The Ottawa Hospital is moving to eliminate more than 200 front-line nursing positions, the Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) announced Friday.
The cuts affect registered nurses, clinical care leaders, nurse specialists and nurse educators across several areas of the hospital, according to ONA.
ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, a registered nurse, placed the cuts in the context of a broader provincial trend.
“It is absurd that in a province like Ontario, which already has the worst nurse-to-population ratio in all of Canada, a hospital is targeting nurses to make up for underfunding of the public health-care system by the Ford government. Nurses have borne the brunt of inadequate funding for decades, suffering round after round of cuts even as mounting evidence shows us that we should be increasing RN staffing.”
Impact on patients and staff
ONA says the reductions will affect patient care across the hospital. Ariss warned the scope of the cuts goes beyond typical budget adjustments.
“The breadth of these cuts is incredibly worrisome. Eliminating front-line staff is not just trimming a budget, it’s dismantling the backbone of patient care.”
“Our members are beyond angry about the cuts, which will lead to longer wait times, increased burnout and risks to patient safety.”
About ONA
ONA represents 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates. Its members provide care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, community settings, clinics and industry.
