; nursing education; and health system
reform both within Canada and internationally. All of its work was
and continues to be conducted and directed toward the best interests
of the public.
The past
For the last 100 years, the federal government has asked for CNA's
help in addressing issues related to health and health care. In
a short paper highlights of its partnership with government are
presented in the form of a timeline. In the late 1920s CNA's Report
on Nursing Service, developed at the request of the federal department
of health provides information on issues and trends in nursing while
referring to the difficulties in recruitment. As well, CNA developed
a plan to ready registered nurses in the case of war or disaster.
This was CNA's first foray into emergency preparedness. In the field
of nursing education, CNA was asked to comment on the wisdom of
establishing national nursing curricula in Canadian universities
in the 30s and in the 40s, at the request of the federal government
managed recruitment activities to address the shortage of nurses
created by the Second World War.
One of the “health sector's national treasures” was created
by CNA in the 1960s - The National Nursing Student and Faculty Database.
Annual tabulation of issues and recruitment numbers are derived
from this database and remains one of three sources of data used
to understand the number of nursing students in Canada. As well,
CNA was very involved in supporting the development of Medicare
as a national program.
In the 70s, CNA's proposals for tax reform outlined a plan for tax
deductions to address registered nurse retention issues. During
the same decade, the federal government created a partnership with
CNA to allow for participation of Canadian nurses in international
development work.
Issues that CNA helped to resolve through participation in the legislative
process in the 80s and 90s included: reduction of tobacco use through
federal tax measures; support of the development of the Quarantine
Act; support of the Canada's Child Tax Benefit; and perhaps the
most evident of all, involvement and support in the development
of the Canada Health Act. This Act as we all know is the foundation
for the provincial publicly funded health systems in Canada.
In the early 90s while governments struggled with increasing debt
and deficits, funding for health care was cut and reallocated both
federally and provincially. These factors along with restructuring
of health systems led to concerns about the future of the health
sector workforce. CNA participated with the government in a labour
market study looking at the nursing workforce and partnered with
Health Canada to increase the use of research evidence in decision
making in the health sector.
Since the turn of the century, CNA has continued to provide leadership
in health reform on a broad scale, both alone and in collaboration
with other health professional associations. As well, issues related
to the shortages of nursing personnel as well as physicians and
other health professionals (e.g. recruitment, retention, burnout,
role clarification and the like) have and continue to be addressed.
Today, at the beginning of CNA's second hundred years, strong relationships
with government and other contributors to Canadian health policy
that have been established over the years will continue to serve
well as CNA looks towards the future.
The future
In a paper called “Vision for Change”, CNA outlines plans
and projects to help build our publicly-funded health system for
the future. Looking forward to 2020, CNA notes that fundamental
structural and institutional change is key to sustaining the health
system. Aging of the baby boomers is one factor that will have significant
impact on our society. As well, while it is predicted that there
will be large increases in the number of people with chronic diseases,
the number of professionals who provide care will decrease significantly
due to retirement. Combine these facts with the notion that our
world is becoming smaller allowing the right conditions for active
and virulent illnesses to travel further and faster than ever before.
To meet these and other challenges in the future it is imperative
that health systems be radically transformed. (CNA, 2008 p.4)
Consistent with the picture of the future, CNA wants all the partners
in health care to become deeply involved in the transformation by
organizing and working towards the following.
o Revolutionize patient care by assuring that a comprehensive array
of primary health care services is easily accessible to Canadians.
Emphasis will be placed on the prevention of illness and injury
and the maintenance of health and health promotion. Treatment of
illness and injury will be in settings for short stay and outpatient
services, critical care and emergency services.
o Use and promote the use of innovative and emerging technologies
to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Providing patients with
the “right care at the right time” can be accomplished
by linking patients to services and providers through the use of
information and communications technology. The use of the emerging
science of robotics will support health professionals by allowing
providers to focus on professional tasks.
o Integrate nursing knowledge in the development of healthy public
policy to integrate provincial and territorial health systems. Such
integration will support easy access to health services anywhere
in the country. (p.2-3)
CNA believes that to accomplish the above it must “be the change
[that it wishes] to see in the world” and has set out what
needs to be done for each phase of the transformation.
The Association is looking forward with anticipation to working
with the nurses of Canada and its partners in every sector to “build
a 21st century health system that is sensitive, responsive, proud
and effective for all Canadians.” (p.4)
Congratulations to the Canadian Nurses Association on its 100th
anniversary year!
References
Canadian Nurses Association. About Us (www.cna-nurses.ca)
Canadian Nurses Association. The Government of Canada and the Canadian
Nurses Association: A Century-Long Partnership on Behalf of Canadians.
