Mission & Vision

The prime purpose for our Nursing Care Committee is to:

  • Educate;
  • Communicate; and
  • Advocate

for nurses who are members of SEIU-West.

The Nursing Care Committee will be an avenue to educate our members on nursing issues.

We will:

  • inform and communicate with our members and the bargaining committee of issues arising in nursing
  • lobby governments on issues concerning the committee and our members in the nursing sector;
  • be the watchdog for SEIU-West issues and concerns in nursing locally and provincially; and
  • be an advisory and resource for our members.

Committee Members

Committee Members:

Brenda Berry - CCA, Central Butte Regency Hospital - Co-Chair

Paula Dufour - CCA, Providence Place (Moose Jaw)

Kyla Kuffner-Cameron - LPN, Saskatoon City Hospital

Ambre Palmer - CCA, St. Joseph's Hospital/Foyer D'Youville (Gravelbourg)

Jennifer Warburton - CCA, Providence Place (Moose Jaw)

Colleen Watson - LPN, Elmview Special Care Home (Regina)

Deidre Wilson - CCA, Moose Jaw Home Care - Co-Chair

Top Officer:

Jason Monteith 

Staff Representative:

Karman Kawchuk

 

2017 CCA Conference: Apply Now!

Your SEIU-West Nursing Care Committee (NCC) invites you to participate in this unique conference designed for specifically for Continuing Care Assistants (CCAs). Through a combination of activities, special guests and a member panel, together we will delve into topics including (but not limited to) mental health at work and stress management. You will have the opportunity to share your experiences, learn from others and discover ways to find balance in your life.

WHEN: October 26, 2017 at 9:30am

WHERE: SEIU-West Office – 747 46th Street W. Saskatoon

Space is limited apply today!

Fill out the Registration Form and send it to Tara Hessie by email [email protected] or by fax: 306-773-7535 at the Swift Current office no later than September 25, 2017 with the subject line: CCA conference 2017.DEADLINE EXTENDED to October 6.

Brought to you by the SEIU-West Nursing Care Committee.

Related:

CCA Conference Registration Form

CCA Conference Poster

Celebrate Nursing Week: May 8-14!

Your SEIU-West President, Barb Cape, wrote a message in recognition of National Nursing Week 2017:

Licensed Practical Nurses and Continuing Care Assistants – vital to health care – essential players in the nursing team.

In our busy health care system, we see men and women in scrubs moving past us all the time. Whether it’s in our community hospital, nursing home or home care environment, the members of your public health care team want you to get the care you need when you need it.

Nursing week gives us a chance to get to know all of the players on our nursing team, how they work to benefit you and your family. We want you to know that behind those scrubs, there are different skills, knowledge and talents working to provide world-class health care to the people of Saskatchewan.

 

National Nursing Week – It’s Continuing Care Assistants (CCA) Day!

By Barb Cape, President – SEIU-West

Hello and Happy Nursing Week!

We are well into our celebrations within SEIU-West…whether there has been a cake in your facility, or you’ve participated in our Nursing Week contest or you are simply enjoying a collaborative nursing team…all of these things matter.

Earlier this week, I talked about the role of the LPN in continuing education and the skills brought to their work as part of the nursing team. Today I want to talk about the role of our CCAs.

The Continuing Care Assistants bring experience, knowledge and training to their daily work. With a certificate program that covers different aspects and environments of care, there is a focus on the technical aspects of the work. But the people who work within this classification also bring a considerable amount of compassion to the care they provide.

I have always said that it’s a special person who works in health care or related fields, regardless of classification. But for the CCA, they are with people during the most vulnerable point in their lives, whether it’s at the end of life, or daily care, or during truly difficult medical situations – they provide the hands-on role of care provider that we seldom see elsewhere.

RNs bring a level of knowledge and skill specific to more involved health care needs; LPNs provide a practical and immediate knowledge for assessment and care plans; and CCAs are the eyes and ears of the team; providing invaluable observations and contributing to the overall ability of the health care team to use their respective level of knowledge and skill in the field via hands-on care.

I believe that there is a need for a reboot of how we look at nursing teams. There is an opportunity for a greater degree of collaboration in the team itself; a recognition of the knowledge and skill that each member brings to the overall provision of nursing care.

