We, the undersigned BCNU members, would like to officially request to have the eligibility period for the addition of Employed Student Nurse (ESN) hours into seniority extended from one year to three years post-graduation upon the attainment of permanent nursing employment.
We feel strongly that an extension to the eligibility period is warranted due to the current nursing employment climate where securing full-time Registered Nurse (RN) positions in the first year post-graduation is highly unlikely for the majority of ESN participants in British Columbia (BC). We suspect that the existing policy was initiated during a time when attaining full-time employment within a one year time frame was a reasonable expectation, but it is clear that this outdated policy does not reflect the reality of our current employment situation.
We feel this eligibility extension would have advantages for both the employer and the employee. Employees would find incentive to remain within the province to work casually or temporarily rather than seeking immediate full-time work available in other provinces, and the employer would be able to attract and retain a highly qualified workforce with a passion to live and work with members of their often rural communities. We, the undersigned, respectfully request BCNU to bring these concerns forward as a bargaining issue in the upcoming collective agreement negotiations on our behalf. Thank you in advance for your attention to this issue.