Happy Thanksgiving from UNA

Thanksgiving prompts us to pause, reflect, and express gratitude. We are thankful for the dedicated health care workers who tirelessly provide care and comfort.

This Thanksgiving, we invite you to join us in standing together to protect and strengthen our public health care. When we support our nurses, we nurture our communities, care for our families, and ensure a brighter future for all.

United Nurses of Alberta extends Thanksgiving wishes to all Albertans across the province.

Spotlight on OH&S: Putting You and Your Mental Health FIRST – Updates on Psychological Safety in the Nursing Workplace

By Nicole Thrasher RN, BScN, ACCN
115 Secretary
OHS Committee

You report to work today, exhausted.

For the last 5 shifts that you were working, you either had to miss your breaks or extend your shift because of high workload and understaffing. You had to leave (potentially) sick kids at home with family or, with uncertainty, bring them to your childcare provider (sometimes, even at last minutes’ notice). Despite all of these pressures – in and out of the workplace – you still show up at work to be present to your patients.

When was the last time you checked in with your psychological self at work?

How often are we carrying the weight of having to be a loving parent, a dependable spouse, a caring friend, in addition to being a safe, competent and reliable care provider and co-worker? With all the pressures and emotional turmoil that the workplace can bring, are we still able to report to work as our complete and true selves?

In a Just Workplace Culture that encourages us to speak openly about the safety issues we face, do we feel that we are equipped and able to do so?

Have you considered reporting your workplace stressors for the impact that it’s having on your mental well-being? Did you know that you can?

The concept of psychological safety, particularly in healthcare, is at the forefront of many discussions within Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) and with the Employer.

Generally speaking, Psychological Safety is defined as “protection of our mental health”. This would include: 1) recognizing psychological hazards in the workplace, 2) feeling safe to report them and 3) supporting one another to promote, prevent and correct these hazards.

Incidents of psychological injury towards staff are on the rise. However, it is because of yourreporting of these concerns that we are gaining momentum on many fronts.

Despite all the pressures that you face in the workplace, I would like to take this opportunity to thank YOU, the UNA membership, for bringing your safety concerns forward through the UNAOH&S reporting process and AHS MySafetyNet. We have heard you. Without reporting, we would not have understood the extent of your concerns, nor know what you need in order to build a psychologically healthier workplace.

You have told us that:

  • Unsafe (short) staffing and high workloads are causing increasing amounts of stress to workers.

  • Workplace bullying and harassment is still a concerning and prevalent issue.

  • Threatening behaviours from patients and visitors are increasing and impacting your ability to work safely.

  • Inadequate security coverage and lengthy response times are causing increasing fear and anxiety among staff.

  • Ongoing organizational change is causing heightened feelings of stress and uncertainty.

Because of the impact that these concerns has had on the wellbeing of workers, your Local 115 OH&S committee is advocating strongly for solutions like:

  • Mandatory Nonviolent Crisis Intervention training for staff.

  • Increased security presence and transparent reporting of any (security) data that may concern staff safety.

  • Greater police presence and stronger relationships with the Calgary Police Service.

  • Improved education for staff on the hazards present in your areas and the means to control them (HIAC).

  • Enforcement of “zero tolerance for abuse” policies, with support from Protective Services.

  • Enhanced debriefing processes for staff.

UNA will continue to ensure that your concerns will be heard among all levels of leadership at both the FMC site and at the Provincial Joint Workplace Health and Safety Committee.

Please continue to submit your psychological safety concerns. Your Local 115 OH&S Committee is dedicated and prepared to assist you through the reporting process. Our goal is to promote and protect the value of psychological wellbeing within the workplace – we cannot do this without your engagement.

Small ripples create big waves and effect change. Together we can build a psychologically safe environment which all of us can thrive in.

In solidarity, 

At your side, on your side

Nicole Thrasher RN, BScN, ACCN
UNA Local 115 Secretary
UNA Local 115 OH&S Committee Representative
nthrasher@una.ca
Office: (403) 670-9960
Work Cell: (825) 251-5611
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 08:30-16:30

Education workshops for UNA members in October, November and December 2023 →

United Nurses of Alberta is pleased to offer in-person education workshops for members in October, November, and December 2023. Any UNA member who would like to become more knowledgeable and engaged can get a head start through the union’s educational workshops, which provide members with a wealth of information, a space for discussion, and activity-based learning.

