Culture of Health P.E.I. encourages silence: frontline workers, unions
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Union representatives and frontline health-care employees are disputing a declare by Premier Dennis King that they will converse publicly about office points, as long as they respect affected person confidentiality.
“It’s protected to talk out,” King advised the legislature throughout query interval on March 1.
King stated all Well being P.E.I. employees signal a confidentiality settlement when they’re employed, however he stated this is applicable solely to affected person info.
“By way of work situations, they will say no matter they need, to whoever they need,” King stated. “However in the case of the private info of the affected person that you just serve, that’s what they don’t need you – what we don’t need you sharing, as a result of it’s not your info to share.”
Well being P.E.I.’s pledge of confidentiality, signed by all staff, requires staff to acknowledge that “confidential info” that’s improperly disclosed by an worker “could also be trigger for disciplinary motion.”
Joanne Chisholm, vice-president of the P.E.I. Nurses’ Union, stated the premier’s remarks have been information to her.
Chisholm stated staff perceive the significance of affected person confidentiality. However she stated public dialogue about working situations, equivalent to staffing ranges or office security, will not be welcomed inside Well being P.E.I.
Talking brazenly with the media, for instance, will not be inspired.
“Having been a registered nurse for 38 years and as a union advocate, I’ve by no means been within the place the place I might really feel comfy talking freely about these issues,” Chisholm stated in an interview on March 2. “On the whole, there could be a way that there could be penalties or a danger to going exterior of our employer state of affairs to have these discussions.”
In an interview on Feb. 25, Well being Minister Ernie Hudson emphasised the necessity to shield affected person confidentiality. However he additionally stated there’s a course of by means of which well being employees can deliver points to the eye of senior administration.
He additionally famous that the province has additionally employed an ombudsperson, who can assist advocate on particular points.
“It is very a lot inspired that you do not converse to the media or put it on-line. We have truly had some incidents the place individuals (have been), perhaps not punished, however definitely reprimanded or known as into conferences after they have spoken out on completely different points.”
– Tracy Robertson, president, IUOE Native 942
“What I might ask, and what I’ve requested when an worker does attain out to media (is) ‘are you conversant in the method that’s out there to you for voicing your issues?’” Hudson stated. “If that is not working, then that, to me, is the place we have got work to do.”
Social media watched
Tracy Robertson, president of the Worldwide Union of Working Engineers Native 942, which represents over 1,000 Well being P.E.I. employees, additionally stated most staff are made conscious that essential commentary about working situations will not be inspired. She stated Well being P.E.I. administration is especially cautious about social media postings of staff.
“It is very a lot inspired that you do not converse to the media or put it on-line,” Robertson stated in an interview March 2. “We have truly had some incidents the place individuals (have been), perhaps not punished, however definitely reprimanded or known as into conferences after they have spoken out on completely different points.”
Robertson stated she discourages Native 942 members from voicing issues or posting opinions about some health-care issues on social media as a cautionary, protecting measure.
Well being P.E.I.’s social media coverage prohibits employees from disclosing confidential particulars about sufferers on their private accounts. Nevertheless it additionally prohibits posting “content material that displays negatively on Well being P.E.I.’s status” in addition to “content material regarding or describing inner office issues or points.”
As well as, the coverage defines an worker’s “responsibility of loyalty” as one thing that’s “violated when an worker engages in public criticism which is detrimental to Well being P.E.I.’s authentic enterprise pursuits”.
SaltWire Community spoke to 2 frontline health-care employees on the situation of anonymity.
Each stated they have been conscious that the pledge of confidentiality they signed associated to affected person confidentiality versus office points. Each agreed this was essential.
“It is issues like that the place staff really feel caught. Every thing will get sugar-coated because it will get handed up the chain. You’ll be able to’t converse out on social media. If you do, you get your wrist slapped.”
– Well being-care employee
Each additionally stated administration at Well being P.E.I. pays shut consideration to social media posts which might be essential about day-to-day situations in well being care.
One employee pointed to different points of Well being P.E.I.’s tradition that discourage whistleblowing.
This employee stated they’ve seen particular points raised to their instant supervisor about affected person care prior to now however have discovered this didn’t resolve the problem.
“It is issues like that the place staff really feel caught. Every thing will get sugar-coated because it will get handed up the chain. You’ll be able to’t converse out on social media. If you do, you get your wrist slapped,” they stated.
Stu Neatby is a political reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island.
