SUNstoppable Spotlight

Registered Nurses Achieve Success through Independent Assessment Committee

SUN Local 101, St. Paul’s Hospital Emergency Department Registered Nurses, and SUN Provincial are thrilled to share the successful escalation of 241 Work Situation Reports (WSRs) describing patterns of unresolved workload and professional practice concerns using the SUN/SAHO collective agreement.    

Concerns have been raised since 2016 without adequate solutions found by the Nursing Advisory Committee, Executive Oversight Committee, or the SHA Board of Directors. An Independent Assessment Committee (IAC) is the last resort within the Collective Agreement to address workload concerns.

The IAC Panel, made up of three Registered Nurse experts, unanimously validated the concerns brought forward by SUN members, saying “It is the hope of the committee that the discernments provided in this report will aid in fostering a wide sweeping, efficient and focused approach to repairing the grave situation at St. Paul’s Emergency” (IAC, 2022). 

The IAC Panel provided 37 recommendations addressing:

  • Dysfunctional Physical Space/Structural Constraints
  • Dysfunctional Patient Flow
  • Chronic Understaffing with Deficit/Loss of Senior Nurses
  • Hight Patient Acuity and Unsafe Practice Environment
  • Challenging High Needs Population Demographic

Binding recommendations have been confirmed between SHA Leadership and SUN. Work continues to interpret the recommendations, increase staffing and address workload, including:

  • Dedicated Triage Captain 24/7
  • Increase in RN Triage baseline staffing 24/7
  • Baseline staffing increase by four RNs 24/7
  • Registered Psychiatric Nurse 12 hours/day, 7 days per week
  • Dedicated Emergency Department Clinical Nurse Educator (full-time)

A significant number of non-binding recommendations were made that can positively support safe, competent, high-quality, and appropriate registered nursing practice and healthcare services at St. Paul’s Hospital Emergency Department.

SUN Local 101 and the Local Nursing Advisory Committee will continue to work collaboratively with the Employer to create a healthy, quality work environment. 

To learn more about Work Situation Reports and the Nursing Advisory Process, you can review WSR/NAC Learning Modules and Resources and NAC Leadership on the SUN website.