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EDITOR SIMONE PFEIFFER

THE VOICE, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013 2

Budget cuts to impact nursing grads

Cuts to B.C. health-care spending will mean fewer jobs, says Langara department

By MARIE-ANDREE DEL CID

ob prospects and patient care

will suffer as a result of budget

cuts to health care services says

the chair of Langara’s nursing
department.

Janine Lennox said that budget cuts
usually affect most people who are en-
tering the nursing profession.

“When new practitioners do not find
full-time employment within the prov-
ince, they will go elsewhere, often to
the U.S. The United States has need of
up to one million nurses, so employ-

ment there is usually an attractive op-
tion.”

Lennox said the budget will not af-
fect nurse salaries, but will reduce the
number of positions in public health
and home-care programs.

Health care in B.C. makes up almost
half of direct government spending.

Spending on health care was project-
ed to increase in the next three years
by 4.4 per cent annually but the new
budget holds it to 2.6 per cent. At the
same time, tens of thousands of people
continue to move to B.C. each year.

“The population in the Lower Main-

land continues to grow at a pace that
makes it difficult for health care to
keep up with even at current levels of
funding,” said Lennox.

“Budget cuts often impact health-
care delivery by forcing administrators
to provide care using less skilled
health-care providers. For instance,
registered nurses may be replaced in
some cases with licensed practical
nurses or even with unlicensed care
providers.”

Licensed practical nurses are regu-
lated but have fewer and less intensive
educational requirements.

Lennox said the amount of education
and responsibility as well as the scope
of practice for registered nurses means
that they have the knowledge to think
critically and to make decisions that
support the safety of patients.

Carmen Gutierrez, a nursing stu-
dent, agrees the quality of patient care
will decline.

“T find with these budget cuts in
health care, that the nursing position
has become even more loaded with re-
sponsibilities,” she said, noting that
certain specialized positions have been
eliminated.

Bis in

# OF FULLY
REGISTERED
NURSES IN BC
*2013: 33783
*2012: 35950
*2011: 35818

Source: College of
Registered Nurses of
B.C.

Source: Xop 6 on 6 xop xop xop

Former
English
chair dies

Staff fondly remember
Langara humanities
division chairman Ken
MacMillan

By WARREN JANE

mourning the passing of Ken Mac-

Millan, a former English instructor
and humanities division chairman at
the college.

MacMillan, who was 72, suffered a
heart attack on Feb. 24 in his home and
died shortly after arriving at Vancou-
ver General Hospital.

“Ken was a genuine, warm, compas-
sionate and caring man. He was a tal-
ented instructor,” said current humani-
ties division chair Julia Denholin.

MacMillan taught at Langara for
over 35 years.

He taught for most of those years be-
fore stepping into administration roles.

“He was very good in administra-
tion, but always remained a thinker,”
said English instructor John Webb.

MacMillan enjoyed volunteering at
UBC’s Crane Library, where he narrat-
ed books for the blind.

“He had a beautiful reading voice,”
said English instructor Debra Scott.

MacMillan was a man of great integ-
rity said Scott.

“He was very committed to the de-
partment and the college as a whole.”

MacMillan came up with the idea of
the Langara English Test (LET) in 1996.
The LET, a standardized admissions
test, is a requirement of many classes
and programs at Langara.

MacMillan retired 10 years ago and
travelled the world.

He also loved to work in his garden
and read.

English instructor Joanne Horwood
said MacMillan was a pleasure to work
with and loved what he did.

“He was an extremely energetic and
enthusiastic member of the depart-
ment and the Langara community,” she
said.

MacMillan’s daughter Tess MacMil-
lan, the current English department
chairwoman, said her father was funny,
intelligent, moral and passionate.

“But as for me, his daughter, I always
knew he loved me deeply,”she said.

Ken is also survived by his wife Sybil
and son Quentin.

A memorial service will be held on
March 9 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the
Peggy Gunn Woodland Hall at VanDu-
sen Garden in Vancouver.

Lies staff and students are

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Specialized educational a,

SCHOOL STUDENTS A FUN WAY TO LEARN

HAILEY MCDONALD photo
Langara’s Math 1190 students showcased interactive displays in the main lobby on March 6. The objective of the project was to show
students how to teach math to elementary school students.

Expect larger classrooms, says Stillwell

Continued from page 1

I don’t have the details of the latest bud-
get, but there is no question that the post-
secondary system has been asked to tight-
en its belt ... and if they’re looking to cut
skills and training programs the issue are
more complicated, in that there are some
programs that are undersubscribed.

How do you see this affecting Langa-
ra, given its high enrolment rate?

I don’t have the numbers memorized
anymore.

Since 2001 operating costs at Langara
have increased by $11.3 million, or 34.6 per
cent over the years.

It just means larger classrooms.

Finance Minister Michael de Jong ac-
knowledged that the Liberals don’t have
a very good track record, or credibility,
in keeping a balanced budget. What is
your reaction?

It’s true... . there’s two facts of the mat-
ter. The Liberal government passed the
balanced budget act... requiring us to bal-
ance the budget, which is important as a
stake in the ground, saying that this is
what the government values . .. and the
cabinet ministers have had a hold-back in
their salaries, so I think that its about
sending a clear signal.

The fact is that our economies are all
linked worldwide and things happen in the

world economy that affect B.C. that, in fair-
ness, can happen very rapidly.

How are the Liberals planning on get-
ting the youth vote?

I think young people have a variety of
interests and look at governments policies
from a variety of perspectives ... I think
ultimately young people need to make the
same kinds of decisions...The ballot-box
question is probably still the same: Who do
I think will stimulate the economy best?

People tend to vote on promises
though.

Sometimes people tend to vote against
policies that [we] think will be the best
policies.

You have to rebuild trust, and I think
that’s why the premier decided that bal-
ancing the budget had to be hardcore,
hard-lined and absolute.

So essentially the budget is focusing
on the future generations and depend-
ing on the retiring of the baby boomers.
The focus isn’t on now?

No, it’s not, because we balanced the
budget. A lot of what we’re talking about is
in the future.

Why should voters not support the
NDP in the polls?

You have to look at the individual candi-
dates and experience and say ‘Do I have

confidence that this group and the experi-
ence and ability to deliver on what they’re
promising.’

What can you say about each party
slamming the other party?

There is a role for partisanship . . . to
make clear to voters what their choices are
and what the differences are.

You see it really exaggerated now be-
cause both the NDP and the Liberals
[along with the other parties] want to de-
fine themselves to voters.

If the NDP government hasn’t devel-
oped their platform yet, why do you
think that they are getting so much sup-
port in the polls?

Canadians don’t have a high desire for
dynasties . . . it was historic when we got
the third term [being in power for 12 years]
What we are asking for is historic. We
think that, in the end, people will decide to
stick with us.

You’re optimistic?

Last week wasn’t our best week, but I
am confident.

The race will tighten up significantly. It’s
going to be close.

66

There is

a role for
partisan-
ship...to
make clear
to voters
what their
choices are
and what
the differ-
ences

are.

MOIRA STILLWELL