Canadian healthcare systems are facing a critical challenge as young nurses are leaving the profession at an alarming rate, according to a report released today by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI). In 2022, for every 100 nurses trained in Canada, 40 left the profession before turning 35, said Krystle Wittevrongel, director of research at MEI and co-author of the report. “This exodus of young nurses has been worsening for the past decade, contributing to our health care woes.”The situation is particularly troubling in Alberta, where 48 out of every 100 new nurses are leaving the profession before reaching age 35. This rate is 4% higher than it was in 2013, placing Alberta seventh in the country for nurse attrition. “It is troubling that nearly one out of two young nurses in Alberta are leaving the profession before they turn 35,” added Wittevrongel. “That’s a lot of people who could be treating Albertans and contributing to shorter wait times, but who aren’t because they were discouraged by the health system.”Canada is projected to face a shortage of 117,600 nurses by 2030, exacerbating the strain on an already overburdened healthcare system. The MEI report shows a nationwide trend, with a 25% increase in the number of young nurses leaving since 2013.BC saw the largest improvement, with the number of young nurses leaving dropping from 46.3 for every 100 to 31.5 over the past decade. Despite this, the national picture remains bleak, with high attrition rates across provinces.The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions’ recent survey highlights some of the key reasons for the exodus: lack of control over work schedules, mandatory overtime, and insufficient shift flexibility. Many nurses who express a desire to leave their jobs also show interest in working for independent nursing agencies, which offer better working conditions, flexibility, and higher pay.“It’s understandable why governments would want to reduce their reliance on nursing agencies, given their costs, but that shouldn’t be done at the expense of patient treatment,” noted Wittevrongel. “If governments want to keep young nurses in the public healthcare system, they need to offer more flexibility and make the job more attractive.”
Canadian healthcare systems are facing a critical challenge as young nurses are leaving the profession at an alarming rate, according to a report released today by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI). In 2022, for every 100 nurses trained in Canada, 40 left the profession before turning 35, said Krystle Wittevrongel, director of research at MEI and co-author of the report. “This exodus of young nurses has been worsening for the past decade, contributing to our health care woes.”The situation is particularly troubling in Alberta, where 48 out of every 100 new nurses are leaving the profession before reaching age 35. This rate is 4% higher than it was in 2013, placing Alberta seventh in the country for nurse attrition. “It is troubling that nearly one out of two young nurses in Alberta are leaving the profession before they turn 35,” added Wittevrongel. “That’s a lot of people who could be treating Albertans and contributing to shorter wait times, but who aren’t because they were discouraged by the health system.”Canada is projected to face a shortage of 117,600 nurses by 2030, exacerbating the strain on an already overburdened healthcare system. The MEI report shows a nationwide trend, with a 25% increase in the number of young nurses leaving since 2013.BC saw the largest improvement, with the number of young nurses leaving dropping from 46.3 for every 100 to 31.5 over the past decade. Despite this, the national picture remains bleak, with high attrition rates across provinces.The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions’ recent survey highlights some of the key reasons for the exodus: lack of control over work schedules, mandatory overtime, and insufficient shift flexibility. Many nurses who express a desire to leave their jobs also show interest in working for independent nursing agencies, which offer better working conditions, flexibility, and higher pay.“It’s understandable why governments would want to reduce their reliance on nursing agencies, given their costs, but that shouldn’t be done at the expense of patient treatment,” noted Wittevrongel. “If governments want to keep young nurses in the public healthcare system, they need to offer more flexibility and make the job more attractive.”
