The Alberta government has changed the rules to make it easier for registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses to get benefits when they experience job-related stress disorder. The United Nurses of Alberta says the government has followed through on a promise in contract bargaining to extend to nurses presumptive coverage for post-traumatic stress disorder.
The change means when nurses apply for Workers’ Compensation Board benefits for PTSD, the board must now assume the stress was caused by their work unless proven otherwise.
The union says the change is critical as it means nurses will no longer be forced to wait for – or be denied – benefits after experiencing traumatic events on the job. It says the coverage is already offered to first responders such as police, firefighters, emergency medical workers and correctional officers.
The government made the change to regulations in an order signed this week.
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