From page

$455,800 has been budget-

ed to hire evtra nursing: staff

across the region this year.

An RN vacancy report from
July stated that the region still
needs to fill 34 full-time, 17
part-time and 30 temporary
nursing, pasitions.

“There simply haven't been
enough RNs coming out tor
the past several years,” Kelsey
said.

The shortage has hampered
the health region’s ability to
hire adequate staff, especially in
the home-nursing care area
where visits have increased by
9% in the past year.

The nursing programs at
the University of British
Columbia, British Columbia
institure of Technology and
Langara College are typically
fiooded with more applicants
than the programs can handle.

UBC's four-year registered

pursing undergraduate pro-
gram accepts 68 students cach
vear, according to Joan
Bouortf, assuciate professor at
UBC's school of nursing
Qualified applicants have
been on the rise since 1995,
even tho:igh the nursing school

has decreased the number of

faculty due to budget cutbacks.

Ironically, competing, pro-
grams in other provinces, most
notably Alberta and Onuario,
are expanding their faculties to
meer demand.

A shortage in both regis-
tered nurses and nurse practi-
tioners has been mushrooming
on both sides of the border for
several years, but unlike the
United States, health boards in
Canada cannot compete with
the attractive salary packages
offered by many American pri-
vate hospitals,

Bruce Wells, from the
Registered Nurses Association
of British Columbia (RNABC),

municipal affairs

THERE are no council or scheo! board
meetings next week. Below is a list of when
will be held:
North Vancouver District Council: The next
meeting is Monday, August 9.

the next council meetings

North Vancouver City Council:
meeting is Monday, August 9.

West Vancouver District Council:

said Australia, Britain and the
U.S. are aggressively recruiting
nurses ail over the world;
Canada loses about 300 to 400
RNs ro the States cach year.

Although some RNs are
paid as much as $70,000 US
and are offered attractive bene
fits packages that can’t be
marched in Canada, the real
problem lies in recruiting
enough nurses from programs
within this country, according
to Kelsey.

Nurses who choose to
remain in Canada often seck
work in health regions with
lower costs of living.

Kelsey said the North Shore
has a higher cost of living com-
pared with other Lower
Mainland municipalities and is
therefore less attractive to nurs-
ing graduates.

“You can live in Surrey
where the rent is cheaper but
the lengthy commute (to the
North Shore) is another issue

The next

The

mecting is Monday, September 7.

for recrui

altogether,” Kelsey said.
The lack of teaching bospi-
als in the Vancouver area and

funding trom the Ministry of

Health in Victoria is abo con-

tributing to the shortage of

nurses, Kelsey said.

‘The North Shore, with its
already higher than average
number of seniors, expects the
number of seniors aged 85 and
over to increase by 49% by
2010. Currently
patients at scute and extended
care facilities on the North
Shore are over the age of 75,

On top of the current nurs-

ing shortage, endemic to all of

North America, B.C.'s nursing
workforce is aging (the average

71%) of

age is currently 45), according
to Clay Adams, the health
region's communications
director.

Much of the current nurs-
ing workferce will be leaving
the ficld by the year 2010 —
33% of all RNs in the province
are expected to retire, further
exacerbating the situation.
Currently 800 of the North
Shore Health Region’s 850
RMs work at LGH.

“We're barely holding our
own in regards to the staffing
situation but we are trying to
aggressively recruit nurses all
the time,” said Elaine Baxter,
the region’s acting vice-presi-
dent for acute care services.

65-74 75-84 85+

AGE GROUP

North Shore Health Ragicn
AGING seniors will put a

strain on health region in
next 10 years.

DO NOT CHANGE YOUR
OIL ‘TIL SATURDAY.

or you'll pay too much! |

North Van
Recreation
Commission
-(NVRC)
Launches

Playcard. |

Residents now have a new way to register
for programs offered through the NVRC.
. Playcard now allows residents to register for

Enjoy our parks, but |
please remember ...

With the arrival of summer, many residents
“are getting out.to enjoy some. of the many
parks in North: Vancouver. The Distiict weuld-

-like to remind residents to observe ail: “posted.
signage while in the parks.Most-patks-are

closed to the public from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00

safety.

programs using their touch-tone phone.

Cardholders and
. accumulate valuable bonus points - or
RecPoints - that can be redeemed for cost
savings on other programs, services or

their

products offered through the NVRC.

Playcard will be launched in early August
_ and represents a unique 5-year partnership
between NVRC and North Shore Credit

Union.

Look for more information on Playcard in —
the next issue of the NVRC Leisure Services °
Guide, due to arrive at all North Vancouver

homes on Wednesday, August 11th.

families will : >

a.m. (Parks ivlaw 2733) in order to minimize |;
vandalism, noise and to maximize public”

bs of particular concem fort noise disturbances
Kirkstone Park. The District, ‘ in ' cooperation

with RCMP, has posted signage at all

entrances to the park regarding the nightly :

closure. RCMP will patrol the park ‘on:

violation.

regular basis and may issue fines to those. i in.

the ‘District of North ‘Vancouver has 115)

parks, more than 1,100 hectares of parkland,

ALSO COMING UP! The official opening
of the recCentre Karen Magnussen Weight
Room on Saturday, August 7th from 2:00 -
3:00 p.m. Interested in attending? Call 987- §
PLAY (7529} and ask for the KM front office |
to register your name on the invitation list.’

"+ + 38 playing fields and 48 tennis couris to enjoy.

» Special facilities and areas include Maplewood .
Farm, Lynn Canyor Ecology ( Centre and Ca ACES ©
‘Park with beaches on Barrard Inlet. a