By Margaret MacDiarmid
Minister of Health
March 11, 2013

VICTORIA - Our government is proud of the work nurses do for British Columbians and their families. We understand and respect the challenges they face each day in the workplace.

As a caregiver and someone who has also been a patient, I want to personally thank all nurses for the excellent, compassionate care they provide for patients each and every day.

Government recognizes the increasingly integrated nature of nurse-led delivery in the health system. With this in mind, we have taken a number of steps to provide further support for nurses.

Since 2001, our government has invested more than $200 million through the BC Nursing Strategy to educate, recruit and retain nurses. B.C. has also more than doubled the number of nurse training spaces, adding more than 4,500 new spaces since 2001.

We've also produced a record number of graduates who have received more than 20,000 degrees, diplomas and certificates. Our government has created 26 new nursing education programs at public post-secondary institutions, including practical nurse, registered nurse, psychiatric nurse, nurse practitioner and other graduate nurse programs. As more and more nursing students graduate, we expect to continue to meet our nursing needs and see increases in our nursing workforce.

The recent agreement that nurses voted to accept also takes steps to recognize the valuable role nurses play in delivering patient care. The two-year agreement includes a modest compensation increase and the addition of 2,125 full-time nurses to the system by 2016. The contract also includes increasing the number of regular full-time and part-time positions by decreasing the use of overtime, providing targeted training areas of need, and addressing violence in the workplace.

I recently introduced legislation that includes amendments that will allow for the definition of nurse to be broadened to include licensed practical nurses. This is in line with the recent vote by the majority of licensed practical nurses in provincial health authorities to change their union representation to the BC Nurses Union.

The change will allow nurses to work collectively within the same bargaining framework for easier opportunities and integration within the health system. This is good for patients, health administrators and nurses.

Nurses play an invaluable and vital role in ensuring patients are seen by the right professional, at the right time. By bringing licensed practical nurses and registered nurses together under one bargaining agency, we can ensure that further progress can be made to ensure licensed practical nurses are able to play an expanded role in the nursing care team.

Government recognizes that it must consult with the affected parties on this change, and we will undertake that consultation. However, we also recognize that the majority of licensed practical nurses made a decision to change their representation and we respect their decision, which is a sign of democracy in action.

Government is also supporting the role of nurse practitioners, another critical component of the health team. As a part of a $22.2-million initiative over the next three years, we will be funding 190 new nurse practitioner positions. In fact, we just announced that 45 nurse practitioners soon will be working throughout British Columbia to bolster resources and improve access to care.

Last October, the Ministry of Health also announced new regulations to allow nurse practitioners to admit and discharge patients from health-care facilities, working in collaboration with physicians and other health-care providers. As well, in fall 2011, government passed legislation allowing nurse practitioners to work more fully within their existing scope of practice.

Excellence in patient care requires creative, collaborative leadership. I'm pleased that we are going to continue to build a health-care system that involves government and nurses working together. Our government remains committed to the relationship we have with nurses.