Bill 47: What Does This Mean For You?

Why politics matters

Hands up all those who profess to hate politics and/or don’t keep up to date with what’s going on in our Legislature? Who finds politics boring? Who doesn’t even vote or doesn’t really do any research when they do vote? Well, I hate to say this but now, more than ever, it’s time to start paying attention. That said, this is not an article about politics itself but a factual piece about legislation that will have a huge impact on your workers rights.

Alongside many others, there is a bill currently going through the Alberta Legislature that may have a profound effect on your health and safety at work and how workplace health and safety is managed. So please try to get to the end of this article as I do my best to walk you through some of those changes and how they might affect you. 

What is this Bill?

Bill 47 “Ensuring Safety and Cutting Red Tape Act, 2020” was introduced in the Alberta Legislature on November 5th, 2020. It covers three main areas:

1. The “Heroes Compensation Act”

2. The “Occupational Health and Safety Act”

3. The “Workers Compensation Act”

Bill 47 was passed by parliament on December 9, 2020. It will bring in sweeping changes to the current acts. It repeals, or changes, much of the advancement to workers rights that were brought in by previous Governments. This bill effectively rolls back workers rights by decades and cuts costs to the employer at the expense of the worker.

What is the Heroes Compensation Act?

This is intended as a means to provide a one time payment of up $100,000 specifically for first responders, named as firefighters, police officers (including municipal and RCMP), sheriffs, Provincial correction officers and paramedics, who die in the line of duty. It will be administered by the WCB and is aside from the Federal program for this, which is more limited in its scope. This is not contentious and will not affect your work practice. It was provided for information purposes only.

What are the Changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act?

There are very many significant changes to OHS (Occupational Health and Safety) within this bill. This article’s focus is centred on those that affect us, as an OHS committee, working for you and those that may affect your health and safety at work.

1. Currently the employer has a duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of anyone in the vicinity of a worksite and includes those who may be affected by hazards originating from that worksite. The new act clarifies that only “identifiable and controllable” hazards that “materially affect” people are covered. Think of our construction at FMC, this could make it harder to prove that any staff were adversely affected by something that originated there, as it might be decided that it does not meet the new definition. We don’t know how those words could be interpreted.

2. The current act defines health and safety as “physical, psychological and social well-being.” That definition has been removed from the new version. What effect this could have on future health and safety issues and concerns is unknown at this point. Potentially it could make proving harm harder.

3. Of concern is the removal, in the new act, of the requirement for an employer to ensure that workers are trained in protecting their health and safety before they use new equipment, perform new tasks, start a new work activity or move to a different site. The new language is more general and open to interpretation. As RNs we are still governed by our CARNA requirements, however, we could be impacted by others around us who do not have licensing body obligations. At the same time, the new act also obligates the worker to participate in any training provided by the employer and prohibits them from performing work they are not competent to do. Not only does this seem to be a contradiction but it effectively puts all the onus back on the worker and removes the obligations from the employer.

4. There will no longer be the requirement for employers to continue to pay workers affected by a stop work order. This is blatantly unfair to workers, who will lose pay for issues that are out of their control.

5. The right to refuse work legislation wording has been watered down in favour of the employer. Currently workers have the right to refuse to work if they believe the work subjects them, or others, to “dangerous conditions.”  Under the new act the wording has been changed to “undue hazards” which is defined as one that “poses a serious and immediate threat.” This new wording has the potential to exclude many of the situations that might cause an RN to initiate a work refusal, such as the potential risks from the mishandling of a hazardous medication. It certainly makes it harder to prove and seems designed to put workers off taking this route. This could potentially cause a lot more harm to employees.

6. The new act also removes many protections from actions taken against workers. Currently workers can’t have “discriminatory action’ taken against them for many identified reasons, including refusal to perform dangerous work, informing an employer about work site conditions, seeking to establish a Joint Workplace Health and safety Committee (JWHSC) and such. The new act merely states that a worker can’t be subjected to “disciplinary action” for acting in compliance with the OHS Act. That leaves a lot that is left to interpretation and a lot of wriggle room for the employer. It amounts to an erosion of a worker’s protections in regards to their, and their co-workers’ safety.

7. The JWHSC will have its name changed to “Joint Health and safety Committee” (JHSC) and the requirement will simply be that the number of employers on the board “shall not exceed the number of workers.” The removal of “workers” from the title tells you an awful lot about the changes being made here. The stipulations on how often they must meet have been removed,  along with the mandatory requirement that the workers attending must be allowed the time and pay to do so, it merely states that meetings should be held during working hours. They have also removed the requirement that workers should be paid for the time taken for the training required to be part of the JHSC. The mandatory requirement for the JHSC to participate in incident investigations has been removed and worksite inspections has been watered down to just pertain to assessing the documentation of the employer’s inspections. The new act also removes the duty of the JHSC to develop, promote and assess the effectiveness of measures designed to protect the workforce. The consequences of this are far reaching. The JWHSC has been a reasonably effective tool in getting management and workers talking safety. They have been responsible for much of the good change that we have seen in improvements to health and safety at FMC. The new act removes obligations, allowing less protective measures for workers.

8. There are no longer separate radiation laws, they are being incorporated into the new act. The effect of this is not yet known.

What are the changes to the Workers Compensation Act?

Some of the most impactful changes within Bill 47 pertain to workers compensation, which again hugely favour the employer; while leaving the injured worker with less income, benefits and job security. The government states these changes will save $240 million in future liability but that ultimately means that injured Albertan workers will lose $240 million from their pockets. It should be noted that the Government of Alberta has just added nineteen of its own people to the WCB, it makes one wonder why.

1. Current legislation removed the salary cap for sick or injured workers, with compensation solely based on their previous year’s earnings. The new act puts back the cap again to 90% of a worker’s net earnings up to a maximum (which we don’t know yet) determined by the board and will be based on a 40-hour week. Overtime will not be included in the final figure, as it is now. Ultimately it will mean less money for affected workers than under current legislation.

