SUN’s 2015 member survey lets registered nurses have their say #skpoli #ptsafety #nursing

[March 24, 2015] Every year SUN commissions a member survey to inform the work that we undertake in representing Saskatchewan’s Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses, and Nurse Practitioners. The survey is an important opportunity for SUN to take the pulse of the membership regarding key issues that members are experiencing in their practice environments and in their efforts to provide the highest possible quality of care to patients throughout the province.

The 2015 survey results show that what we have been hearing from members in previous months are not isolated incidents. Over the past year, SUN members have been documenting and sharing concerns with us, including the rising pressures of caring for a growing number of patients that are entering the system sicker and with more complex needs than ever before; the ability to maintain standards of care in the face of inadequate or inappropriate staffing; and model of care or policy changes that raise barriers to the consistent and effective application of the nursing process.

This year’s survey results confirm that the concerns and incidents that SUN members have been sharing from around the province reflect system-wide issues that require system-wide attention.

As the data from this year’s member survey comes in, it paints a picture of dedicated professionals trying to provide the best care they can in what are often challenging conditions. The results show the important work that remains to be done in advocating for patients to improve conditions of care in the province and to ensure a health system that truly puts patients first and values the unique expertise, education, and experience that registered nurses possess.

Over the coming days and weeks, we will be sharing survey results with the membership, reflecting back what SUN members have shared with us about priorities, the challenges that are being faced in the healthcare environment, and the effect that all of this is having on the patients of Saskatchewan.

Highlights from the 2015 member survey include:

  • Member ratings of the quality and safety of patient care delivered in their workplaces and throughout the province, including recent trends and the factors affecting quality and safety.
  • Member ratings of the Lean initiative, including trends in member perceptions of Lean from a frontline registered nurse perspective.
  • Member concerns regarding professional responsibility and priorities regarding future healthcare policy direction and stakeholder engagement.

Members are encouraged to stay tuned for the survey results as they are released, demonstrate commitment to patients and the registered nurse profession by wearing white, and continue to participate in the conversation on these important issues in the workplace and with all those who can make a difference in ensuring high quality, patient-centred care in the province.  The voice and perspective of registered nurses on these important issues is crucial as we meet our collective challenges head on and look for opportunities to find solutions.

In solidarity,

Tracy Zambory, RN
President, Saskatchewan Union of Nurses