Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.
by Michael Rudder
It has been brought to my attention that some of the issues raised by nurses who are on strike have been published previously. I don’t recall seeing that publication, so apologies.
Indeed, I had, in two previous letters to the Editor asked that our reporters discover the issues and make public the same.
The reason for doing so, in my opinion, was to help to ‘bring the public along’ with the nurses. Yet, the Editor did not indicate that some of the specific concerns had previously been raised.
I have now been apprised of some of the issues. I shall comment on a few.
(a) Regrading of the post of Registered Nurse.
This may require a look at equivalencies. In addition to the ‘catch-all’ of the word responsibility one has to look at specific responsibilities carried by others who: –
(1) May have been in a particular job for a long time.
(2) Supervises others and sets tasks, but
(3) May not be challenged by life-or-death situations, say in nursing and
(4) May not be required to work unsociable hours.
On the other hand, an individual may have equivalent or lesser educational qualifications, but may have more tasks and responsibilities.
The government had once proposed to deal with this in the teaching profession, as I recall, by creating a post of “Master Teacher.” So, would a
Registered Nurse need an additional salary bar?
(5) Do we want to continue with the Registered Nurse as the pinnacle or do we want to train up Nurse Practitioners.
(a) Establishment of the post of Graduate Nurse and a regional exam.
(1) Is this the transitional phase between ‘nursing student’ and registered nurse?
(2) Specific duties may be set out, but will the graduate nurse also be expected to be flexible?
(3) Will the regional exam be a Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ)?
(c ) Hazard Allowance
(1) In almost every job there may be an element of personal hazard even in some fields one may not think of. For instance, a Systems Analyst may be in danger of losing their job if he/she has given their company an understanding that the company is “hack proof,” only to have a hack take place the next day.
(2) A Firefighter can’t claim that fire is a hazard.
(3) A surgeon can’t claim that seeing blood is so upsetting they can’t eat after an operation and some compensation should follow surgeries. You get my drift.
The level of salary paid should take into account the risk involved. That is why some manual tasks may pay better than academics.
(d ) Health Insurance
(1) A sine qua non – a necessary or indispensable requirement. Percentage contributions of each side to be negotiated following a competitive bid by health insurers.
(e) Brain Drain
(1) It is in the country’s interest to try to curb the exodus of qualified nurses, lured to other countries by advertised higher salaries and better conditions. These conditions may not always materialise but we may not see a return of those nurses who left.
(2) I suggest a proactive approach. First, in collaboration with local investors and contractors develop an active rent-to-own programme in the new housing development areas. Nurses should be the primary beneficiaries followed by the next segment of workers we are losing to ‘other country’s poaching.’
(3) Negotiate and enter into agreement with two or three reputable hospitals overseas so that our nurses may spend up to a year working in a specialised or general area of that hospital and return to Barbados to work here for at least two years.
Meanwhile, the correspondent hospital is required to source ‘factory priced’ equipment similar to what the nurse may be using in that overseas country. In this way we build up modern equipment and have nurses trained to use it.
(f) Payments, Promotion and Training
(1) For far to long complaints of sluggish or non-payments have ravaged the landscape of the health and other sectors of government employment.
Not only is active investigation needed but also resolutions to the extent of removing those who “gum up” the system.
A deadline of no more than six months must be given to resolve this matter by taking action.
(2) A published promotion policy should exist, and ALL employees must be given a copy along with all unions who represent the health workers.
(3) A biannual timetable for training exercises should be published using various media. Extra mural and overseas training opportunities should also be published in the health service’s News Letter and on notice boards – electronic and fixed.
(g) Negotiations
(1) It is long past the time for negotiations in the matter of the Unity Workers Union and its member nurses on the one hand and the Director General (DG) (Chief Personnel Officer) of the Public Service on the other.
(2) Surely the Minister of the Public Service would, by now, have given the DG the authority to begin negotiations. I have to ask if not, why not? The country needs leadership in this matter. Forward ever.
Time to light a candle for the nurses.
This column was offered as Letter to the Editor.
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