2. Currently an employer has an obligation to reinstate a worker with more than 12 months of service, who was injured on the job. The new act removes this, essentially allowing for a worker to be laid off for getting injured or sick due to a work incident. The new wording allows the employer to abdicate its responsibility on the grounds that “the accommodation does not cause the employer undue hardship.” It should be noted that Federal human rights legislation regarding the duty to accommodate still applies. Therefore, this could encounter some legal challenges, if enacted by an employer.

3. The obligation for the employer to continue paying any health benefits that workers, who are off due to a work-related sickness or injury may be entitled to, has been removed. The employer can choose to continue to do so on a voluntary basis.  It should again be noted that lawyers have concerns that stopping these payments may have legal ramifications for employers, due to Federal legislation.

4. Presumptive psychological coverage in the new act is limited to first responders, correctional officers and emergency dispatchers. Others, including RNs will have to submit via the regular process.

Congratulations to those of you who have stayed the course and got to the end of this article! There is a lot we do not know about the impact of this legislation and this is a mere snapshot of some of the most pertinent points that are likely to affect us. However, I truly urge you all to start paying attention to what is going on in Alberta’s Legislature these days. The full bill can be found here, for those who are interested: 

https://docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files/docs/bills/bill/legislature_30/session_2/20200225_bill-047.pdf

No matter what happens, your safety will always matter to us. Please feel free to contact your OHS committee any time.

By Rebecca Brown

Local 115 OH&S Committee 

United Nurses of Alberta

Member Spotlight: Connie and Kelsey Singer

Where does the family’s nursing story begin?

(Connie) We come from a long line of nurses, the first of which is my great aunt Vivien Tremaine who served in the first World War. The lineage continues with my mother Patricia Tremaine, mother-in-law Dorothy Singer, aunt Jeanette Tremaine, and cousins Vivien Webb and Lesley Andrew. It includes myself before trickling down to my youngest Kelsey. That makes seven nurses over three generations.

What is known about great aunt Vivien?

(Connie) Vivien Adlard Tremaine was my mother’s aunt. Her family name, Tremaine, is British in origin.
Our ancestors are from Great Britain and worked as land surveyors. She was born in Montmorency Falls, Quebec but was English speaking. She was among the first group of nursing sisters to voluntarily enlist in World War I in 1914 and sailed from Quebec City with the first contingent to Great Britain. She began her journey with mandatory war training at Salisbury Plains training camp before being transported to Fort Gassion (Aire-Sur-La-Lys) close to the Seine river in northern France near the front- lines. Fort Gassion was previously a very old prison which was converted to the No. 1 Canadian casualty clearing station. The men literally lived in the trenches and the nurses were taking in the wounded right in the midst of this horrific situation. She got pretty good at what she did and developed a reputation as a strong nurse.

Any surviving stories of Vivien Tremaine from the war?

(Connie) I recently connected with a man on a forum who was trying to find the nurses who looked after his uncle, Vivan Dixon, who was a Scotsman and would’ve been around seventeen years old at the time. His uncle had kept a diary of his time in the war and it mentioned Vivien by name. The gentleman was from England and when we chatted he quoted me some of the things in the diary like when his uncle and his uncle’s nurse Vivien were joking about the “bran pie” he had to eat to prevent constipation while on bedrest.

In October of 1915 she was summoned to care for King George V. She was promoted to matron at this time. King George V came to visit the troops on the front-lines at Flanders France. He was on horseback and apparently it was very muddy when he arrived. The troops cheered so loudly when they saw him that his horse reared up. He fell and the horse landed on him and pinned him, causing him to break his pelvis. General MacPherson, who was a surgeon, chose two nurses to care for the King, one being Viven. One would work the dayshift and the other would work the nightshift. The plan was to care for the King on the frontlines until they could secretly arrange his transport back to England. They had to keep it secret because if the enemy found out that the King was there and injured, they would try and kill him. So she looked after him for several days on the front-lines before they were transported by hospital ship back to England. Many of the hospital ships at that time were being bombed, several of them full of nurses and patients on board, but they managed to secretly get away. They got to Buckingham Palace and she stayed at least five weeks caring for His Majesty on the night shift. In a letter from Viven to her brother Trevor she wrote, “I was terribly anxious for some time till we were certain he had so serious an injury, but he was frightfully bruised, he was in a lovely old chateau in France and he stayed there till he could be moved in 5 days all the time worried of Zeppelins and German spies or something happening. I thought my hair would turn grey, you can’t have any idea of the responsibility”.

When did she return home from the war?

After caring for the King she she returned to the No. 1 CCCS field hospital in France until she was transferred to Granville Canadian Special Hospital in Ramsgate, Kent, England on January 7th, 1917. This location was a requisitioned Victorian Spa Hotel on the cliff top overlooking the sea and specialized in treating shell shock, nerve, joint and bone injuries. It was shortly after that she returned home where she did some supervisory work at what they call the port nurseries which were located in Halifax, Montreal, and St. John. These places received women, children, and babies that were being transported away from the war to keep them safe. Over 15,000 women came through the ports to escape the war in Europe. She would welcome these women, children, and babies into Canada and make sure they were safe, healthy, and got to a safe home. Canadian families took these women in and helped them integrate into Canada and to be safe until the war was over. That’s the one connection I see between Kelsey, Vivien and I is that we’ve all helped young mothers and their babies. After the war she was awarded with the Royal Red Cross medal, the Mons Star, and the Royal Victorian Medal. You can actually find the medals she received and the connection to the Canadian Red Cross seaboard nurseries online.

Did King George V ever reach out to her afterwards?

(Connie) He did. He came and presented the medals to her in Canada. He also gave her a private gift. It was a necklace that eventually made it to my mom. It’s really lovely.

What was her training like being so close in time to Florence Nightingale?

