Hospitals reject claims, say they are hiring nurses

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Patient care will suffer under the latest round of nursing cuts, this time at Humber River Regional Hospital and St. Michael's Hospital, the president of the Ontario Nurses Association warns.

"We know disease and death rates will increase. It's not a scare tactic, the facts support it," Linda Haslam-Stroud said.

However, spokespersons for both Humber River and St. Mike's dismissed the association president's claims. Not only are they not laying off nurses but both say they are hiring RNs.

According to Haslam-Stroud, Humber River is not filling 10 registered nurse positions in its emergency department while St. Mike's has eliminated 12 full-time and nine part-time RN jobs.

Haslam-Stroud said she is particularly troubled by the situation at Humber River because she said the hospital is replacing RNs with less-skilled workers.

That is a risk in the emergency room, which acts as the front line handling the sickest and most severely injured patients, she said.

But Humber River spokesperson Gerard Power said no emergency room nurses have lost their jobs. In fact, the hospital has added 10 registered practical nurses in the ER to reduce the strain on nurses, he said.

"We're looking for almost 100 nurses. We're hiring all the nurses we can get our hands on," he said.

St. Mike's spokesperson Jennifer Humphries also said her hospital is not laying off nurses.

The hospital has reassigned 11 full-time, one part-time and nine casual nurses to different areas to improve patient care, she said.

"We're actually in a hiring position," said Humphries, adding the hospital has hired 92 nurses since April.

Haslam-Stroud's claims come on the heels of layoffs in recent weeks at other Toronto hospitals.

Last month, Toronto East General Hospital laid off six patient care co-ordinators, with as many as five times more layoffs possibly in the works.

The co-ordinators are being replaced with six non-unionized supervisors.

Marla Fryers, the hospital's chief nursing officer and vice-president of programs, insisted the quality of patient care will not suffer.

Meanwhile, Rouge Valley Health System revealed in May it is cutting 127 jobs, including 40 full-time and seven part-time nurses' positions as part of its $78 million debt reduction plan.

While nursing cuts are happening across the province, Haslam-Stroud said hospitals in Toronto are being particularly hard hit.

"Toronto is again being targeted but it is happening across the province," she said.

"The Toronto hospitals and certainly the largest hospitals are under pressure to balance their budgets. They're running significant deficits."

Patients should be worried about the deteriorating level of quality care they are receiving in hospitals, Haslam-Stroud said.

"The public wants quality care and the appropriate caregivers giving the care," she said.

"St. Mike's and Humber and Rouge Valley and Toronto East General are saying 'Don't worry, we'll provide the same quality of care.' But it can't be done with fewer beds and fewer RNs."

While the government has taken measures to address the nursing shortage, Haslam-Stroud also blamed the province for leaving cash-strapped hospitals in a position where they are reducing quality care.

"The government has to step up to the plate," she said.