Unions play a significant role in the improvement and protection of health care services in Saskatchewan. As the union representing the largest number of unionized health care professionals in Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) takes this responsibility very seriously.
SUN believes we have a vital role in protecting and enhancing high quality, accessible, and publicly funded and delivered health care services in Saskatchewan. SUN believes our success and our strength comes from our ability to be effective advocates for our patients and our members.
It is through our commitment to our members, and the patients they care for, that SUN continues to work collaboratively with the Saskatchewan Government on a number of different levels. Through the SUN/Government Partnership Agreement, important gains in the improvement of health care services have been made - however, there is much more work to be done. Having a voice at the table provides SUN with the ability to promote accessibility and excellence in health care services, the appropriate skill mix of health professionals, and patient-and family-centred care.
The more than 8,700 registered nurses (RNs), registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) represented by SUN in this province, have always been focused on the well-being of the patient - making the Ministry of Health driven shift to patient-and family-centred care a welcome change.
Patient-and family-centred care (PFCC) is about respect and dignity, information sharing, participation and collaboration between the health care providers and the patient and their family. PFCC puts the patient and their family at the centre of health care. PFCC improves patient outcomes and, most importantly, improves upon the patient's experience.
PFCC means that the role of the registered nurse (RN, RN(NP), and RPN) has become more important than ever before.
In addition to being a patient's primary healthcare provider, the role of a registered nurse (RN, RN(NP), RPN) is to listen to, teach, assist, guide, and lead the patient and their family. The health care system can be complicated, frightening, even overwhelming at times - your registered nurse is there to ease your fears and to assist you in navigating through the system.
Every member of the healthcare team plays a vital role in the patient's care. Ensuring Saskatchewan has the appropriate mix of healthcare professionals on that team, and that there is an adequate number of registered nurses on every shift, every day, is of equal importance to SUN. Skill-mix and staffing levels directly impact patient safety, morbidity rates, re-admissions, and patient outcomes.
Our patients and their families come first - that is SUN's commitment to the people of Saskatchewan.
Healthy Members, Healthy Union, Healthy Communities
www.sun-nurses.sk.ca. Submitted by Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN).
Any views or opinions presented in this feature are solely those of the contributors or interviewees and do not necessarily represent those of the StarPhoenix, the Leader-Post or Postmedia Network.
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