Long-term care has been overcome with professional practice concerns, staffing deficits, and excessive workload that prevents registered nurses from providing appropriate resident care.

Residents deserve the same quality and quantity of healthcare services and care as any other patient within our healthcare system.

Registered nurses are obligated to follow regulatory body requirements outlined in standards, competencies, and codes of ethics, in addition to government regulations and guidelines no matter what position, role, or domain of practice. 

While the provincial regulations and guidelines do not stipulate SUN members, a registered nurse needs to be available, knowledgeable, and able to intervene to complete registered nursing obligations for residents 24 hours/day.
 
Members must use the nursing advisory process and work situation reports to address professional practice barriers, deficient staffing, and workload concerns to meet resident care needs. This supports regulatory and organizational obligations for safe, competent, and high-quality registered nursing practice.

What Members Should Do

  • Ensure the provincial requirements in The Facility Designation Regulations, Housing and Special-care Homes Regulations, and the Program Guidelines for Special-care Homes are being met:
    • Nursing care is provided by or under the direction of a registered nurse
    • Minimum one full-time registered nurse is employed by the facility
    • Nursing care is provided by a registered nurse on a 24-hour basis
      • minimum eight hours a day, five days per week on-site registered nurses
      • registered nurse on call when not present (i.e.: 16 hours/day).
    • Registered nursing coordination of care, assignment, and supervision.
  • Identify the registered nurse responsible (in-scope v. out of scope) for coordination of nursing care, assignment, supervision, or providing care in the absence of an on-site registered nurse.
  • If there is no registered nurse onsite or on standby, SUN members should contact the responsible Out of Scope registered nurse who will be assuming responsibility for the unit/facility.
  • Complete Work Situation Reports when the concerns are unresolved with your Manager/designate in real-time.

Who to Contact for Professional Practice Assistance

  1. Local President: Your Local President is your expert on your collective agreement and professional practice in your working environment.
  2. Nurse Practice Officers: Your Nurse Practice Officers are your SUN Provincial professional practice expert consultants who support, advise, and intervene in professional practice. 
  3. Regulatory Bodies: Your regulatory bodies are your regulatory experts who are mandated for the protection of the public. They can help with the interpretation and application of regulatory and professional requirements and best practices for registered nursing practice.
  4. Canadian Nurses Protective Society: Your regulatory body provides you with professional liability insurance through this organization. You can obtain confidential legal advice, review their publications on topics impacting professional practice, and complete continuing education through their monthly webinars.

Professional Practice Resources

SUN

Canadian Nurses Protective Society

College of Registered Nursing of Saskatchewan (CRNS)

Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Saskatchewan (RPNAS)