If a workshop is full, please check ahead for future dates or email events@una.ca to be added to a waitlist.

Full workshop descriptions and funding information can be found on the Education page of the UNA website.

Workshops for All UNA Members:

  • Boundaries & Self-Care (Online) – October 4, 09:00-12:00

  • Know Your Rights (Edmonton) – October 5 (waitlisted)

  • Know Your Rights (Calgary) – October11 (waitlisted)

  • Dealing With Abuse (Calgary) – October 11 (waitlisted)

  • Dealing With Abuse (Calgary) – October 12

  • Know Your Rights (Red Deer) – October 12

  • Dealing With Abuse (Edmonton) – October 24 (waitlisted)

  • Dealing With Abuse (Edmonton) – October 25 (waitlisted)

  • Know Your Rights (Calgary) – November 8 (waitlisted)

  • Know Your Rights (Edmonton) – November 14 (waitlisted)

  • Know Your Rights (Edmonton) – November 15

  • Dealing With Abuse (Edmonton) – November 16 (waitlisted)

  • Know Your Rights (Calgary) – December 5 (waitlisted)

  • Know Your Rights (Calgary) – December 6

  • Boundaries & Self-Care (Online) – December 7, 13:00-16:00

  • Know Your Rights (Edmonton) – December 12 (waitlisted)

Workshops for Unit/Office Representatives & Local Executives:

  • Engagement & Support (Calgary) – October 24 (waitlisted)

  • Engagement & Support (Edmonton) – October 26 (waitlisted)

  • Taking Action (Calgary) – November28

  • Taking Action (Edmonton) – November 30 (waitlisted)

Workshops for Committee Members & Local Executives:

  • OH&S Advanced (Edmonton) – November 7

  • OH&S Advanced (Calgary) – November 8

Workshops for Local Executives:

  • Budget Q&A Sessions (Online)

    • October 4 – 16:00-17:00

    • October 6 – 09:00-10:00

    • October 10 – 19:30-20:30

  • How to Run a Local: Finance (Red Deer) – October 5

  • How to Run a Local: Administration (Calgary) – October 12

  • How to Run a Local: Administration (Edmonton) – October 31

  • How to Run a Local: Administration (Calgary) – November 7

  • How to Run a Local: Labour Relations (Edmonton) – November 9

  • How to Run a Local: Administration (Calgary) – November 16

Register Online

UNA members who have activated their UNAnet accounts can register online via DMS. Any Local Executive can register members of their Local in workshops by navigating to Local Admin > Events in DMS. Members are expected to register in workshops closest to their home.

Please check the Events Calendar and DMS Events regularly as the workshop schedule may have changes or additions. Contact events@una.ca with any questions related to workshops or registration.

UNA calls for full public inquiry into Calgary E. coli outbreak →

United Nurses of Alberta calls on the provincial government to launch a full public inquiry into the lab-confirmed E. coli poisonings of more than 350 children at 11 day care facilities in Calgary last month.

UNA believes a panel led by a former Conservative candidate no matter how well intentioned is not sufficient to ensure public confidence in either the conclusions drawn about how this tragedy came to occur or any solutions proposed.

Accordingly, as the representative of Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and other health care professionals throughout Alberta, UNA urges the provincial government to call a formal public inquiry, led by an impartial judge, under the terms of the Public Inquiries Act.

With a properly constituted public inquiry, the public can be confident that the findings of the inquiry have not been drafted with political considerations in mind, and that the inquiry has the ability to compel sworn testimony by witnesses.

Following the E. coli poisonings that began on the Labour Day weekend, an investigation by public health officials reviewed the food histories of more than 1,000 children and 250 staff members at the day care facilities who had received food from a centralized kitchen business that was operating without a license.

Close to 40 people, almost all of them children, were hospitalized, and at least six required dialysis as a result of the outbreak.

The government announced on September 27 it had formed a “Food Safety and Licensed Facility-based Childcare Review Panel” to be led by former Progressive Conservative candidate and Calgary police chief Rick Hanson.

An investigation by public health officials reviewed the food histories of more than 1,000 children and 250 staff members, the government said at that time.