The Ontario Nurses' Association says it has "deep concerns" about how well patients will be taken care of following an announcement that the Ottawa Hospital will cut 190 registered nurses from its roster.
Reports say the cuts are supposed to reduce the deficit in the hospital's $970-million budget, which will run short at least $19 million in the 2010-11 fiscal year.
According to a press release, the association says the move, which boths lays off nurses and removes positions, will eliminate 300,000 hours of registered nurse care per year.
"These cuts will have significant effects on the care we provide," stated ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud.
"The cuts will impact care for a large number of patients . . . We'll see rates of morbidity and mortality rise as patients lose the expertise and skills that RNs bring – studies have shown a seven per cent rise in patient complications and death as extra patients are added to an average RN's workload.
"It's tragic that the hospital is putting patients at risk to balance the budget on the backs of nurses and patient care."
The Ottawa Hospital has said it will replace some of the positions with other workers who are not registered nurses, and its CEO -- Jack Kitts -- met with the hospital's local bargaining unit to discuss the impact of the cuts, the association says.
