January 2004 ONP Update
Office of nursing policy Health Canada
Absenteeism &
Overtime
The results of a new study commissioned by the Office of Nursing Policy show that the absenteeism and overtime rates of Canadian RNs continue to climb. The absenteeism rate of all other Canadian workers also has steadily risen. The study was based on analyses of publicly-employed RNs and Nurse Supervisors, using selected years of Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey (LFS). It was conducted and reported by the Canadian Labour & Business Centre for Health Canada. The full report is available electronically from the Office of Nursing Policy. The study focused on RNs because the data for LPNs and RPNs is aggregated with other occupational groups at a high level. We hope to obtain information about LPNs and RPNs in our future work.
Absenteeism
In 2002, the rate of RN illness- and injury-related absenteeism stood at 8.6%, considerably higher than the estimated rate of 5.9% in 1987. Between 1997 and 2002, the absenteeism rate for full-time RNs increased from 7.8% to 8.6%. For occupational groups in general, the rate rose even more significantly during the same time period - moving from 3.4% to 4.7%. In all years, the rate among full-time RNs is roughly 50% higher than the rate among part-time workers.
Within nursing, absenteeism is up across all age groups, but of particular note is the elevated rate found among nurses less than 45 years of age.
When compared with other occupations, RNs working full-time had a rate of absence due to illness and injury that was 83% higher than that found among the overall full-time employed labour force in 2002 (8.6% compared with 4.7%) - second only to the rate within the group called Assisting Occupations in Support of Health Services, which includes Nurse Aides and Orderlies. Time lost to absenteeism during 2002 was 19.6 million hours - the equivalent of 10,808 full-time positions.
Overtime
26% of all RNs worked overtime each week in 2002 - higher than the estimated 23.9% in 2001, considerably higher than the rate of 15.3% in 1997, and higher than the average of 22.5% reported among all other workers. Some 11.5% of RNs worked overtime hours without compensation in 2002, while 16.9% reported paid overtime hours. The rates of unpaid overtime and paid overtime both increased since 1997.
Differences in overtime hours between age groups are not large, however in 2002, RNs under 35 years of age were the least likely to work overtime (23.7%) while RNs aged 50 to 54 were the most likely to work overtime (30.3%).
Given the broad definition of overtime work used in this analysis it is possible that both full-time and part-time nurses are working "overtime".
The estimated number of nurses working overtime more than doubled between 1997 and 2002, but the average hours of overtime worked each week remained stable (6.4 and 6.2 hours respectively). In 2002, the total overtime hours (paid and unpaid) amounted to an estimated 15.7 million hours - or 8,643 full-time full-year positions. Aggregate annual hours of overtime increased by an estimated 2.9 million hours between 2001 and 2002 - the equivalent of 1,626 full-time full-year jobs.
Spotlight On Rnao
Upcoming Events
Embracing the Future: Educating Tomorrow's Nurses 2004" 2nd International Nurse Educator Conference
Hilton Toronto
October 27-28, 2004
Deadline for abstract submission is Thursday, January 29, 2004.
Keep Your Co-Workers for Life and Keep Your Health-Care Professional Team for Life
National Workshops featuring Brian Lee, CSP
Hilton Suites Markham
February 26-27, 2004
Older People Deserve the Best! Building a Policy Framework and Innovative Services for Elder Health and Elder Care" 3rd International Conference on Elder Care
on Westin Prince Hotel Toronto
September 22-23,
Deadline for abstract submission is Thursday, February 12, 2004.
Healthy Workplaces in Action 2004: Thriving in Challenge! 4th International Conference
Hilton Suites Markham
November 17-18,
2004 Deadline for abstract submission is Thursday, February 19, 2004.
Please visit RNAO website at www.rnao.org and check details in The Centre and see all abstracts under the section Workshops and Conferences.
BPGs - RNAO announces new partnerships with seven health-care organizations to disseminate and evaluate nursing best practice guidelines
The RNAO announced three-year partnerships with seven health-care organizations chosen to implement and evaluate nursing best practice guidelines (NBPG).
Representatives from the successful "spotlight" organizations - staff nurses, advanced practice nurses, chief nursing officers and CEOs - met in Toronto for the inaugural NBPG Spotlight Organization Retreat on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
These dynamic, long-term partnerships, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) with matching funds provided by the spotlight organizations, will develop creative strategies to implement and evaluate NBPGs. Best practice guidelines not only provide nurses with current, comprehensive guidelines based on the latest evidence in specific clinical areas, but also give patients and the public an understanding of the quality of care they should expect to receive. To date, Ontario's NBPG Project, led by RNAO and funded by MOHLTC, has completed 17 guidelines focusing on elder health and elder care, home health care, mental health care, emergency care and primary health care as well as an implementation tool kit to help nurses and organizations use the guidelines. And development of four new guidelines is in progress.
Thousands of expert nurses from all regions of the province and sectors of the profession have been developing, pilot testing, implementing and evaluating guidelines that flow from the latest research in nursing practice. Forty-seven health-care sites across Ontario and about 4,600 stakeholders are participating in the project. And thousands of additional nurses are starting to use the BPGs in practice to enrich patient care.