(Connie) I remember two readings about the expected duties of nurses back in the late 1800’s. One was the Florence Nightingale Pledge and the other a description of the duties of a trained nurse in those times. I imagine Vivien’s training in the early 1900’s would be very similar, ie; very strict in nature, upholding a philosophy of selflessness to provide the best possible care, and extremely hard work. Slightly before her time nurses were expected to sharpen the doctor’s quill pens, maintain the fireplaces, wash linens, clean rooms and fill the kerosene lamps, while balancing all the medical work. My mother trained at a catholic hospital in Montreal and her instructors were catholic sisters. They worked 6 days a week, only being allowed to attend church on Sunday, and starched the nursing supervisor uniforms as part of their duties. I watched my mom do shift work. She actually worked with some of the holocaust survivors at the Jewish General in Montreal. Florence Nightingale was woven within everything the nurses did from my great aunt Vivien to my mother, and her ethics continue with nurses to this very day.

It would appear there’s a family calling to nursing...

(Connie) The history certainly has had an impact. My mom really encouraged me into nursing. She did a lot of what they called “specialling” back then which was private nursing. She always said to me that nursing was a respectable job and a good long term career. She said it would be hard and that I’d hate shift work but that I’d do well with it.

(Kelsey) Both my grandmas were nurses. Both of my parent’s mothers and my own mom. I felt like it just ran in my blood. Like it was instantly part of me.

Tell me about your nursing education?

(Connie) I was born in Montreal and lived a good portion of my life there until young adulthood. Right out of high school I pursued a nursing education at John Abbot College in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue in Quebec. It was called CEGEP which stands for collège d’enseignement général et professionnel, which means general and vocational college. It was a two year diploma program plus an extra year which was the equivalent of a university year. I trained at seven different hospitals in Montreal in a number of different areas. My first rotation was in geriatrics at a veterans hospital. We were taught to have an immense amount of respect for these men because they had been through mustard gas and all sorts of terrible things. As we got into our second year we did pediatrics and obstetrics, and surgery later in the third year. The bonus to the entire situation was that me education was free. We only had to pay for our uniforms.

(Kelsey) I pursued nursing through Mount Royal University right out of high school. It was still a college but nursing was the first degree they offered and I attended the very first year the degree program was offered. My education was not free.

Where was your first job as a Registered Nurse?

(Kelsey) From nursing school I started as a grad nurse in children’s palliative care working at the Rotary Flames House. I started there as a health care aide, then got a job as a grad nurse, before writing and passing my CRNE and becoming an RN. It was a very challenging job to deal with the loss of children.

(Connie) My first job was in Ontario in the health centre of the Ontario Correctional Institute. The job was six months duration via a program called the Ontario Career Actions Program. Corrections was a very eye opening experience. Following that I jumped into a full-time position at the Mississauga General Hospital in the premature newborn nursery.

What brought the family from Quebec to Alberta?

(Connie) It was a romantic choice. I met my future husband Lee in Calgary. We carried a long distance relationship for a year then I took the plunge moving out west. The search for a new nursing job was easy. I had two offers in one day! One at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and other other in the NICU at Foothills. Pediatrics won me over. After seven years at the ACH I ventured over to a new position in postpartum at the Foothills Hospital, staying there for nearly twenty-five years to retirement.

Where did the interest come from in caring for babies?

(Connie) At that time it was what was available but my mother had a little bit of obstetrical experience which kind of trickled down to me. I always had an interest in pediatrics so I chose to work at the Children’s and I loved it. I worked there for seven years. Alberta Children’s at that time had clusters which were designated to different age groups and specialities. My first years there were very informative years in terms of learning and picking up new skills. Later as my family came along, I decided to go into obstetrics and started working at Foothills and ended up staying on Unit 52 in the post-partum and nursery area for almost twenty-five years.

(Kelsey) My mom was in postpartum at Foothills and I always had a relationship with the post-partum nurses. They kind of felt like family to me. So I applied and got a job in labour and delivery on Unit 51 at Foothills and have been there ever since.

Tell me about the nursing world of obstetrics at Foothills...

(Kelsey) Obstetrics is the umbrella term that covers our three main units including antepartum, labour and delivery, and post partum. We are the level 1 trauma centre which means we have to accommodate the highest acuity patients from all over central and southern Alberta. We take anyone who is high risk and under 32 weeks gestation. Although the job is often filled with joy and excitement, we also see some very challenging things and care for very sick mothers and babies. Unit 51 is our labour and delivery unit, which also has two operating rooms for both booked and emergency c-sections/procedures. We see young babies anywhere from 24 weeks and up. Unit 51 also houses two high risk beds specifically for patients that, prior to or after delivery, are in need of more extensive medical monitoring, like in instances of pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, postpartum hemorrhage, or following a hysterectomy or other incase procedures. Previously we were only taking patients anywhere from 20 weeks and above in gestation. We have recently expanded to include 12-20 weeks if they’re cases we feel we can manage. Our antepartum unit is where I say we try and keep people pregnant. We also have private rooms available where we may care for early pregnancy losses and see them through postpartum as well. We take a lot patients who are pregnant with significant medical issues such as placental previa, organ failure and other life threatening diseases, premature rupture of membranes, gestational hypertension and diabetic management, major fetal anomalies, antepartum hemorrhages and much more. Some patients are admitted for a short period of time and others are there until they deliver. One of the typical ones we keep until delivery are monoamniotic-monochorionic twins, often referred to as mono mono twins. They share one placenta but have two separate umbilical cords and there is a huge risk of cord entanglement. Our job is to monitor them and their babies. If we have to deliver them early, we do it for them and their child’s safety otherwise we try and keep them pregnant as long as we can.

What is the best analogy you’ve heard to describe the physical experience of giving birth?

(Connie) Early on in my career an older nurse told me that being in labour is like playing four quarters of a football game without a break, in terms of energy and output. Then at the end, you deliver the football.

(Kelsey) People often use the comparison of delivering a baby to that of passing kidney stones yet I’ve heard people say kidney stones are worse.

What’s the average length of stay on the post- partum unit after delivery?

(Kelsey) A typical stay is two nights after a c-section free of complications. After a vaginal birth it’s one night.

