Nurses not consulted on health care changes

Nurses were not consulted about major changes in the P.E.I. health care system announced this week, says the president of the Nurses Union.

The changes included the conversion of acute care beds in three rural hospitals to long-term and alternate-care beds, and the establishment of a collaborative emergency centre at Western Hospital in Alberton, which would be run largely by nurses.

P.E.I. Nurses Union president Mona O'Shea said she has a lot of questions about how the changes will work and any impact they might have on nurses.

"We have a lot of questions. We have a lot of concerns," said O'Shea.

"The P.E.I. Nurses Union really has no jurisdiction over what services the government provides on P.E.I. or do not provide on P.E.I. However we are here for our membership and we will be protecting their jobs."

O'Shea said she is trying to set up a meeting with Health Minister Doug Currie as soon as possible to get more details.