May 6, 2013

Health Month is an ideal opportunity to remember that the expertise of the healthcareprofessionals is an invaluable contribution to the health network. As I often say, they are theexperts in care in Québec. Unfortunately, I am afraid that all that experience is still under used,and even remains under-valued.

Take for example Bill 90, aimed at modernizing professional practices in the health field in orderto reflect the development of skills. That law has been in force since 2003 but it continues tobe applied irregularly from one institution to another, thus depriving those who are sick of thebest access to the available resources. A situation that affects the licensed practical nurses inparticular.

We can also think about the delay in standardizing the distribution of the collective prescriptionsthat prevents the nurses from carrying out the follow-up themselves on many medications. Afollow-up for which they possess all the required skills.

To that, add the haste of those who want to upgrade the initial training. A measure that, if donewithout taking the time to analyze all the impacts, could lead to an even greater devaluation ofthe expertise that already exists in the health network.

Lastly, the best use of all this expertise cannot be done without a sound management ofthe resources, both human and financial. There are countless cases of bad decisions by theemployers who waste public funds by hiring personnel from private agencies and who grant,at great cost, management mandates to private firms. It is our professionals who suffer theconsequences while this is going on, by being forced to always do more with less.

As you can see, the challenges are huge and it is not a pretty picture. I think it is all the moreimportant to celebrate Health Month in order to collectively remember that all of society wouldbe better off if the work of the licensed practical nurses, nurses, respiratory therapists andperfusionists was valued more.

Happy Health Month to all