Conference
Update
 Ninth Annual Ethel Johns Nursing Research Forum: Responding to the Moral Climate of Nursing Workplaces: Action through Expert Practice and Leadership
St. Paul's Hospitals Vancouver BC
February 6-7, 2004
www.xieta.nursing.ubc.ca/E.JohnsRegn04.pdf
Ontario Hospital Association The SARS Outbreak 2003: Provincial Issues
Renaissance Toronto Hotel
February 20, 2004
www.oha.com
The Ontario Women's Health Council and the OHA Women's Health Conference: Accountability for Excellence
Holiday Inn on King Toronto
February 27, 2004
www.oha.com
Ontario Hospital Association Nurse Practitioner Conference
Hilton Toronto
March 1, 2004
www.oha.com
Altogether Better Health: Progress in Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice
UBC Vancouver
May 6-7, 2004
www.health-disciplines.ubc.ca
2004 Canadian Nursing Research Conference
London, Ontario
May 12 - 15, 2004
http://publish.uwo.ca/~maandrus/nnrc/Abstract3.htm
National Primary Health Care Conference - Moving Primary Health Care Forward: Many Successes, More to Do
Winnipeg Convention Centre
May 16-19, 2004
www.phcconference.ca
The 1st Conference of the Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy (formerly CHERA)
Hyatt Regency, Montreal
May 26-28
www.cahspr.ca
3rd International Conference on Health Economics and Health Management
Athens Institute for Education and Research
Athens, Greece
Jun 03-Jun 05, 2004
Contact Sotiris Soulis / atiner@otenet.gr
Academy of Health Annual Research Meeting
San Diego
June 6-8, 2004
www.academyhealth.org/arm/abstracts/brochure.htm
Health, Insurance and Equity: Journées d'Économie Publique Louis-André Gérard-Varet
Jun 10-Jun 11, 2004
Marseille France Abstract Submission Deadline
Feb 15, 2004
Contact Prof. Nicolas Gravel gravel@ehess.cnrs-mrs.fr
CNA Biennial Convention
St. John's
June 20-23, 2004
www.cna-aiic.ca
Health, Work & Wellness Conference 8th Annual Health, Work & Wellness Conference Transforming the Organization
Vancouver BC
October 28-30, 2004
www.healthworkandwellness.com
The 8th Nursing Research Conference
Seville Spain
November 17-20, 2004
www.isciii.es/investen
Interdisciplinary
Collaboration
Quality of Care Better When Doctors, Mental Health Professionals Work Together to Treat Patients
A collaborative approach to mental health care, where family doctors and mental health professionals collaborate in treating patients, works better than doctors providing this care on their own, says a new report by Saskatchewan's Health Quality Council. In reviewing 40 studies of shared mental health care, researchers found that patients who receive collaborative treatment have fewer symptoms than people receiving traditional care from family doctors, and are more likely to have recovered or be in remission at follow-up. The research, which was conducted by the former Health Services Utilization and Research Commission, found that besides being more effective than the typical form of mental health care provided by family physicians, shared mental health care is also preferred by patients. Get all the details at www.hqc.sk.ca/whats_new.html
Nurse Practitioners and Doctors Working Collaboratively to Provide Patient Care
A joint research survey by the RNAO and the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) demonstrates that Ontario's nurse practitioners and physicians have been working well together in new joint partnerships across Ontario. The purpose of the survey was to gather information about the collaborative practice relationship experience of general and family practice physicians and nurse practitioners established in recent years.
Successful collaborative practice relationships between nurse practitioners and doctors include long-term care facilities, primary care networks, community health centres and physician offices.
"The report provides information to maintain and improve existing practice partnerships and provides a framework for those physicians and nurse practitioners looking to initiate new ones" said Dr. John Rapin, spokesman for the OMA. "The OMA is committed to continuing to take steps to foster and develop new working relationships with Ontario's nurses to improve access to health services in Ontario." "The report confirms the value of nurses and doctors working together. Ontario's collaborative practice partnerships are leading the way nationwide" said RNAO president Adeline Falk-Rafael. "RNAO is committed to continuing to work with doctors in the province to achieve excellent practice partnerships to best serve Ontarians." The survey, funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care was conducted between December 2002 and February 2003. Interviews were conducted with nurse practitioners and general and family physicians, individually and together to achieve the best possible insight to the collaborative practice relationship. The RNAO and the OMA are currently working to support the establishment of interdisciplinary practices in Ontario by establishing a physician/nurse practitioner education and mentoring program that will further foster positive working relationships and enhance patient care in Ontario. For a copy of the survey please visit The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) or OMA Weblink.
CHSRF
Do you know someone who has made a great contribution in advancing health services research and evidence-based decision-making in Canada?
CHSRF encourages nominations of a wide scope of people for the 2004 Health Services Research Advancement Award. We are looking for nominations of decision makers who fund health services research, work in partnership with health services researchers, or frequently use research to make evidence-based decisions. We also welcome the nomination of researchers who are doing health services research, communicating research well, teaching about health services research, or advocating for it. We want to recognize the people who are involved with health services research in many different ways -- and not necessarily in traditional ways. Please submit a nomination: www.chsrf.ca/funding_opportunities/hsraa/pdf/nform_e.pdf by 5 p.m., March 31, 2004 to the CHSRF. The winner will be awarded $10,000 to use for the advancement of health services research. For more information please go to The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation.
Funding
Announcement
Strategic Research Training Fellowship Opportunities in Gender, Women and Addictions Research for: PhD ($20K/year), Masters ($18K/year), Post Doc Fellow ($40K/year), Clinical Researchers ($45K/year) Application Deadline: March 31, 2004. Notifications by April 30, 2004. For more information:
The Integrated Mentor Program in Addictions Research Training
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