(Connie) Back in the 80’s it was three days for a vaginal birth and five days for c-section.

How do nurses help vulnerable birthing mothers and those experiencing domestic violence?

(Kelsey) It is part of our nursing responsibilities to ask the birthing mother if they live in a safe place and are the victim of any domestic violence. It’s on our admission form as well. We ask the patient when they are alone and we do it every chance we get. They’ll hear it five or six times and it’s important because sometimes it takes thirty times for someone to reach out for help. It’s one of the things I wish we had more opportunity to address.

Looking back, if you could give yourself some advice as a young nurse, what would it be?

(Connie) To be more confident. Face your fears, tell yourself “I can do this”, and keep learning. A nurse with confidence in their abilities fosters that confidence their patients.

(Kelsey) Continue to learn, grow, and try new things. Have respect for yourself as part the team. You matter!

What is your favourite thing to do in Calgary and the surrounding area?

(Kelsey): Anything outdoors. My mom and I are hiking buddies and we thrive off of the outdoors. Nature never judges and I feel at peace when I’m outside. The fresh air, the birds chirping, and the sights put me in a comfortable place. I also volunteer for the Cochrane Humane Society fostering kittens. I also have an interest in tattoos.

(Connie) Our love for the outdoors is mutual and enduring. Living on an acreage just outside of Bragg Creek, next door to the Rockies provides great hiking, camping and winter sports opportunities. I am passionate about nature, photography and immersing myself in outdoor activities. These passions came mainly from family camping experiences, working as a canoe tripper at YWCA Camp Oolahwan in the beautiful Laurentians, Quebec, and two Outward Bound Canada wilderness courses. In retirement I am more active than ever enjoying back country hiking, camping and cross country skiing. I did my first 15 km Loppet this winter and remain actively engaged with the Outward Bound Canada organization. One of the greatest revelations from these pursuits has been the positive impact on my life and nursing career. They have provided me with great direction in life, improved self confidence, compassion, resilience, courage and some leadership skills.

What is your favourite restaurant/book/tv show/ movie/place to shop?

(Kelsey) The Coup. I’m a vegetarian with vegan habits. My favourite book is called The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F%&!. I My favourite old TV show is Friends and my favourite new one is Stranger Things. My favourite movie is Tarzan. I loved the music. My favourite place to shop is Lululemon.

(Connie) Swiss Chalet. Huckleberry Finn. Call the Midwives. My favourite movie is Oliver Twist. Fagan is my favourite character. My favourite place to shop is Atmosphere Sports.

What is the greatest challenge Nurses face in the workplace?

(Kelsey) Staffing, the lack of understanding from the government and other leaders of our experiences, and the expectations that are placed on us.

(Connie) I would like to see nurses not lose what they’ve worked so hard to gain. They need better staffing ratios and a greater respect for what they do from leaders.

Any words of advice for Nurses planning their retirement?

(Connie) You should start planning at least five years before your retirement date. Start crunching numbers as to what your personal needs are for your projected lifespan which is pretty good these days. Healthy people are living well into their 90s. Take full advantage of the Employer- shared RRSP contribution. Mark sure you’re signed up for LAPP and the benefits plan through ARTA, both of which are recommended by UNA and are a really good fit. Invest your money when you’re young because you need a portfolio for yourself to supplement your pension. Really communicate with UNA, HR and LAPP. I wish I had done the workshops like the pre-retirement workshop offered through the Calgary District Labour Council and the LAPP workshop offered by AHS.

Why is the union important to you?

(Kelsey) My mom got me involved by taking me to the AGMs when I was a nursing student. I’m grateful for the awareness I’ve gained for what the union does for us, how they support us, what they offer, and for their response when I’ve reached out personally for support. They are nurses fighting for what they would want as nurses. It’s a like a family with similar goals and desires.

(Connie) The support I felt the moment I stepped in to my first AGM was incredible. I realized how strong Heather Smith is and the executive group working with her are. They do so much to help us and their relationships with other unions are so diverse. It’s everyone working together as a strong formidable force to help protect us and give us better workplaces.

How Safe is Your Workplace: A Reproductive Risk Story

By Rebecca Brown & Arielle Hebert, Local 115 OH&S Committee,
United Nurses of Alberta

An Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) concern can take many forms: slips, trips, falls, violence, hazardous exposures, injuries, psychological harm and so on. The list is pretty extensive. When you suffer harm at work it is imperative that you report it for your sake, for the sake of your colleagues, and for the safety of future workers in the workplace. So, what happens when you discover an OHS concern? The fol- lowing is based on a real case and is used with permission, although names have been changed.

Sarah discovered that a medication that was be- ing mixed on her unit carried a reproductive risk. She brought the issue up with her manager as there were staff on the unit who had experienced some problems that could be related to that medication. She also filed a WCB report. Sarah and the staff were told mixing the medication was a minor risk and that everything was fine as long as they wore gloves to mix the medication. At that time Sarah didn’t file an OHS concern because she felt the is- sue had been resolved.

Fast forward two years. Sarah found out that the information they had been given was not correct. The medication was a serious reproductive risk and all other AHS sites had the medication mixed in a pharmacy under the bio hood; a process used for high risk medications. At that point Sarah alerted the UNA who directed her concern to the OHS committee. Sarah was assigned a committee member who contacted her to discuss the concern. She was able to provide all the information in a timely fashion and the committee member was able to quickly file the UNA OHS form online. This form gets sent to the Local and the main OHS office at UNA headquarters in Edmonton. As this was a very serious concern, the provincial OHS team were there to assist the committee in this investigation. The committee member also contacted Sarah’s manager to discuss the concern and to start working on how to resolve the issue quickly. As the problem involved a medication, the manager of pharmacy was also contacted for their input.

The concern was discussed at the next OHS Local meeting and, once all the information was collated, put forward to the Joint Workplace Health and Safety Committee (which meets every month to discuss and try to rectify all OHS concerns across the site.) This case was resolved by the pharmacy agreeing to mix the medication under the bio hood as was the practice across all other sites at AHS.