(2008) (www.cna-nurses.ca)
Canadian Nurses Association. Vision For Change: The Canadian Nurses
Association Offers Practical Solutions, New Thinking and Innovation
in the Health System. (2008) (www.cna-nurses.ca)
Canadian Nurses Association. Vision and Mission. (www.cna-nurses.ca)
John
Scherer Leads Good Samaritan Society Workshops in Edmonton and Lethbridge
Work as Spiritual Practice: The Five Questions that Change Everything
by Jennifer (Jay) Sherwood, BScN, MEd
The Good Samaritan Society has over 55-years of experience in providing
complex/continuing care, assisted living and other specialized health
and community care services in innovative and caring environments.
It is one of the largest not-for-profit, voluntary care providers
in Alberta and British Columbia. (www.gss.org)
The values of The Society encompass much of what is included in
the concept of caring, extending the values beyond its clients to
those who provide the care. Sponsoring workshops for the personal
and professional development of its staff and the larger community
is one way that The Society demonstrates its “caring for the
caregiver”.
In the fall of this year, workshops will be delivered in locations
in Alberta and British Columbia. (See advertisement page
3 for the Alberta locations on this issue. Information about
the Kelowna and Nanaimo workshops may be found on their webpage:
www.gss.org.) The Edmonton and
Lethbridge workshop is entitled, “Work as Spiritual Practice:
The Five Questions that Change Everything.” The workshop leader
is John Scherer, the founder and lead consultant of the centre that
bears his name. The Scherer Leadership Center is an international
consortium of experienced consultants and coaches in leadership
and change.
Last week I had an opportunity to talk to John and ask him to explain
what he meant by the five questions that “change everything”
and how taken together, they relate to work. He began by emphasizing
that the one question that is not part of the five is: “How
can I change myself?” Beginning with the premise that we can't,
nor should we try to change who we are because to do so negates
us, he offered some further explanation. All of us, he says need
to understand that we don't need to change ourselves, rather, we
need to “come home to ourselves” by digging deep to find
the qualities that define our “human spirit” and to “unleash”
that spirit at work. How can we do that? Participants in the workshop
will come away with at least some of the answer!
Most people tend to separate the concepts of life and work, even
though work takes up a significant part of our lives. If we view
work and life as integral parts of each other, it leads to the possibility
of bringing everything about who we are to everything we do! The
workplace is the best classroom in the world, the faculty are our
co-workers and in the case of caregivers our clients as well. The
curriculum is what comes up in our work every day. Throughout the
workshop, John will continue to explore these powerful ideas with
the posing of the following five questions.
• What confronts me?
• What am I bringing?
• What runs me?
• What calls me? and,
• What will unleash me? (Scherer, 2008)
John brings a wealth of life experience to the workshops. He was
a Combat Officer in the US Navy during the Vietnam era, Lutheran
Chaplain at Cornell University, graduate school co-developer, best
selling author, successful entrepreneur, and consultant to some
of the best known organizations around the world. John is also a
professional magician doing stand alone magic shows or when requested
weaving magic into his keynote addresses.
For more information about the workshops, please visit The Good
Samaritan Society website (www.gss.org)
and for more information about John Scherer visit www.scherercenter.com.
References
Scherer, John. Poland Re-visited. The Scherer Center Newsletter:
May, 2008
The Good Samaritan Society website www.gss.org
The Scherer Leadership Center website www.scherercenter.com
From
the Editor's Desk
Did You Know…?
Spring always brings plenty of news! At this time of year it is
impossible to reproduce all of the information that has come to
me since the last issue of HEALTHbeat. This column highlights a
sample of the information that has arrived during the last couple
of months. All of this comes from press releases, lists and other
such things that are available on the Internet. Apart from editing,
I am passing it along to you as it comes to me.
Did
you know that…..?
A new study with over 25,000 patients was just published in the
New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the American Cardiology
College annual meeting. This was a Canadian-led global study out
of McMaster University. The study examined two blood pressure medications
- one being the standard medication most physicians use to treat
high blood pressure and the other being a newer therapy - on the
reduction of death from cardiovascular causes, heart attack and
stroke. The study found that both medications were equally effective
in the reducing and preventing of these occurrences, but the newer
one did so with significantly less side-effects than the older medication
that is most commonly used by physicians. For more information,
contact: Rebecca Beitchman, Ph: (416) 969-2744, Fx: (416) 920-1822
MICHIGAN, USA - News from the FDA as the agency approved Advair
Diskus® 250/50 for the reduction of exacerbations in patients
with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have a history
of exacerbations. With this approval, Advair becomes the sole treatment
the regulatory agency has approved to diminish COPD exacerbations.
