A report published by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) highlights the challenges faced by Canadian healthcare systems in retaining their young nursing professionals.
“For every 100 nurses we train in the country, 40 are leaving the profession before their 35th birthday,” states Emmanuelle B. Faubert, economist at the MEI and author of the publication. “This exodus of young nurses has been worsening for the past decade, contributing to our health care woes.”
The MEI’s research reveals that among every 100 Canadian nurses who began their careers in 2022, 40 nurses under 35 years old decided to leave the profession. This marks a 25 percent increase compared to 2013.
New Brunswick had the highest turnover, with 80.2 young nurses departing for every 100 who joined in 2022, reflecting a 51 percent rise since 2013.
Faubert remarked that while agency nurses might not be in the best light these days, it’s crucial to remember that they have been instrumental in preventing more frequent service interruptions for the residents of New Brunswick in recent years.
According to a recent survey by the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, nurses in Canada who are younger than 35 are more prone to resign from their jobs or abandon the profession altogether than to continue in their current roles.
Faubert believes this is due to a lack of control over their work schedules, including mandatory overtime and a lack of shift flexibility as principal sources of workplace stress.
The report also stated nurses contemplating leaving their current roles showed a greater inclination towards opportunities with independent nursing agencies. For those seeking improved working conditions, increased flexibility, and higher pay, these agencies often represent a desirable option and can serve as a last resort before exiting the nursing profession entirely.
“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,” notes Ms. Faubert.
“If governments want to reduce their reliance on independent staff, they need to work on giving young nurses more flexibility to make working for the healthcare system attractive to them once more.”
MEI also believes by 2030, Canada is expected to suffer a shortage of 117,600 nurses.
