Some LPNs are even worried that the program has been set up in a manner that will prevent them from succeeding.
Charlottetown (21 Oct. 2009) - The P.E.I. Union of Public Sector Employees (PEIUPSE/NUPGE) is concerned that licensed practical nurses (LPNs) are not receiving the appropriate education to meet the demands of their full scope of practice under the new model of health care for Prince Edward Island.
The President of PEIUPSE, Shelley Ward, said that “government made the right decision to implement the full scope of practice for LPNs on Prince Edward Island and that the new model of care recognizes their role in acute, long term and home care settings.”
Ward explained that “LPN’s are currently upgrading their education to meet the demands of their more fully utilized role. Their education outcomes include acquired knowledge in adult assessment, anatomy and physiology, and pharmacology. However, LPNs are not receiving training in anatomy and physiology as part of their upgrade and this could compromise their test scores. Some LPNs are even worried that the program has been set up in a manner that will prevent them from succeeding.
“The LPNs are currently enrolled in an upgrade program through Holland College that began on September 22 and will run until December 23, 2009. The province needs to work with Holland College to ensure that a three day anatomy and physiology component will be included for the LPNs so they can meet their educational requirements for their new role within the health care system,” said Ward.
Ward stated that “the province has had significant challenges in implementing the new model of care planned for Prince Edward Island and at significant cost.” She said that “three provincial project managers have been lost to date and a private sector senior consultant has been brought in at the taxpayers’ expense to keep the project on track.”
The consultant, Faye Kingdon, works for Corpus Sanchez, the company who originally was commissioned to conduct the health care review in Prince Edward Island.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
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