Treatment guidelines for COPD state that the reduction of exacerbations
is a key goal in managing the disease. For more information contact:
Paul Kidwell, Ph: (617) 296-3854
OTTAWA, ON - May 8, 2008: A strong safety culture is critical to
the ability of Canada's health care institutions and facilities
to deliver high quality patient services. To meet this goal, these
organizations need to build and sustain an organization-wide understanding
and practice of safety. In The Role of Healthcare Work Environments
in Shaping a Safety Culture, CPRN Research Associate Graham Lowe
discusses the importance that workplace environment factors such
as work features and occupational or organizational practices play
in creating a culture of safety. The study is based on a 2006 Health
Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) survey of allied health professional
and technical workers in Alberta. To read the full report see Healthcare
Quarterly (Vol. 11, No. 2)
TORONTO, ON - April 29, 2008. A genetic test that provides genetic
insight into the potential risk of developing melanoma and non-melanoma
skin cancer and also reports an individual's current level of skin
cell DNA damage from UV exposure is now available. Take-home tests
and treatments will be available in drug stores across Canada as
of April 29, 2008 and in dermatologists offices in the fall of 2008.
dermaDNATM, an innovative two-step skincare system, is also supported
by a treatment line that has been clinically proven to not only
protect but also repair the actual cellular DNA damage in the skin.
For more information contact: Kathie Elliot, Cell 905-483-0262
WINNIPEG, MB - Four new interventions to improve patient safety
were launched at a national conference in Winnipeg, as part of the
Safer Healthcare Now! (SHN) campaign. “One of the primary goals
of the campaign is to evolve and spread evidence-based safety initiatives
into every relevant healthcare organization in Canada,” says
Philip Hassen, Chair of the Safer Healthcare Now! National Steering
Committee.
REGINA, SK - Health Minister Don McMorris and Saskatchewan Medical
Association (SMA) President Dr. Joe Pfeifer have signed an agreement
whereby the provincial government and SMA will each commit $2 million
annually to assist physicians with computerizing their patients'
medical records. When fully implemented in 2014-15, the government's
contribution will be $7.26 million per year, with a total program
cost of $10.37 million.
TORONTO, ON - St. Michael's Hospital, a major teaching hospital
in Toronto's downtown core, has become the city's first medical
centre to acquire a surgical robotic system. As a result, hospital
surgeon Ken Pace now has four arms, instead of two, when working
on his patients. What's more, those arms - and many fingers - can
enter the smallest of places through tiny incisions.
FREDERICTON, NB - New Brunswick announced that more than $154 million
will be invested in new and enhanced health services over the next
four years as part of a new Provincial Health Plan. A major thrust
of the plan includes continued development of the province's e-health
strategy, including the One Patient One Record electronic health
record.
National
Nursing Week: Take a closer look at how the nursing profession is
strengthening your community
National Nursing Week, from May 12 to 18, offers an opportunity
to celebrate the unique contributions of both the nursing profession
and individual nurses. “On the occasion of National Nursing
Week, I would like to salute the accomplishments of nurses who impact
the lives of Canadians in many ways,” says Marlene Smadu, RN,
president of the Canadian Nurses Association. “Canada's nurses
make a difference every day.” Nurses are a vital component
of our health system and active in our communities. Nurses are in
our hospitals and in our schools.
Nurses lead research and international development initiatives.
Nurses have a strong presence in Canada's military. Nurses are catalysts
for finding solutions to improve access to health services. Nursing
and other health disciplines are committed to bringing in new approaches
and new models of care, giving increased attention to health promotion
and illness prevention.
By popular demand, the 2007 National Nursing Week theme - Think
you know nursing? Take a closer look - was reprised for 2008. The
theme challenges Canadians to re-examine their perceptions of the
nursing profession. It invites Canadians to take a closer look at
the varied roles that nurses play and how nurses are contributing
to strengthening our health system.
“As our world, country and communities evolve, so must our
profession,” said Smadu. “As nurses, we have a long and
rich history of pioneering patient care, influencing societal change,
leading research, and providing advocacy on behalf our patients,
as well as collaborating with other professionals. As I travel across
this country, I see how nurses continue to be pioneers and I invite
you to take a closer look as well.” To find out more about
National Nursing Week, visit www.cna-aiic.ca.
Nursing Week Facts
• National Nursing Week is celebrated around the world in conjunction
with Florence Nightingale's birthday, May 12th. Florence Nightingale
is considered the pioneer of modern nursing.
• Nurses are the largest group of health-care providers in
Canada, representing more than one-third of the health-care workforce.
• There are more than 270,000 registered nurses (RNs) in Canada
and of these more than 250,000 are working in Canada as nurses.
• The average age of RNs employed in nursing in Canada is 45.
• The hospital sector annually employs nearly two-thirds (63.2
per cent) of RNs.
• The number of nurses who graduated from entry-to-practice
programs in Canada in 2006 was the same as it was in 1986. However,
the Canadian population has grown by 24.9 per cent since that time,
outpacing the number of graduating nurses.