We all have a role in this system; we do not operate in silos. Each person who works in health care is a front-line expert and we should acknowledge and respect both their unique role and their responsibility.

For today during Nursing Week, join me in celebrating the Continuing Care Assistants who provide dignity, comfort and care to those they serve.

To enter the Nursing Week Contest, click here.

To download a PDF of the Nursing Week Poster, click here.

Celebrate Nursing Week – It’s Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) Day!

By Barb Cape, President – SEIU-West

Happy National Nursing Week!! SEIU-West is so proud of its members who work in nursing teams – this week serves as an opportunity to show our gratitude, and to also share important information around the vital work they do. To start the week, I want to begin by highlighting Licensed Practical Nurses (stay tuned for Continuing Care Assistants’ Day, later this week!)

Recently, I had a very interesting conversation with a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) who is a member of SEIU-West in Saskatoon. She was upset about the ongoing struggle between the Registered Nurses and members of SUN, and their regulatory body, the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association (SRNA). She said, “Today is a sad day for regulation in Saskatchewan”. And while we in health care pay attention to these issues, what is this really about? 

Recently, the Ministry of Health approved the new set of bylaws that govern the Licensed Practical Nurse scope of practice under which LPNs can safely work. The bylaws were intended to provide role clarity as they describe quite specifically the work that is done by LPNs daily based on their competencies. As well, the LPN education program created and delivered by SASK Polytech has expanded to encompass some additional duties and practices. The new bylaws reflect these added education pieces. This process is no different from that of every other regulated profession, as they seek to remain up-to-date. For example, LPNs, Doctors, RNs, technologists, and pharmacists are all required to take continuing education credits to ensure that they remain current in their profession. It’s a great idea and even though I’m not in a regulated profession, I think lifelong learning and staying up to speed on my profession (Chef) is a brilliant idea.

But that’s part of the problem: SRNA and others are arguing that these skills are not a part of a LPNs ‘foundational’ education (aka their original course). But that’s a red herring because regulated professions add to their body of knowledge via their educational program. Additional courses and skill upgrades are regularly offered to all professions – regardless of who they are in health care. Lawyers do it. Accountants do it. And RNs do it…so why not LPNs? These courses or programs might be offered on-line, or via an employer, or through Sask Polytech… but they all must be a recognized and vetted course in order for it to count towards improving one’s skills.

There is a claim that LPNs are working outside of their scope and putting patients at risk. I have said this before and will say this again: PROVE IT! And if you know of someone working outside of their scope, contact SALPN immediately! It’s not ok once or twice; it’s not ok if no one is looking – it is not OK! But that being said, I have yet to find any evidence of LPNs putting their patients at risk by working outside of the LPN scope of practice. If the true issue is a lack of acceptance of the expanded education, skill and competencies of LPNs – that’s just goofy. There is a role for every health care profession in advancing the model of care Saskatchewan residents deserve. There is no role for professional jealousies.

As our LPN member who works in an Operating Room, she said: “…I love my job. I love going to work every day and I feel honored to help people during one of the scariest times in their lives. I took the same peri-op program as my RN counterparts and was partnered for group assignments with a RN. I was the sole LPN in a group with five RNs… we wrote the same exams, assignments and research papers. I feel strongly that my education prepared me to serve in my role. I feel strongly that the public should be able to have confidence in me when I come to walk them into the operating room. I am good at what I do.”

Click to enlarge.

The public needs to know that the work of EVERYONE on the health care team is valued. From maintenance, to administration, to front-line nursing, to support services, and everything in between. There are some jobs that I can’t and shouldn’t do, because I am a cook; just as there are some duties that a LPN can’t and shouldn’t do because it’s outside of the scope of practice for a LPN. There really is a role for all members of the nursing team including the RN, the LPN and the CCA.

As we celebrate Nursing week, I ask you to remember this: everyone has skills to bring to our health care system. We cannot operate in silos; we cannot eliminate any one player on our health care team and we all know how to improve our health care system… let’s remember that this week. Let’s work together to build strong nursing teams – to do this we must stop the ongoing attacks against all members of our nursing teams, recognize and value the professional skills offered by each and create pride and respect for our diverse roles.

Other Resources:

To enter the Nursing Week Contest, click here.

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