This title and many of the comments in his thread are lacking in perspective and are heavily biased.

Is it unortunate that 23 nurses may ultimately lose their current jobs and have to search for new work? Yes. Is this a result of the expected reductions to health care spending in the coming budget? No. Are the only senior voices quoted in the article staff / union representatives? Yes.

The reallocation of resources described will actually increase the number of beds, using our limited health care resources more effectively. This is precisely the sort of efficiencies in health care delivery that people across political spectrum are demanding.

As well, the - potential - loss of 23 well-protected public-sector jobs is simply trivial in comparison to the thousands of private sector jobs which have been lost due to the recent drop in the price of oil. In the last two weeks, 23 jobs were lost on the floor that I work on.

One might argue that the loss of 23 nursing jobs has a far greater effect on society than the loss of thousands of oil industry jobs. But this is a false argument: the loss of thousands of private sector jobs equates to the loss of millions of tax dollars to fund public services and the withdrawl of millions of dollars from the local economy, causing further job loss in a downward spiral. Job loss also leads to increases in domestic violence, poverty, child abuse, addictions - all of which have a dire social and very real health care cost. We should be much, much more concerned about the loss of the thousands of private sector jobs than the 23 nursing positions eliminated through efficiency.

The reality is, Alberta will undergo a fundamental change to its public finances in the next budget, and this change will affect all aspects of our public and private life. This will impact all of us - public sector and private sector - and we must do our best to adapt to the change and consider all areas for cost reductions / revenue increases - without arbitrarily defending certain professions or departments as sacred cows.