Vancouver Coastal Health Survey Confirms that Nurses' Voices Need to be Heard

The results, which reflect the participation of an impressive 63 per cent of staff across the health authority's region, show that there's a long way to go before employees feel their views matter and they can be part of positive change.

BCNU would like to thank the large number of nursing staff and health care professionals who took the time to complete the survey and share their feelings.

While we are pleased the health authority has taken the steps necessary to start the discussion on where it can improve, we are also committed to work with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) to address the concerns highlighted by staff.

BCNU is concerned to hear that two-thirds of respondents do not think VCH's leaders engage with front-line staff, provide recognition, or respect the values that matter to them and make their work meaningful. With the ongoing challenges regarding recruitment and retention of professional nursing staff, these fundamental staff satisfaction matters must be meaningfully addressed.

In addition, only half of respondents say they believe VCH's vision for the future is easy to understand and less than half believe the organization has translated it into strategic goals and milestones.

BCNU has been actively working with VCH on matters regarding transparency, decision making, priorities and innovation. We look forward to continuing to work with them to address these issues and improve the health and overall culture of the organization and the working lives of our members.