Overtime figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal 91原创 Coastal Health paid nearly $600,000 to three nurses over a 27-month period to April this year.
The top overtime-earning nurse, Jinu Joseph, netted $210,594 in overtime between January 2012, and April 2014 for 2,565 hours of work. That鈥檚 an average 95 hours a month, on top of a required workload of 150 hours a month. Joseph earned $190,395 in total income for the financial year ending March 2013.
That puts Joseph鈥檚 earnings on par with those of some doctors.
The second and third big overtime earners in VCH for the same period were Rose Avisa Wamunga at $195,517 and Irene Queh at $182,981.
B.C. Nurses Union president Debra McPherson said the overtime load highlights the shortage of specialty nurses in the province. Examples of specialty nurses are those who work in intensive-care units, operating rooms and trauma and cardiac wards.
鈥淩ight now we have a shortage of specialty nurses,鈥� McPherson said. 鈥淪taffing levels are low so they have to go to overtime.鈥�
She said specialty nurses are often called once or twice a day on their days off, and sometimes when they are at work, to fill shifts.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not something we encourage. Fatigue builds up, which can lead to error,鈥� McPherson said.
Health authority spokeswoman Anna Marie D鈥橝ngelo confirmed all three workers were specialized nurses.
She said the authority could not speak about the individuals mentioned in this news article, but confirmed the three 鈥渨orked in multiple hospital units and worked on their days off.鈥�
鈥淢anagers approve overtime and managers are responsible for their budgets,鈥� D鈥橝ngelo said. 鈥淭here are many reasons to ask for overtime, but overall it鈥檚 to meet the operating needs of each unit.鈥�
The health authority鈥檚 director of public affairs, Gavin Wilson, said overtime comprises straight time, followed by a premium that is time and a half or double time.
Wilson said the most senior nurses are offered overtime first and emphasized that overtime cannot be avoided.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to remember that in a health care setting, if someone calls in sick, they have to be replaced to meet mandated staffing levels and ensure patient safety is maintained,鈥� Wilson said in a prepared statement.
鈥淎nd that often requires asking a co-worker to stay and work an additional shift.鈥�
Wilson said the authority is having some success cutting back on overtime costs. He attributed that to an attendance wellness program to reduce sick time, and a 37.5-hour work week schedule implemented last year as part of the new collective agreement.
鈥淲e have also hired for vacation relief positions to avoid staff working overtime to cover their co-workers鈥� shifts,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e also recently added an electronic scheduling and timekeeping system that鈥檚 helped managers get better access to real-time information to help inform decisions about scheduling. That has reduced overtime as well.鈥�
The authority also has a policy that ensures an employee has a day off after working an overtime shift to limit excessive numbers of shifts in a row.
The B.C. Nurses Union is currently negotiating another collective agreement with the provincial government after its previous agreement expired in March.
Joseph and Queh could not be reached for comment and Wamunga did not return The Province鈥檚 calls.
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The 5 top earners
91原创 Coastal Health Authority top overtime earners, Jan. 6, 2012 to April 10, 2014:
1. Jinu Joseph 鈥� 2,565 hours, earned $210,594.
2. Rose Avisa Wamunga 鈥� 2,385 hours, earned $195,517.
3. Irene Queh 鈥� 2,236 hours, earned $182,981.
4. Gwendolyn Farrell 鈥� 2,084 hours, earned $170,791.
5. Barbara Janus 鈥� 1,832 hours, earned $149,768.
Nurses in B.C. currently earn between $31.71 an hour and $50.21 an hour, depending on experience. Nurses are paid a premium for working nights and public holidays.
