Sir, - I refer to two recent articles in The Irish Times on the report of the Interim Commission on Nursing and on staff nurse shortages in acute and psychiatric hospitals.
I find the INO's concern at the crisis due to staff nurse shortages perplexing, as it is one of the unions which negotiated the present staffing arrangements, resulting from the transition from the apprenticeship-style training for student nurses to the college-based training now in place.
All the nursing unions, including the INO, must accept a major part of the responsibility for bringing the present crisis about. When Mr Michael Noonan introduced overnight in 1996 the new college-based education for student nurses in all the State's general hospitals, the nursing unions readily agreed without due regard to the knock-on effects this would have. The Galway Pilot Project had not been reviewed and evaluated at this stage. Instead of improving conditions for nurses, our unions appear to be doing the reverse.
Once again they seem to be out of step with members. It's time for the unions to start listening again and to start representing us. Remember how out of touch they were with members on the recent pay dispute? -Yours, etc.,
From James N. Duffin, RGN, RPN,
Staff Nurse, Ursuline Court, Waterford.