UNA Local 183 has an active Professional Responsibility Committee (PRC), we meet every 3rd Thursday of the month.
Your UNA Local 183 PRC representatives include:
– Michael P. (Executive Liaison)
– Athena G.
– Mark P.
– Bithu P.
Current vacant PRC positions:
– Alternate – 2 year term x1
Please bring forward your concerns to us.
A Professional Responsibility Form can be found here.
What are the difference between Professional Responsibility Concern and a Occupational Health issue?
In general, occupation health issues focus on the safety of the nurse and Professional Responsibility Concerns focus on the safety of patients. Read here for further examples/explanation.
Patient Advocacy is a primary responsibility of nurses. We have negotiated a process for nurses to advocate for safe care, care management and safe staff levels through Local Professional Responsibility Committees. Nurses can raise concerns and demand Employer response to our concerns through our PRCs.
Safe staffing levels are a major concern for nurses and a significant area in our Professional Responsibility Committees. We work to ensure high quality care is delivered by skilled practitioners.
Purpose of PRC:
To regulate working conditions and management practices so that they ensure the delivery of high quality health care.
To protect the professional licenses of nurses.
To give professional nurses a say in the quality of the care they provide.
To provide legal protection for nurses in matters pertaining to the delivery of healthcare.
To clarify the process for nurses’ input into the delivery of quality care.
To provide union representation for employees in matters pertaining to safe patient/resident/client care.
To provide a systematic means of problem-solving in matters relating to the delivery of quality health care.
To ensure that the employer and the Union assemble facts and arguments to justify their respective positions.
To provide for the final resolution of disputes.
Filing a Professional Responsibility concern:
Every time an urgent unsafe and/or unprofessional practice or setting is created by the employer, a Professional Responsibility complaint should be filed.
The Process:
Fill our the UNA Professional Responsibility/Staffing form, filling in all of the blanks.
Never use a patient’s/resident’s/client’s name, a doctor’s name, a visitor’s name or a nurse’s name. Call them Patient/Resident/Client/Doctor X, etc.
Take the completed form to the Local’s Professional Responsibility Committee or contact a Local Executive member to collect your form.
The PRC will contact you and conduct an investigation into your complaint.
The PRC will present your complaint to the Joint Professional Responsibility Committee. The Union PRC will have clear time lines for the resolution of this concern by the employer.
If there is no resolution within 45 days, the Union has the right to present your concern to the facility’s governing Board.
If your patient/resident/client concern is not urgent you may simply call a member of your UNA Professional Responsibility Committee and ask that your concern be included on the agenda of an upcoming PRC meeting.
You may be asked to provide documentation regarding the facts and details regarding specific situations.
PRC Resources:
CARNA – Practice Standards for Regulated Members.
CRPNA – Code of Ethics & Standards of Psychiatric Nursing Practice.
CFNU – Nursing Workload and Patient Care.
CNA – 2017 Edition Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses.
A printable document regarding “Professional Responsibility Process, Best Practice” can be found here.
Best Practice in PRC – Creating a Better Future – Youtube Video.
A PRC FAQ can be found here.