Any of the nurses on the unit who are of reproductive age also have to don appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when spiking the medication and when removing a patient’s IV. The medication is now listed in the unit Hazard Identification Assessment and Control (HIAC) document and labelled as a reproductive risk. Thanks to Sarah’s vigilance in reporting and the work of the OHS committee, the staff can now administer this medication in a safe manner.

Did you know that every workplace in AHS has a HIAC folder which details all the known and potential hazards in the area and has a framework for how they are supposed to be dealt with? The HIAC is a working document and should be updated after every OHS concern. One of the questions we will ask if you report a concern to the OHS Commit- tee is if there is a framework for the OHS concern you have in the HIAC, and if so, was the correct procedure followed? Take some time and locate your HIAC folder and see what it contains. Check for when it was last updated and see if it should be revised. Anyone working in the area has the author- ity to make notes in the HIAC regarding OHS.

If you need to contact the Union to discuss an OHS concern you can:

1. Go to UNA.ab.ca and click on the OHS icon on the main page

2. Go on the UNA app and click on the “report a concern” on the upper right hand side

3. Pick-up the phone and call Local 115 directly on 403-670-9960

   The OHS committee has been successful in resolving many issues over the years. Of course some- times things have to go further, but your Local will always have someone there to support you.

   As per the current Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act remember your three basic rights:

   • Right to know what hazards and dangers you may encounter and need to be trained on

   • Right to participate in the process of identify- ing and controlling hazards

   • Right to refuse unsafe work with full protection from reprisal

As Registered Nurses we also have an obligation under this act to report to the Employer or your supervisor anything unsafe or harmful in our workplace.

In the New Year members of your Local 115 OHS committee will be coming around FMC with a coffee cart to introduce ourselves and answer questions you may have about what we do. Look out for us and stop for a chat.

Your safety matters!

Member Spotlight: Tony Huynh

Tell me about your family...

My family is the Chinese ex-patriot community from Vietnam. My family came over from Vietnam as new immigrants and refugees during the Vietnam war. This was at a the height of communism after French colonial rule fell. My mom and dad were lucky in that they were able to come directly from Vietnam. Other family members weren’t so. My aunt had to flee Vietnam and ended up in a refugee camp in Hong Kong for 2-3 years until my mom was able to sponsor her over here.

What led to your interest to pursue nursing?

I started studying invertebrate zoology. I never thought of nursing until 3rd or 4th year into my zoology degree. Something just didn’t feel right. Looking back I think at that time I yearned for a profession that allowed me to be of service in a different way. That’s what really drew me to nursing; the human aspect.

Where did you go to school?

I applied to the University of Calgary Bachelor of Nursing transfer program. It was a two year accelerated program. At that time the program had two streams; one for degree holders and the other for non-degree holders. The difference between the two were simply the requirements (amount of credits, GPA etc). There was no real difference in the education. I began in 2012 and graduated in 2014.

Where was your first RN job?

At Agape hospice. I had selected Agape for my final focus and got a job there after graduation and my return from England.

What led to the interest in palliative care?

I knew I always wanted to explore end-of-life and palliative care. At times I’ve felt like end-of-life and palliative care has been underemphasized. It’s a very important aspect in someone’s life. As a labour and delivery nurse eases the transition of life into this world, so we in palliative care ease the transition of life into the next world.

What was of interest in England?

A monastery. I went to the Isle of Wight which is a tiny island off of the coast of Portsmouth. There’s a Benedictine monastery there, inhabited by 9 monks.

Why England? Why a monastery?

I had always wanted to travel somewhere after graduation, but I didn’t want to travel just for the sake of travelling. I was perusing through Chapters one day and came across and stack of books. One caught my eye called, “And Then They Were Nuns: Adventures in a Cloistered Life” by Canadian Author Jane Christmas. The premise of the book was about her exploring her journey of whether she was “nun material” or not. One of the places she visited was Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight. After reading the book, I couldn’t stop thinking about Quarr Abbey.

I looked up their website and saw they were offering internships for young people. I got in touch with the intern master, applied, and did an interview over the phone with him and the head of the monastery called the Abbot. Two weeks later I was buying my ticket over to the monastery. I stayed for two months and recently returned in the spring from a three-month trip.

What is a Benedictine monk?

Benedictine monks are an order of Catholic monks.

It originated from St. Benedict, the father of Western Monasticism. St. Benedict was a monk in Italy who lived in the city and felt a calling to have a deeper life of silence and solitude. He ended up leaving the city and going out into the wilderness as many monastics do. He founded this order of monks in the catholic church that has continued to now.

Are there rules to becoming a Benedictine monk?

I’ll highlight two major ones. The whole way of life of the Benedictine congregation is set out by what is the rule of St. Benedict, which he wrote ages ago, which specifies how they live day-to-day. It identifies at what time they have to wake up for communal prayer, how they approach silent prayer, things like that. When someone professes to become a Benedictine monk, they have vows attached to their profession. The vow of stability, the vow of obedience, and the vow of conversion of life. Stability meaning set and stable to one community, in one location, in one monastery for the rest of their life. Obedience meaning becoming obedient to the Abbot. Conversion of life meaning a vow to poverty, chastity, and things like that. It’s a whole change of life, attitude and perspective.

What was the internship like?

The premise of the internship program was to provide young men with an opportunity to experience the monastic life and to get a better enrichment of the spiritual life. There were four of us. We lived the monastic life as best as we could. We attended prayer services seven times a day, did manual work, and went to conferences facilitated by the monks aimed at providing spiritual direction.

Tell me about Unit 47...

