VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Feb. 17, 2015) - Today's provincial budget and associated Ministry of Health 2015/16 - 2017/18 Service Plan introduced a modest increase to the health budget and spoke to the need for increased collaboration between health professions. However, they fell short of recognizing the importance of nursing as a key contributor to health care, according to the Association of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (ARNBC), the only nursing organization in British Columbia that represents all of B.C.'s 37,000+ registered nurses and nurse practitioners.
"While we appreciate that government recognizes the need to integrate all health professions in care delivery, we continue to be disappointed with the lack of recognition of the ideas and innovations that all health professions, including nurses, can bring to health care planning," said Julie Fraser, ARNBC President. "While physicians play a vital role in delivering quality care, we believe that there is enormous untapped potential for government in developing stronger collaborative opportunities with other health professions."
In addition, ARNBC noted the following key themes:
"ARNBC was privileged to participate in the 2015 Budget Lockup for the first time in our history," said ARNBC Executive Director, Joy Peacock. "This is a strong indication that government is interested in engaging nurses in further dialogue, and we look forward to being a key participant in implementing the Service Plan."
Nursing understands both systemic challenges and patient needs - which gives us a unique and important lens on health care. The implications of this budget on nursing will be evidenced as government develops the processes and programs to support the budget and Service Plan. The new directions laid out in the 2015/16 - 2017/18 Service Plan suggest that government is moving to a more collaborative model of decision-making. ARNBC looks forward to nursing playing an important role in sharing our expertise, innovation and ideas for how to improve the care of all British Columbians.
Contact Information: