On Thursday, Ontario nurses rallied at various hospitals, urging leaders to establish mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios to ensure safe and quality care for patients. The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA), representing over 68,000 members, highlighted the pressing need for these ratios, especially given the current nursing shortage of 25,000 registered nurses in Ontario. Proponents argue that adequate staffing not only enhances patient outcomes by reducing complications but also helps retain nursing staff. The campaign calls for specific ratios like 1:4 in medical and surgical units and 1:1 in intensive care, highlighting its importance in ongoing contract negotiations with hospital administrations.
"Safe staffing saves lives and it makes your nurses want to stay," said Liz Romano, an intensive care nurse at Toronto General Hospital for nearly 45 years and bargaining unit president for the ONA at Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals. "Mandatory nurse-patient ratios mean safe patient care."
Erin Ariss, provincial president of the ONA, said in an interview that Ontario currently has no nurse-to-patient ratios in its hospitals and has a shortage of 25,000 registered nurses. "We want every patient to have the appropriate amount of nursing care so that they receive the best care," Ariss said.
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