The number of registered nurses available has not kept pace with population growth. Instead of addressing the problem of keeping nurses, the approach has been to use more overtime. Rural areas have felt the impact of the nurse shortage more because they have fewer nurses to begin with. Retaining nurses must be the primary focus of any new initiative to address the nurse shortage.
Fair compensation is only part of the equation.
It has seen a 26 per cent drop since 1991. Whichever party wins the election must make developing a long-term plan to address the nurse shortage a top priority. That plan must stress retention of nurses otherwise we will be caught in an endless cycle of expensive recruitment. To retain nurses we need to improve the quality of work environments. A recent survey by the Registered Nurses of Ontario of registered nurses who left Canada to work in the U.S. and other nations showed that lack of full-time employment was the leading reason they left Canada.