After significant collaboration, Manitoba’s nurses together with Shared Health and supported by the Government of Manitoba have reached a new and improved Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) regarding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other critical health and safety measures, MNU President Darlene Jackson announced today.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses across the province have been demanding improved PPE standards,” said Jackson. “We are confident this agreement will address those concerns and help improve workplace and patient safety by reducing the risk of transmission in health care facilities – a big win for us all.”

In July, MNU secured an initial MOA which permitted nurses to conduct a Point-of-Care-Risk Assessment (PCRA) to determine the appropriate level of PPE protection for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients. Under the new MOA, nurses will automatically be provided with an N95 respirator in the following situations (replacing the requirement of having to request an N95, as per the previous agreement):

  • All nurses, across all care settings, that provide direct care to COVID-positive and/or COVID-suspect individuals;
  • All nurses in Labour and Delivery (with the exception of those staff caring for patients who have received a negative COVID-19 test result on the day of labour/delivery or the day prior);
  • Nurses in Emergency Departments and Urgent Care Centres (with the exception of staff working in designated low acuity areas where Green zone patients are directed following screening at triage);
  • All nurses performing nasopharyngeal swabs at COVID-19 testing locations;

In addition, the MOA bolsters accountability mechanisms to ensure employer compliance with the new standards, and requires employers to share information with MNU regarding the circumstances of nurses who test positive for COVID-19, respecting privacy and confidentiality requirements, in order to better understand possible reasons for exposure. 

“We are pleased to come together on this agreement with Shared Health as it should significantly improve PPE access for nurses across the provinces,” added Jackson. “With this, Manitoba will now have amongst the most robust PPE standards in the country for nurses and health care workers. Moving forward, we will monitor its implementation closely, to ensure these critical standards are followed in all care settings.”

MNU represents over 12,000 nurses of all designations from across Manitoba.

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MNU-Shared Health PPE settlement

Media Contact:

Brandi Johnson 
bjohnson@manitobanurses.ca