It’s a roughly 29 bed palliative short stay unit called the Intensive Palliative Care Unit (IPCU). The average length of stay is approximately a week or so. We specialize in helping patients with difficult to manage symptoms such as pain crisis, intractable nausea, etc. Many of our palliative patients are under a palliative care attending physician but we also see patients from a wide variety of services. It’s a common myth that patients have to be actively dying to be admitted to the IPCU. I find that when people hear the word palliative care at once they begin to think of end-of-life care or actively dying. Palliative care actually begins when we’re born. It’s a philosophy and something that can be done within and outside of end-of-life care. Of course we do palliative care towards the end of life phase and many people die on the unit, but we do transfer a lot of patients home and to assisted living, LTC, and hospice.

How is the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program being utilized on Unit 47?

MAID has only been a recent addition to our unitand we have yet to experience a patient undergo the final provision of the MAID program on Unit 47. Having it as an option for patients on Unit 47 helps those familiar with us and with the environment, experience the provision in a place they’re comfortable. In the months leading up to MAID becoming official on our unit, the staff were provided good education sessions. Everything from ethics and processes, right through to spiritual care. In the months leading up to the introduction of MAID, our management team asked everyone on the care team how comfortable they were with the process just to be aware of how everyone felt about the provision so as to plan sensitively when it does occur.

What do you like to do in Calgary in your spare time?

I keep up a very regular meditation practice thankfully to my experience at the monastery. I’m an avid baker of sourdough bread, I like to knit socks, and I love doing ceramics. I appreciate how close we are to nature and how forgiving our weather can be despite the snow.

I love running along the Bow River and love checking out the new food scene. Japanese cuisine and bubble tea is big these days. We have really good middle eastern and Lebanese foods in Calgary as well. The food scene is very diverse.

What is your favourite movie? TV show? Author? Place to shop?

I really like the new Mr. Rogers documentary called “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”. The Simpsons is my favourite show. As strange as the humour can be sometimes it is very very witty. I read mostly non-fiction but my favourite author is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with his Sherlock Holmes series. My favourite place to shop is the Market Collective.

Talk about your participation with Local 115 at the Calgary Pride Parade...

As someone who is part of the LGBTQ community, and as someone that’s experienced discrimination, it is beautiful to have something like the Pride Parade. Having something concrete to identify with is really quite affirming, however one’s identity is multifaceted; what is part of me isn’t what is all of me. The Pride Parade is an event that rings very true to my heart and I couldn’t be happier to be involved.

Why is the union important to you?

A teacher told me that as a nurse there are four major things we’re called to do in our profession. To remember we’re an instrument in healing, to provide care and support, to educate, and to advocate. I take advocacy for my patients very seriously. The union advocates for us as nurses so that we have what we need to advocate well for our patients.

For more on this Member Spotlight please check out our UNA Local 115 Newsletter.

Member Spotlight: Alanna Rutherford

Where did you go to Nursing school and where was your first job?

I went to nursing school in Queens in Kingston, Ontario. During school, I went to England one summer to work and stay with family. I loved it so I started going back for Christmas’, school breaks and summers. I had pretty much moved there during nursing school. After I graduated, I moved there permanently but I couldn’t work as an RN because I was told I needed a year’s worth of full-time RN experience in Canada before they’d give a me a nursing license. I worked as what was called a Senior Health Care Aide. It’s similar to an LPN role except we cannot give medications.

What brought the family to Canada?

My mother came to Canada for university and that’s when she met my dad. Our family moved to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. I left for university and my family moved to Saskatoon after I left. My sister moved to Calgary to study criminal justice at Mount Royal and my brother became a pharmacy assistant. When I returned from England, my family was in Calgary, so I stayed.

Where was your first Registered Nursing job?

In a rural hospital in Drumheller. At the time there was a hiring freeze. I kept applying and was fortunate to get a job on Unit 32 at FMC. As it frequently happens on Unit 32, someone from Unit 21 called and asked if we would come down and start an IV. I started talking to the nurses and saw how much they liked working mental health. I sent the manager an email and was called for an interview. I began working casually until a line came up and I got the job.

What was it that led you to choose nursing as a career?

Both of my parents worked in environmental public health. They worked closely with public health nurses. When my mom explained to me the role of the public health nurse, I was surprised to learn that nurses worked outside of the hospital. Funny enough I ended up working as a nurse in the hospital.

Tell me about Unit 21?

It’s an adult inpatient psychiatric unit. We tend to get the more acutely ill patients just because we have the capacity to take them. Patients are under the primary care of a psychiatrist. Care planning is primarily focused on managing behaviour. The high observation rooms are for individuals that cannot co-habitate. We trial them on unit and are hopeful for a successful reintegration. A trusting relationship between patients and staff is vital.

What do you like most about where you work?

I love hearing people’s stories. My job is to sit with them and get to know them. In medicine I rarely had the time. You establish a relationship with your patients. I’ve always loved mental health. I just found it super interesting. The skills I’ve gained from mental health are phenomenal. The environment I work in is fantastic. I feel supported by my management team. I can approach them with questions or concerns at any time. I like going to work.

What do you like to do for fun?

I do Capoeira. Capoeira comes from Brazil and it’s a great close-knit community. When I moved to Calgary I didn’t know anyone. I wanted to try something new to get in shape. I just turned up to a class one day and fell in love with it. I just went to a Capoeira event in Hong Kong last year. I don’t compete but I do participate in seminars. They bring instructors in from all over the world.

Why is the union important to you?

The union provides us with a sense of protection. It’s nice to know I have a place to go if something isn’t right or if I have a concern about a patient, mismanagement, or bad practices. The union is our advocate and protects our wages and our jobs. Without them who’s to say someone wouldn’t try to have us replaced.

For more on this Member Spotlight please check out our UNA Local 115 Newsletter.

Member Spotlight: Viola Routly

Where did you grow up?

I was born in southern Alberta in a small town named Carmangay. We settled in Champion. My dad worked in the oil patch managing the fields, so we moved a lot. We left Champion when I was 5 and much of my extended family were still there so we never lost touch with that area. We were everywhere from northern Alberta to southern Saskatchewan. We didn’t like the north at all, and my dad stayed in the oil industry before getting a different job and coming to Calgary. I landed here with my parents and sister when I was 14.

What brought you to Calgary?

