Nursing shortage

Within the next 18 months, Canada could face a nursing shortage of unprecedented proportions, a new report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information indicates. It predicts that between 13% and 28% of senior nurses could retire within that period.

Although numerous studies have predicted shortages, the reality of what could happen in the next year from now is pretty shocking; It highlights the urgent need to do something.

Nearly a third (30.3%) of RNs (registered nurses) working in Canada are now 50 or older, and since most nurses retire between ages 56 and 58, an exodus looms. A study looked at 2 scenarios, retirement at ages 55 and 65.

Many of the losses would be in the long-term-care sector, where about 19% of the RN workforce could retire in the next year. This compares with 12% of hospital nurses and 10% of community-based nurses.

The reality of what could happen in the next year from now is pretty shocking, it highlights the urgent need to do something.

A study predicted that meaningful retention strategies could cause about 15 000 nurses to stay on the job. Increasing the number of full-time posi-tions would have a huge effect on retention, because it would reduce the workload of senior nurses, who would not need to spend time teaching and mentoring the 45% of RNs who work casual and part time.

On the recruitment side, the study says that enrollment in nursing programs - now 8000 to 9000 students annually - must be increased to 12,000 or more.

CANADIAN NURSES ASSOCIATION
http://cna-aiic.ca/cna/default_e.aspx

BECOMING A REGISTERED NURSE
http://www.cna-nurses.ca/CNA/nursing/becoming/asacareer/default_e.aspx

NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL CLASSIFICATION
http://www23.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/2001/e/groups/3152.shtml