The Minister of Health is also counting on the creation of full-time positions for nurses.
To deal with the problems related to the nursing workforce, the Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé, thinks he has found a “recipe” that will make “a difference” and that requires the decompartmentalization of professions and the local management of schedules. The program will be implemented throughout the province affecting also the hospitals that serve the Park-Extension population.
Minister Dubé mentioned these solutions on Monday November 21st when he addressed participants at the convention of the Order of Nurses of Quebec in Montreal. As far as local timetable management is concerned, the results of the steps that have already been taken differ from one establishment to another. The Minister told participants that he wanted to know where things are going well and where things are not going well.
“And everything does not necessarily go through the creation of full-time positions, contrary to what we believed during the last negotiation of the collective agreements for nurses,” argued the minister.
During the last negotiation, which was quite long, there was really an approach to increase the full-time staff, for all sorts of good reasons. It gave results, I would say correct, but perhaps not up to our expectations. The situation, what people are asking for in the field, is also part-time positions, with advantages and disadvantages. We’ve heard that a lot. We heard the message very clearly,” said Minister Dubé.
The president of the Order, Luc Mathieu, also noted that it all depends on how the full-time position is modulated, since it can be over four days, for example. “In some regions, they have posted full-time positions and there is no one applying for them.” he said
The Interprofessional Health Federation (FIQ) itself addresses this issue in its demands that have just been filed for the renewal of collective agreements: that a full-time position be flexible to eight, nine or ten days per two weeks, at the option of the employee, by working the same number of hours per two weeks or by reducing the number of hours per two weeks, while benefiting from the advantages of full-time status.