My sister got sick, and we had to come to Calgary for her treatment. We moved to Happy Valley which was a big entertainment campground complex and is now Valley Ridge. It used to be two large campgrounds and a golf course, restaurant, mini-golf, go-karts. My dad started working security and ended up managing the complex. I worked there as well. That was my summer, winter, morning and evening job. I guided trail rides and had a business running hay rides and sleigh rides. I can harness, hitch and drive a team of horses. I was also the voluntary first aid responder. If there was an injury they’d say, let’s go get Viola.

What led to your interest in nursing?

I was 6 years old and in grade two when I was asked by my teacher what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told her I was going to be a nurse. My family has always been a helping group. My dad drove an ambulance for a couple of years in southern Alberta. My great grandmother was a midwife. She delivered a hundred-and-something babies in southern Alberta. In those days midwives did not just deliver, they moved in with and looked after the family so that the mother could rest, bond, breastfeed, and generally get settled. My sister passed away of Ewings Sarcoma three years after moving to Calgary. I thought I wanted to be a pediatric nurse after everything we went through, and my dad told me to wait until we had recovered. It was really good advice. I might not of been able to tolerate a hospital environment right away. I waited to start nursing until I was 26. I went to Mount Royal.

Where was your first job after graduating nursing school?

I did two tours in school in neuroscience at the Calgary General Hospital and they hired me right out of school. I told the manager I wanted to work casually just to get my feet wet and my manager said no no no no, it’s much better taking a position and just getting in there and doing it. I learned later that their primary motivation was to fill vacant lines, but they were quite right; working full time helped me learn my job.

When did you obtain the role of Nurse Clinician?

When they found the space at Northland, FMC was once again falling out the windows. The current Nurse Clinician wasn’t interested in opening another unit. She had been the sole clinician working to establish the other sites and I believe she kept our program glued together through all of it. I don’t know how she did it. She liked her job and didn’t want to move so I applied. I was hired two weeks before the unit opened so I could gather up patients and get things organized. It was June of 2005. Sunridge opened a year after us and the Fanning was last.

Talk a bit about your role as a Nurse Clinician at Northwest Hemodialysis?

As the Nurse Clinician I’m the charge nurse and clinical leader and I liaise with the rest of the Member It’s all outpatient so we do a lot of community type work. I monitor the schedule and designate patient assignments based on skill mix and experience. We have a whole interdisciplinary team and it’s my job to refer them when appropriate. Our empathy project is based on symptom management and is about how to involve patients, draw key information, and apply it to their care. We have questionnaires and provide education on things like sleep hygiene or itchiness. We have a “K” protocol to help manage potassium within a certain range. We have the amputation prevention project which is aimed at providing quality foot care. We utilize a patient rounds tool which is used as a nursing communication tool and to help guide conversations with the physician. It succinctly condenses information in one place so we can determine what the patient needs and it better utilizes the physician’s time. It ensures continued and timely follow up. Our clinician team meets once a month at FMC on Unit 27. The clinicians in the outlying areas join by Telehealth. It fosters program collaboration and minimizes isolation.

Why is the union important to you?

I am a nurse. That’s all I am. I happen to be registered right now but I will never not be a nurse. Patient centred care has been the nursing philosophy since Florence Nightingale. As nurses, we don’t exist without the people we care for and I don’t think we can do our job without a union. We are required to advocate for our patients within a very large system. We need a feeling of safety that we’re not putting our careers and families at risk by standing up for the patients. We can be advocates because the union advocates for us. Without that support we can’t do our jobs. Because the union has an agreed upon contract that we are to stick with, everybody knows the rights and responsibilities of the roles and can hold people to them. It’s a common language. Heather Smith is a strong leader. I’ve read her articles and listened to her during contract talks. She keeps a clear vision on what the union wants to accomplish. I think she has taken our union from a novice and indistinct group to a strong, consistent and competent organization. I’m with her.

For more on this Member Spotlight please check out our UNA Local 115 Newsletter.

Member Spotlight: Neil Hermanson

Where would you say you’re from?

I’ve spent time all over western Canada. I was born in Prince Rupert, B.C. where is seems to rain 370 days of the year. My dad worked for the railway which led us to northern Manitoba. He eventually transferred into the oil fields, and we ended up in the Lloydminster area. Te first big oil bust happened in ’86 and that was when my dad got involved in natural gas which brought us down to the Lethbridge area. I finished high school in southern Alberta.

Tell me about your journey into nursing school.

I ended up in Fairview because I didn’t know what I was doing. I applied to nursing school in Grand Prairie and got shut down. I pumped gas and went to the college and upgraded some courses. Te following year my mom and I applied at the same time, and she got in as a mature student. I was put on the waitlist at like two-thousand-and-something, so I decided at the last minute I would do what kids call a pre-med program. I ended up in my second semester knowing I didn’t want to be a doctor; I wanted to be a nurse. The next year I got accepted three weeks after the program had already started. My mom was in her third year, and they said, “oh your mom can help you out with your first-year stuff”. I tried my best that semester, but I started too far behind, and it just didn’t work. It was a sad moment for me and the program director. I went to Mexico for three months to volunteer work which didn’t play out as expected but I met some really interesting people and had a great time. Most importantly I came back with the determination that I was going to be a nurse. I applied the following year, got in, and the rest is history.

How did you come to be in the ICU at FMC?

I returned to Grand Prairie about two-and-a-half years later working in the hospital as a medical float nurse for the entire site. This led to experiences covering in PACU and the ICU where I show up and have no idea what I’m doing. It was a great exposure but there was no theory; no background. Talk about sympathetic overdrive. I remember asking what the difference was between anterior and posterior. They didn’t have the resources. You couldn’t just call an expert to ask what’s going on. Another nurse I worked with was introduced in the same manner. We were both terrified. We were constantly asking questions and depended on each other for support. That was my introduction to the importance of relationships in managing critical care situations. In 2000, a friend of mine worked in the ICU at the PLC and introduced me to the manager. Our house in Grand Prairie sold in two weeks and we moved to Calgary. I worked there for 5 years before taking a position in Aphaeresis at FMC where I stayed for a year before starting part-time in the ICU.

