RPNs: Proud to Say We're HSA

RPNS HELPED FOUND HSA TO PRESERVE THEIR DISTINCT PROFESSION

When nine professions came together to form the Health Sciences Association over fifty years ago, Registered Psychiatric Nurses were among the union's founders.

The union's RPN founders joined HSA to preserve their distinct profession, and to ensure their expertise and workplace issues would not be submerged among those of other nurses. Over the years, HSA has successfully advocated on behalf of RPNs who faced barriers to job placement and career advancement -- all too often, because of discrimination from RNs, nurse managers, and direct pressure from BCNU policies to limit RPN positions.

RPNs like you have stuck with HSA for over fifty years because it's the union that's always stood up for the specialized skills and training that sets RPNs apart.

PROMOTING RPNS AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

HSA actively promotes the important and unique work of registered psychiatric nurses in worksites around the province. Working through our vital affiliation with national unions, our partnership with professional associations or other labour unions, HSA is building the profile of RPNs and the mental health issues they treat.

HOW TO GET IN TOUCH

HSA is here to help members like you with a variety of questions and workplace issues. Here's how to get the support you need:

LATEST RPN NEWS

View all HSA news and updates.

IS YOUR INFORMATION UP TO DATE?

To receive updates directly, make sure that your contact information is up to date through our online member contact update form.

Collective Agreements

A full copy of the 2014-2019 collective agreement can be found here:

Resources

HSA's RPN stewards are provided with specialized training to ensure they understand the unique concerns of RPNs and the best ways the union can help you in the workplace. We are planning further sessions and to find out about upcoming RPN steward training, visit the events page.

 RPN Summit on Violence in the Workplace (September 10, 2015) 

Are you a registered psychiatric nurse working in a rural or remote community? Check out your eligibility for student loan forgiveness.

http://www.canlearn.ca/eng/loans_grants/repayment/help/forgiveness.shtml

The PRF is used to document a concern related to professional standards. Any issue relating to professional standards and practice are appropriate for the PRF process. Practice conditions, workload, patient safety and nurse safety all relate to professional standards. If some aspect of your workplace is preventing you from meeting your professional standards, then the PRF process is your tool for advocacy and resolution.

The first step any time you have an issue in your workplace is to talk to your steward and then have a conversation with your excluded manager. If it helps follow the PRF Checklist.  Filling out a PRF will help you summarize the issue and the remedy, which will help you when you have these conversations.

  • Download the PRF
  • Download the PRF Checklist (coming soon)
  • If you have questions about Professional Responsibilities Forms (PRFs), contact @email

HSA members represented by the Nurses' Bargaining Association negotiated the conversion of one percent (1%) of the 2008 market adjustment to provide funding for inflation protection and benefits for retirees.

RPN Information Archive

BCNU FOUND TO HAVE PUT NURSES AND PATIENTS AT RISK

The BC Labour Relations Board has ruled that workers and patients were put at risk by dangerous tactics used by BC Nurses' Union (BCNU) organizers in December. The BCNU organizers were attempting to convince registered psychiatric nurses to leave their union, Health Sciences Association of BC.

"When HSA worked with the Ministry of Health to bring together health care unions and employers earlier this month, it was with a view to preventing risks of violence to health care workers and their patients. It is frankly hard to understand how another union is now responsible for increasing the potential for harm, rather than working cooperatively with the rest of us to address the issues," Avery said.