Message about relief positions for RNs and RPNs

The Nurses’ Bargaining Association has asked VCH to communicate to all staff our commitment to replacing RNs and RPNs who are absent from work.

As you know, VCH provides vacation relief positions, which cover an average of five weeks per year for all RN and RPNs in acute, long term care and community 24/7 units.  We also provide the same level of vacation relief for all Community Home Health programs, case managers and lower levels of vacation relief for some primary care clinics. It is important that you keep these vacation relief positions filled so that we do not have to call in extra relief staff to backfill for vacations.

For short term absences, e.g. sick leave, we ask managers, patient care coordinators and charge nurses to continue to assess if replacement is needed based on patient care needs. Patient care needs include the assessment of the number of patients on the unit, the patient acuity anticipated rate of patient turn-over and patient dependency needs.

Once the staffing algorithm and/or staffing deployment guideline from that work site has been applied and it has been determined that relief staff are needed, whomever is responsible for staffing on that unit at that time will call in relief staff at straight time, or overtime if necessary, to ensure patient care needs are met. This does not apply to other clinical groups who are not 24/7 or direct patient care.

At Vancouver Coastal Health we are committed to provide the best care for patients.  Having the appropriate number of staff at work to meet patient care needs is a key part of our quality care commitment.