EDMONTON – As the province’s registered nurses get set for labour negotiations, Alberta Health Services is warning major workforce changes are on the horizon, including a reduction in part-time positions.
The health superboard said Monday that Alberta has the lowest number of full-time registered nurses, on average, in the country, a situation that must be rectified to improve patient care and make the system more cost efficient. As such, some part-time staff could lose their jobs while others will be asked to accept more full-time hours.
“In terms of the scheduling initiative, that’s actually increasing the number of full-time roles,” said Barbara Pitts, senior vice-president, priorities and performance. “You are able to have better continuity of care for patients because if you don’t have as many part-time staff dealing with patients.”
The move also makes financial sense since it is cheaper to pay benefits and training costs for one full-time employee rather than two or three part-time nurses, said Chris Mazurkewich, chief operating officer and executive vice-president.
“We pay extra benefits, we pay extra training, extra orientation to do that. So if we can move the staff into full-time roles —and that’s been publicly discussed over a number of years in Alberta — then there is a savings there.”
In addition, AHS may save on its overtime costs, since some part-time nurses currently earn higher wages by picking up extra shifts during the week.
The health authority said it plans to implement the change over two to three years, but does not have a specific target in mind for full time jobs. About 28 per cent of the workforce currently works full time.
The announcement came Monday as the AHS board approved its 2013-14 budget and a new three-year health plan and business plan. The agency said it will find $220 million in savings this year to be redirected to priority areas, but did not indicate how much of that would come from reducing part-time positions.
Bev Dick, first vice-president of the United Nurses of Alberta, said it’s strange AHS is targeting part-time nurses since it was the health superboard that decided to hire so many in the first place.
“They blame nurses and say nurses don’t want to work full time, but they are the ones who post the positions,” she said. “They are in the driver’s seat and yet they blame the passengers in the car for the problems.”
Dick said there are plenty of nurses who want a full-time job but can’t find one. But there are also nurses who prefer to work fewer hours to spend more time with their children, volunteer in schools or as coaches, and care for their elderly parents. She said she hopes AHS keeps some flexibility in the system to accommodate people going through different phases in their life.
“For everybody, there is a balance and nurses have gravitated to positions that suit them,” Dick said. “So there are nurses that yes, only want to work a part-time position because that is all they can handle given the other demands in their life. It’s not that they are sitting at home watching movies and eating bonbons all day.”
She said the UNA and AHS have already held meetings on the issue. The union has told health executives that if AHS makes employment too inconvenient, many nurses will choose a different career that is easier on their families, Dick said.
While unclear what level of layoffs are being contemplated, the union hopes AHS implements the job reductions over time by not filling vacant positions, she said.
Besides the decrease in part-time positions, the union is also concerned that AHS’s push toward greater worker “productivity” will see some registered nurses replaced with cheaper alternatives, such as licensed practical nurses or health care aides. This could affect patient care, as such workers may not have the appropriate level of training to deal with complex cases, Dick said.
Mazurkewich said some nurses may also be asked to shift roles as AHS diverts funding to high priority areas such as frail elderly patients and high-needs children and youth.
The UNA’s latest contract expired on March 31. Formal negotiations with AHS on the next agreement have yet to begin, though the province has warned there is no money this year to provide pay increases to public sector workers.
Health Minister Fred Horne said Monday he was supportive of AHS’s move to boost full-time positions, in part because it should help new nursing graduates looking to pay off debt and develop their skills.
“There will certainly always be a demand in all the health professions for a certain number of part-time positions,” he said. “But when you look at the productivity of the health workforce, the more full-time positions you can have, the better.”
With files from Karen Kleiss
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