Mass exodus of nurses as Canada struggles to keep workers in the profession

CTV News

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Video Summary

The healthcare profession, particularly nursing, is facing a severe crisis characterized by burnout, overcrowding, and safety concerns. Nurses are increasingly finding themselves in situations where they lack necessary tools and resources, impacting their ability to provide quality care. This situation is not isolated to one region, as evidenced by a letter from 450 Saskatchewan healthcare professionals and a national survey revealing common issues like involuntary overtime, workplace violence, anxiety, and burnout among nurses. A significant indicator of the problem is the tripling of Canadian nursing job vacancies between 2018 and 2023, with a concerning 40% of nurses under 35 quitting the profession for every 100 who join

Short Highlights

Burnout is the primary reason for nurses leaving the profession.
Saskatchewan healthcare professionals signed a letter citing unsustainable pressures on nurses.
A national survey indicates nurses frequently experience involuntary overtime, workplace violence, anxiety, and burnout.
Canadian nursing job vacancies tripled between 2018 and 2023, with 40% of nurses under 35 quitting.
British Columbia has halved its young nurse turnover rate by implementing shift-swapping, nurse-patient ratios, and streamlined applica

Key Details

Burnout and Overcrowding in Emergency Departments [00:06]

Burnout is identified as the core reason for the struggle to retain nurses in the profession.
Examples of emergency department overcrowding and patients being treated in hallways highlight critical staffing issues and patient safety concerns.
These conditions are causing nurses to "beg for help."

"And it's conditions like those inside the hospital behind me that have nurses begging for help."

Unsustainable Pressures on Nurses [00:26]

450 Saskatchewan healthcare professionals signed a letter to the province's health minister requesting improvements in working conditions.
The letter expresses that the pressures placed on nurses are "unsustainable."
Nurses enter the profession with a desire to provide care but are now placed in suboptimal hallway environments, hindering their ability to deliver quality care due to lack of tools and resources.

"They enter this profession with the thought of providing care to the people of Saskatchewan and wanting to do their best, and now they're being put in a hallway where they don't have access to any of the tools and resources they would normally have and being told to provide that same quality of care."

National Trends in Nursing Challenges [00:53]

Issues affecting nurses are prevalent across the country, not limited to specific regions.
A recent survey indicates that it's common for nurses to work involuntary overtime, experience violence on the job, and suffer from anxiety or burnout.

"A new report from the Montreal Economic Institute shows Canadian nursing job vacancies tripled between 2018 and 2023."

Significant Increase in Nursing Job Vacancies [01:06]

A report from the Montreal Economic Institute highlights a dramatic increase in Canadian nursing job vacancies.
Job vacancies tripled between 2018 and 2023.
For every 100 nurses under the age of 35 who entered the profession, 40 others quit.

"And for every 100 nurses under the age of 35 who entered the profession, 40 others quit."

British Columbia's Success in Nurse Retention [01:24]

British Columbia is presented as an outlier in addressing the nursing crisis.
The province has successfully cut its turnover rate of young nurses in half over the last decade.
This success is attributed to the introduction of shift-swapping protocols, nurse-patient ratios, and a streamlined application process.