Tell me about the ICU at FMC.

There are three teams separated into pods A, B & C with a total of twenty-eight funded beds. Pod A is medical surgical, B pod is primarily long-term patients, and C pod is neuro trauma. A typical day is twelve hours with three head-to-toe assessments and multidisciplinary rounds which take approximately 30-45 minutes per patient. We adapt patient treatment based on orders from rounds and provide frequent updates to family. We help each other with stabilizing unstable patients and spend time mixing new infusions through ongoing basic care. We are primary nurse in ICU but we team primary nurse. The more experienced nurses use every opportunity to pass down their knowledge. If I mentor a junior nurse really well, when I end up in ICU as a patient, I feel good knowing they know how to provide me with the best care. I support less experienced colleagues because someone did that for me.

What special certifications or skills best prepare a Registered Nurse to work in the ICU?

The best preparation for the ICU is a strong background in medical or surgical nursing. Time on neurosurgery and trauma surgery floors helps immensely. Pharmacology and ECG interpretation, temporary venous pacing, central and arterial line use and care are some of the entry level skills obtained in orientation. Later comes training with pulmonary artery catheters, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), advanced trauma care, burn care and Code Blue. It›s always good to have ongoing education in trauma, burns, sepsis, organ failure and care for organ donating patients. After some time, charge and outreach training may be available.

How do RNs working in the ICU cope with the stress and emotions that accompany the most acute department in the hospital?

I remember the experience of my first patient death in the ICU. I had a conversation with the patient where they said that if/when they became ventilator dependent, to give them something to keep them comfortable and allow them to pass. They were directing their own care. It was empowering and beautiful in a really weird ICU way. The family was there, and we were supportive through the patient’s passing into the next state of their existence. That’ll stay with me forever. You can start to ask yourself things like, is this affecting me somehow? Am I becoming immune to the human condition at the end of a patient’s life? Do I have the ability to be emotionally connected yet professionally distant enough so I can deliver the best care to the next patient? Including family in the care of their loved one is critical. They are the experts on who this person is. I let them guide me. I tell them what I’m going to do and how I can help their loved one. It’s a relationship that seems a simple thing but is vitally important. A healthy work-life balance is also extremely important.

What do you like to do in Calgary in your spare time?

Bujinkan. I’ve been training since 1998. It’s a Japanese martial art based off of nine curriculums in a combination of ninjutsu and bujutsu. There’s lot of weapons training. There’s also an aspect of bujinkan called taijutsu, which is like the grandfather of jujitsu which came from China which came from India. It’s interesting to see how it travelled. It’s good for the mind and body. I enjoy being the student. I also like restaurants and live music. I recently saw Metric and July Talk at the Corral.

What’s your greatest challenge in the workplace?

The rapidity of change. I’m having to learn to let things flow and come as they happen. I like to have my finger on the pulse, and I like things to be perfect but it’s not always possible. I’m learning that some things take longer and that we can adjust as we go along. I don’t like jumping in with both feet and wondering what fluid I’m standing in.

Why is the union important to you?

The union gives us good protection for us to do our job and allows us to earn what we’re worth. It helps us understand and navigate a massive profession. Last AGM they were talking about how far we’ve come in the last 40 years. It was really good to look at where we started and where we are today. The horizon is limitless with UNA when we continue to improve upon healthy communication with AHS.

For more on this Member Spotlight please check out our UNA Local 115 Newsletter.

Member Spotlight: Damion Bennett

Tell me about your nursing experience in Jamaica...

I was working in Jamaica at the University Hospital in West Indies as a Critical Care Nurse in the CVICU and general ICU. It’s a heavily funded, part private part public facility. I also had a full-time job as a Nursing Educator as well. I worked a 0.7 in the ICU and a 1.0 as an educator. I worked every weekend on Friday and Saturday nights, twelve hours shifts. It’s a funny story but when I applied for my license to come here, CARNA’s RN consultant sent me an email asking me to clarify my hours because I was working so much. I also did some volunteer military service in Jamaica as part of the reserve forces. I didn’t have children at that time. At that time my wife was working a full-time job in the same ICU that I was working and was teaching part time too. We were young and living a high intense life. At the same time, I was involved heavily in the nurses’ union, the Caribbean Nurse’s Organization, by volunteering for anything to do with the ICU. I finished my master’s in education in 2013 at Walden University in Minneapolis.

How did you end up coming to be in Calgary, Alberta?

I never had Calgary in my mind. My parents are both Jamaican, but my dad went to Chicago and said we should come check it out. I had been there before and wasn’t sure I wanted to go back. My dad insisted that I get my nursing license and go there but I wasn’t convinced. My wife suggested we try Canada. Canada at the time had a skilled workers program. They were basically recruiting professionals. My wife was in the program and decided that we should go to Canada. My wife was researching the best places to live in Canada, and we picked Calgary. I love it here man. It’s my home.

What is the greatest challenge in the workplace today?

People not being as real as they ought to be. Both patients and staff. Racism here in Canada is subtle. People say one thing to your face and another behind your back. I want to bring awareness to challenges that minority nurses face in the workplace. People are of the notion that it’s all sunshine and rainbows and there’s a denial that problems exist. I need to stand up, pull my shoulders back, and use my voice. If you see a wrong and you fail to identify and call it wrong, you’re worse than the person doing it. It enables and allows the behavior to continue.

Why is the union important to you?

The union is a very emotional topic for me. I have a license because of UNA. I have a career because of UNA. I knew UNA was here but didn’t understand the depth that they were involved in nursing and in life in Canada. UNA and my management team at Rockyview supported me at the time when I needed it most. They gave me an opportunity and a life within nursing in Canada. That life is not just mine; it’s my family’s, my children’s, my wife’s.

For more on this Member Spotlight please check out our UNA Local 115 Newsletter.