Tracy Zambory has a message for this coming election week.

 

The two largest political parties competing for your vote in this upcoming election have released their official platforms. The challenge now is to determine which plan gets us closest to solving Saskatchewan’s registered nurse shortage and healthcare crises.

 

For registered nurses, this is a deeply personal election because what unfolds over the next four years will profoundly impact you and your patients.

 

As Saskatchewan heads to the polls next week, I encourage you all to read each platform carefully and contemplate the promises being made before casting your vote.

Elections matter, especially when it comes to health care, and this year, the stakes are high.

 

In a September survey of nearly 1,600 SUN members, 86% reported patients being at risk due to short staffing; more than half said it’s a frequent occurrence. In this same survey, 90% attributed service disruptions, long waits, reduced standards of care, and delayed and missed care to short staffing.

 

Members also told us how this is impacting them personally. A worrying 94% said that their working conditions in the past 12 months have had a negative impact on their mental and emotional well-being; no doubt the reason behind that is that 60% said they’ve considered leaving nursing altogether in this same timeframe.

 

Clearly, safe staffing is a central issue in this election, and a commitment to new and urgent action on recruitment and retention is crucial. We need more than existing initiatives, which haven’t been working. SUN has been saying this for months, as have all of you. September’s survey found that almost two-thirds of you gave current efforts to recruit registered nurses a negative rating, while 86% overwhelmingly rated retention efforts negatively, too.

 

The roadmaps to solving the nursing and healthcare crises look very different. It’s now up to you as registered nurses and as citizens who also rely on the health system for yourselves and your loved ones to decide which route we should take.

 

So please read the platforms before you cast your vote. This is your chance to have a voice in determining the future of this great province we proudly call home.

 

Polls open next Tuesday, October 22, and close on Monday, October 28 – Where Do I Vote - Elections Saskatchewan.

 

 

Review a side-by-side breakdown of the healthcare platforms:

Read the full platforms: