May 13 has been designated licensed practical nurse (LPN) Day as part of Nursing Week activities kicked off May 8.
Across
British Columbia, LPNs will be hosting information tables and talking
to their colleagues about recent gains made during 2006 contract
negotiations.
“Significant advancements made at the
bargaining table and during senior policy discussions early this spring
have put LPNs on a new footing,” said Judy Darcy, secretary-business
manager of the Hospital Employees’ Union (HEU), CUPE’s B.C. health care
division.
“New training and educational opportunities,
input into shift scheduling, inclusion on professional practice
councils, and new avenues of influence with senior health officials are
some of the things we are celebrating during nursing week,” she said.
Darcy
saluted LPNs for caring for British Columbians. “LPNs have an
increasingly critical role in delivering quality, bedside care. Despite
the many challenges they face on the job, a result of insufficient
resources and under-staffing, these nurses continue to show how
important they are to meeting the health needs of patients and
residents across the province.”
