Executive director's message

Conversations with CEOs

Beginning this summer, we have embarked on a province-wide tour of meetings with the chief executive officers of Alberta's 17 regional health authorities.

These meetings are being held to accomplish the following objectives:

Report on issues that registered nurses have identified in their regions and discuss possible solutions

Explain the AARN position on nursing and health policy issues

Seek new ways for the AARN and RHAs to co-operate on initiatives that benefit both patients and nurses

While some issues are specific to certain RHAs, our plan is to focus on universal themes and identify how they can be accommodated on a regional and local basis.

Here are some of our topics of discussion:

Release time for nurses to complete continuing education programs, courses and attend conferences relevant to their practice

Support for advanced practice nursing positions

Increasing clinical practice space for nursing students

Payroll deductions for registration renewal

The reception to many of these ideas and discussion topics has been very open and positive. We can assure you that the people who manage the health care services for Alberta RHAs are very keen to know the concerns of RNs and their professional association. They are also eager to promote nurses' satisfaction in their work environment.

We are encouraged by these conversations, and will be reporting on developments that result from discussions.

Please contact me if you have any concerns or questions you would like us to discuss with your RHA CEO.

Creating healthy workplaces

Most of you are aware of the disturbing research statistics that describe Canada's nursing workforce and the health care work environments as less than healthy

The AARN Provincial Council has struck a task force to develop constructive ways to help nurses create healthier workplace environments for themselves and their patients. The Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Nurses column planned for the next issue of Alberta RN is one initiative taken by the task force to help nurses find practical solutions for their place of work.

We hope to feature real-life examples of steps you can take to improve the environment in which you work. We also invite you to write in with your own experiences of what you and your colleagues have done to make work a better and more fulfilling place to be.

These examples could be policies that have resulted in excellent patient care and make the most of RNs in the health care team. Your hospital, office or health agency might have created projects, social activities or fundraisers that have strengthened the bond between your staff and the clients you serve.

This month, Alberta XN features a story of two RNs who found a unique way to communicate health information to Edmonton inner-city residents. Street First Aid: "Cause You Never Know"(p.13) is a first-aid manual written to help street people cope with emergency situations that are familiar to them. RNs Jennifer Taylor and Theresa Jasperson worked with the Natural Helpers, a group of inner-city residents, to craft a handbook that reflects ways to cope with the dangers of life on the streets.

The handbook has received attention from across North America and created a healthy bond among the clients who helped develop it. Theresa and Jennifer say the success of the book only adds to the satisfaction they find in their work as nurses in the inner city.

We look forward to hearing more from you about the success stories in your lives as RNs.

Donna Hutton

Executive Director

1-800-252-9392, ext. 509 dhutton@nurses.ab.ca

Copyright Alberta Association of Registered Nurses Sep/Oct 2000
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