A2- The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, October 4, 2000 Nurses also take a stand in order to earn more money THERE WILL be more problems for the health ministry if nurses aren’t given a significant wage increase next year, says a nurses’ union official. Wage increase dmenads are likely to range from 10 to 99 per cent, says Leeanne Malthaus, a Smithers nurse and the regional chair for the B.C. Nurses’ Union, The contracts expire in March 2001 and were only reached after a strike. “Nurses have had-it,” Malthus said bluntly. Citing a nationwide nursing shortage, long shifts in- volving on-call work and inadequate pay from the pro- vincial government, Malthus vowed nurses will not sign a new contract that doesn’t address these issues and im- prove their situation. And they’re watching closely how the ministry is dealing with rural dectors in the current dispute that has seen general practitioners and specialists resign their hospital privileges in 10 B.C. communities, including Terrace and Kitimat. The rural doctors? complaints about inadequate money for recruitment and retention of medical staff mirror the problems behind the nursing shortage, Malthus pointed out. The number of nurses working in B.C. is half of what is required for a safe working environment, Malthus. ex- plained. This shortage has placed tremendous strain on the backs of nurses who feel they are overworked and under- paid — and in many cases that strain is literal. Describing working conditions for B.C. nurses as “deplorable,” she noted the work place accident rate is 7.5 per cent and “directly related to staffing levels.” The cause of many of the injuries stems from nurses having to lift and move patients which results in muscu- lar and skeletal strain to the back and neck, she said. Also, nurses often get sick because they are exposed to patients’ bodily fluids and illnesses. The nurses are also unsatisfied with their current pay - rates. Maithus pointed out nurses work side by side with | aos From front Eye doc could leave “They get a bigger . piece of the pie. I have one day a week and no exira days and they pet more,” he said. The amount of opera- ting room time a specialist : gets translates directly into how much money they earn, how many patients they can treat and how up ta date they can keep their skills. “Tt’s really not cricket. This isn’t done this way in other hospitals. We are equals, They do not treat me as such,” Shaver con- linued in speculating that... one of the reasons may be because he’s the newest surgeon in town, He’s taking the place of resident opthalmologist Tom Nagy, who is away for a year. “Just like the case with the new kid on the block, they beat him up and take his lunch money,” Shaver said, The opthalmologist took up the case with hospital official Dieter Kuntz after the surgeons told him they divided up the days the way they did at the hospi- tal’s request. He said Kuntz told him the hospital did no such thing and he now has that in writing, And now Shaver has told the health council how much money he thinks is needed to keep ophthalmology as a viable service at Mills and to keep him in town. But Shaver is worried , about the combined effect budget and a_ limited ~ Operating room time. tically fund the service to time,” said Shaver. He therefore fears that unless his fellow surgeons increase the eye surgery operating room time, the hospital won’t provide more money to do proce- : dures such as cataract surgery. “Pm just, speculating, That’ S$ my paranoid spec: ulation,” said Shaver, He’s disappointed in the stance taken by the other surgeons here, given that there’s been strong back- ing for eye surgery from across the northwest. Yet he also understands why the surgeons are act- ing as they are after years of budget cutbacks . “They're identifying more with administration than with each other,” said Shaver. “It’s like the Stockholm Syndrome,” he added in describing the psychologi- cal effect made famous after a Swedish hostage taking years ago in which the captives ended up sup- porting their captors. “They've been beaten up for so long and they’re now turning around and beating up somebody else.” | a reach us IF you Na ga are KERMODEI” TRADING * ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS es Entire Stock Of Knives & Gadgets On Sale Now! : The Yellow Gift House on selon 16 | 638-1808. of a restricted eye surgery “He [Kuntz] told me: that he could only realis-” the OR (operating room) - doctors but receive only a $1.25 an hour for on-call work. The compensation for expenses incurred by commun- ity nurses - those who work ata patient's home - is also inadequate, she said. These nurses must have a car to get to work, but are only reimbursed 38 cents per kilo- metre even though the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia has identified 65-cents as the amount neces- sary to recover costs. | Malthus also said there isn't enough money for conti- nuing education. She pointed out the public’s expecta- tions of skill levels for nurses is much higher than it was 20 years-ago. . And because of the northwest’ $ isalation, itis'a 1 chal- lenge for nurses here to attend training ‘programs that would allow them ta increase their skill levels, she maintained. ~ Malthus wouldn't speculate whether nurses would strike if the government fails ‘to meet their demands, but added the expiration of the contract is the right time to lake a stand. SAFEWAY FOOD & DRUG a have joined forces to seminars will cover alternatives as well Admission is FREE, t participants is limited, Women are required t with Lianne Funk. Ladies! Are You Car Smart? Ford Motor Company & Chatelaine Magazine facts they need to make informed automotive decisions. The wi Fast Lane provide women with relevant information & the essentials of maintenance, financing as family and personal safety issues. here will be plenty of prizes. The number of therefore o register ey he oe ey Wednesday, Oct. 11 ¢ 7pm - 10pm Terrace Totem Ford, 463) Keith Ave Phone: 635-4984 Turkeys Under 7 kg. Grade “A’ Frozen. 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