• In 2006, 204 RNs completed their nurse practitioner (NP)
education, a 191% increase from the 70 graduates in 2001.
Saskatoon
Health Region is using innovative strategies to recruit and retain
healthcare professionals
Job seekers can discover current available opportunities by visiting
the Region's award-winning careers website, www.saskatoon
healthcareers.ca.
The website supports potential and existing employees in making
the best choices at all stages of their careers with the Region.
Entry level requirements range from Grade 10 for distribution workers
or client attendants to a master's degree for librarians or public
health practitioners.
“You can investigate hundreds of careers online. The jobs are
described in detail, from exact certification and education levels
required to what each job entails,” said Bonnie Blakley, Vice-President,
People Strategies.
“The site also offers firsthand accounts from our own professionals,
who talk about what it takes to do their jobs well.”
Saskatoon Health Region's vision is “healthiest people, healthiest
communities, exceptional service.” To achieve this vision,
the Region has made nursing recruitment a priority.
In February, representatives from the Region travelled to the Philippines,
where they met and interviewed highly skilled, dedicated nurses.
Following the 10-day trip, the Region announced that 105 Filipino
nurses have accepted job offers.
Blakley said members of the Region's nursing workforce have indicated
that by filling nursing vacancies, they will be able to provide
enhanced patient care and have more manageable workloads.
However, international recruitment is only one piece of the Region's
plan to solve the nursing shortage. The plan also includes keeping
local nursing graduates in the Region and linking aboriginal youth
to health careers. The Step Into Health Careers Employment Program
is inspiring young people to move into those careers.
Developed in partnership with CanSask, the program is designed to
enhance participation of a representative workforce, with an emphasis
on aboriginal initiatives to reflect current and future demographics
in the Region.
“This program is in alignment with one of the goals of Saskatoon
Health Region's strategic plan, which aims to increase the number
of self-declared aboriginal employees from 2.7 per cent in 2006
to four per cent in 2010,” said Blakley.
The program, an initiative of People Strategies, is 18 weeks in
length and provides 18 young women and men with the opportunity
to learn, receive work and mentorship experience and gain an understanding
of how the health region works. The program began in 2007, and focuses
on sterile processing technician certification, employability skills,
basic computer training, Food Safe education, Transfer, Lifting
and Repositioning training, great customer service, safety orientation,
aboriginal awareness, First Aid and CPR.
“Most of the training is delivered internally by Region staff
in the Sterile Processing Distribution, Occupational Health and
Safety, Food and Nutrition and Information Technology Departments,”
said Blakley.
“The Sterile Processing Technician Certificate provides qualifications
for individuals, along with their Grade 12, to apply to become a
sterile processing worker or an operating room attendant.
“Prior to this program starting, research was done about which
areas in the Region were in need of more employees.”
Saskatoon Health Region is one of Saskatchewan's largest employers.
For more information about the Region, please visit www.saskatoonhealthregion.ca
Recognizing
Special Dates in
June and July 2008
These are the June and July calendars of annual health observances
and recognition dates for healthcare. Health observances are days,
weeks, or months devoted to promoting particular health concerns.
This information will come in handy for community relations programs
as well as employee appreciation events. Health professionals, teachers,
hospital staff and community groups can use these special times
to sponsor health promotion events, stimulate awareness of health
risks or focus on disease prevention.
June Calendar Dates
Aphasia Awareness Month, National 1-30
Cancer Survivor's Day, National
(1st Sunday) 1
Eye Safety Awareness Week
(9 days including July 5) 27-Jul 5
Fireworks Safety Month Jun 1 - Jul 4
Headache Awareness Week, National
(1st week) 1-7
Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week
(week including 27th) 22-28
Hernia Awareness Month 1-30
HIV Testing Day, National 27
Home Safety Month 1-30
Light the Night for Sight May - July
Men's Health Week, National
(2nd Monday) 9-15
Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month 1-30
Safety Month, National 1-30
Scleroderma Awareness Month, National 1-30
Sobriety Checkpoint Week, National 30 - Jul 4
Vision Research Month 1-30
July Calendar Dates
Eye Injury Prevention Month 1-31
Fireworks Safety Month
(through July 4) Jun 1 - Jul 4
Hospitality House Week (4th Sunday) 27-Aug 2
International Group B Strep
Awareness Month 1-31
International Massage Week
(3rd Sunday) 20-26
Light the Night for Sight May-July
Sobriety Checkpoint Week, National 30 - Jul 4
Therapeutic Recreation Week, National
(2nd Sunday) 13-19
UV Safety Month 1-31
Editor's note: The following tables were obtained from www.pohly.com/dates
and edited for publication in HEALTHbeat. Any dates(s) labeled “National”
refer(s) to the USA but are frequently observed in Canada as well.
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