inspiring canadians to live better.

healthing leaf

inspiring canadians to live better.

healthing leaf
get healthing in your inbox with the morning checkup and weekender newsletter!
home / 世界杯决赛2022

nursing faculty, students say u of s ignored years of complaints

faculty say a staffing deficit has led to growing class sizes, increased workloads and concerns about adequate clinical supervision.

by zak vescera

mar 7 2022
read time 4 minute read
join the conversation
dr. helen vandenberg says rising workloads in the u of s college of nursing are at the heart of a spat between administration and faculty. kayle neis / regina leader-post
nursing faculty at the university of saskatchewan passed an extraordinary motion of no confidence in their college’s leadership on friday, a sign of a deep rift teachers and students say has emerged between them and the ccollege’s leaders.
professors and students said the administration has not addressed concerns about a growing deficit of faculty, lack of consultation and narrowing clinical opportunities for soon-to-be nurses over years of complaints.
voting members of the college’s faculty council voted 51-20 in favour of the motion. five abstained. dr. helen vandenberg said it was an unusual step that came after years of unproductive talks with the college leadership.
“apparently, years of complaining and trying to work with them didn’t seem to make a lick of difference,” vandenberg said in an interview on monday.
dr. helen vandenberg stands for a portrait outside the u of s college of nursing regina campus on monday, march 7, 2022 .
dr. helen vandenberg stands for a portrait outside the u of s college of nursing regina campus on monday, march 7, 2022 . kayle neis / regina leader-post
vandenberg said the college is short 31 full-time employees, a gap she called the “core issue” of the strife. tenure-track faculty are expected to teach the equivalent of five classes each, sometimes with 200 students or more, which vandenberg said strictly limits chances for needed academic work.
it means nursing professors are supervising more students in clinical settings, which she believes is a safety issue, she added.
powered by
canadian centre for caregiving excellence

advertisement

“in a history department it doesn’t really matter, because no one is going to die. but in nursing, you need to have small clinical groups so they can adequately supervise the students so they don’t make errors.”
dr. sina adl, a grievance officer for the university of saskatchewan faculty association, said he has never seen a vote of no confidence pass in his two decades of union executive service. he noted that some deans outside the college also voted, which they are permitted to do but which he believes may have beefed up the votes against the motion.
dr. sina adl is a grievance officer with the university of saskatchewan faculty association.
dr. sina adl is a grievance officer with the university of saskatchewan faculty association. matt smith / saskatoon starphoenix
he said the administration’s decision in january to end the u of s’s programming in regina and redistribute seats to other parts of the province was “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
the college framed that decision as a way of refocusing education on underserved areas like saskatchewan’s north, but a jan. 27 letter from 47 faculty to university president dr. peter stoicheff said the decision came about with “an incredible lack of transparency, consultation and explanation.”
“when your university has a reputation for having a disaster of a program, who is going to come here to take on a faculty position in a basket-case of a university?” adl said.
powered by
obesity matters

advertisement

u of s provost dr. airini (who does not use a first name) issued a statement on saturday pledging the school’s “full support” for the college’s dean, dr. solina richter, who has been in her role for about six months.
the starphoenix requested an interview with richter on monday. instead she issued a statement, acknowledging issues in the college but saying she is optimistic about its future.
“i acknowledge the challenges in the college of nursing are longstanding and need to be addressed. the vote of non-confidence in usask college of nursing leadership, although not unanimous, does signal that a response is needed,” she wrote.
“i need time for detailed planning, i need time to be responsive, i need time to find solutions to the issues that have spanned a decade. i am fully committed to this college and the positive change ahead.”
saskatchewan’s government funds 345 nursing seats at the u of s. health minister paul merriman has said he is in conversations about raising that number, given the growing need for those professionals in the province. in a statement on monday, advanced education minister gene makowsky said the government “has confidence the university will continue to deliver sustainable, responsive and high-quality post-secondary education to saskatchewan students.”

advertisement

sarah nickel, president of the saskatchewan nursing student association’s saskatoon chapter, said consequences have hit the classroom. she described peers frustrated by a lack of clinical training opportunities in areas like pediatrics.
nickel said there were instances when she was not able to practise with an infusion pump — a basic piece of equipment — because of a shortage of supplies.
sarah nickel is a nursing student who spoke in support of the no confidence motion.
sarah nickel is a nursing student who spoke in support of the no confidence motion. michelle berg / saskatoon starphoenix
“i think there’s a huge ‘us and them’ mentality,” nickel said on monday. “i know the faculty don’t feel like upper administration listen to their concerns … and the same goes for students. students don’t feel like the administration is listening to us either.
“we need to be treated like human beings who are the ones going through this program.”
she spoke in favour of the faculty’s motion on friday, saying teachers “want to nurture us but are spread thin to the point of resignation.”
she believes uniting the college will require listening to and addressing concerns students are raising in hospitals and classrooms, she said.
“i want to be a nurse so badly. but i can’t in good faith not speak out, because the things i’m hearing are so serious, and students are suffering.”

zvescera@postmedia.com
twitter.com/zakvescera

advertisement

the news seems to be flying at us faster all the time. from covid-19 updates to politics and crime and everything in between, it can be hard to keep up. with that in mind, the saskatoon starphoenix has created an afternoon headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox to help make sure you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. click here to subscribe.

comments

postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. we ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. we have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. visit our community guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.