Bonjour.
I am certainly pleased, as the chief executive officer of the Canadian Nurses Association representing registered nurses from across the country, to have the opportunity to present. Thank you very much for the opportunity to present nurses' solutions to successfully managing the H1N1 influenza pandemic.
Our analysis of the implementation of the pandemic plan to date reveals several improvements since the last public health crisis--namely, SARS--but also several areas that require action. Let me begin with the strengths.
First, we commend Minister Aglukkaq and our Chief Public Health Officer for their regular communication with the public and health professionals. CNA appreciates the regular opportunities for communication with officials at the Public Health Agency and the minister's outreach to Canada's nurses.
Second, consultation with the health professionals has been fairly extensive. CNA and other national health professional groups have been consulted on a number of policy documents, including PHAC's guidance on the sequencing of vaccine delivery and the development of an online course for health professionals.
Third, we support PHAC's efforts to provide an evidence-based approach to the pandemic, using data and information from around the world to inform our implementation.
This is not to say that there isn't room for improvement. Coordination is a challenge, especially as it relates to communication. Canada's registered nurses tell us that they are receiving communications from multiple sources, and not all of the messages are consistent. They receive information from PHAC, their provincial or territorial government, their local public health unit, their employer, and the media, and I could go on.
While we recognize the responsibilities of various governments and stakeholders, we need to find a way to coordinate and streamline our communications. We urge the federal government to lead this effort by ensuring consistent and timely messages, policies, and implementation. Without this, we will confuse health professionals and the public and erode trust in our public health system and governments.
Health professionals are inundated with information that is critical to their practice. From the very onset of this pandemic, CNA has called on the federal government to produce for health professionals factual and consistent guidelines that are user-friendly and easy to access. Given that health professionals may be operating under difficult conditions, it is imperative that they be able to quickly refer to a definitive source of information that focuses on essential facts. This information must be available in both paper-based and electronic formats in order to reach nurses and other health professionals in all corners of the country.
Our second concern is for protecting the health and availability of nurses during this pandemic. Nurses tell us that some employers have not offered fit testing for N95 masks, or that N95 masks are not available. Imagine how the health system will fare if the largest group of health professionals, that being nurses, fall ill and can't report to work. We need your help to ensure that Canada's nurses are protected.
Third, the electronic health record is an essential component in the real-time tracking and reporting of patient information during public health emergencies. Continued investment in e-health is critical. We therefore urge the federal government to release the $500 million announced in the federal budget for Infoway to continue implementation of the electronic health record.
Finally, we believe this pandemic points to the need for better research to observe and evaluate the allocation of nursing research. Lessons learned will inform our action this time around, help us improve our level of emergency preparedness, and benefit all Canadians in the future.
Canada's registered nurses and CNA are ready and willing to work with governments to minimize the effects of this pandemic. RNs have the skills and knowledge to play a number of key roles.
In fact, CNA's provincial and territorial members have been working with their governments to expedite registration for recently retired nurses so that they can take an active role in dealing with the crisis.
Canada's registered nurses are partners with government in this pandemic.
Merci beaucoup.