Health system faces another year of nursing shortfalls

Canadian Nurses Association
News Release

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Ottawa - Canada continues to graduate too few nursing students to meet the needs of the current and future health system.

The Nursing Education Statistics in Canada, 2006-2007 report released today shows that 9,447 nursing students eligible for licensure or registration as registered nurses graduated in 2007.

According to the president of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), Marlene Smadu, this data must serve as a wake-up call to governments and employers since research shows that we should be graduating at least 12,000 nursing students a year.

"Although we are pleased to see the number of nursing graduates increasing nationally from the low in 2000, when fewer than 5,000 graduated, this number is nowhere near to meeting employers' demands and is therefore further compounding today's critical nursing shortage," said Smadu. "If we want a sustainable health system for all, governments must accelerate investments in nursing education, including innovative programs and technology, and employers must find ways of optimizing our existing workforce because focusing on educational seats alone will not reverse the shortage."

Specifically, the report by the Canadian Nurses Association and the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) shows that the number of nursing graduates increased in all but four provinces or territories in 2007: the Northwest Territories, Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The three provinces or territories with the largest increase in graduates in 2007 were Nunavut, Ontario and British Columbia.

Canada has consistently graduated fewer nursing students than it did 30 years ago, despite a 39 per cent increase in the Canadian population over that same time period.

Nursing program innovations are part of the solution

Fast-track programs are becoming increasingly popular and more accessible to students as evidenced by the almost 19 per cent growth in such programs in 2006-07. They are seen as part of the solution to increasing the nursing supply as they allow students to complete their education in less time than traditional programs and include accelerated, compressed, second-degree entry, advanced entry and bridging programs. Nine of the twelve provinces and territories with nursing education programs offered one or more fast-track programs during the academic year 2006-07.

According to Ellen Rukholm, executive director of CASN, offering flexible and innovative options is the way of the future. "Nursing is ranked as one of the most promising careers in the coming decades and most schools are oversubscribed. We need to think outside of the box when it comes to overcoming challenges in our health system and recognize that educational institutions are part of the solution to meeting the demand for health services. They must continue to be proactive in overcoming challenges and
Canadians must be aware of the critical need for additional infrastructure like buildings as well as seats and faculty to accommodate more students into nursing programs."

Why employers need to pay attention

Employers cannot rely solely on the traditional supply of nurses through educational programs and must look at optimizing the skills and knowledge of the existing nursing workforce. CNA urges employers to look at improving their management practices by addressing unhealthy work environments that lead to high absenteeism rates, enhancing access to research and increasing the availability of tools, both low-tech such as mechanical lifts and high-tech such as Blackberries for community health nurses.

In addition, employers must also look at workplace policies such as moving away from part-time to full-time employment opportunities, incorporating more teamwork, promoting new models of care delivery and finding innovative ways of retaining RNs in the health system longer.

This annual report provides the only comprehensive national snapshot of registered nursing education and nursing graduates in Canada.

CASN is the national voice for nursing education and nursing research and represents 91 programs providing all or part of university nursing education across Canada. CASN's objective is to lead nursing education and nursing scholarship in the interest of healthier Canadians.

CNA is the national professional voice of registered nurses in Canada. It is a federation of 11 provincial and territorial nursing associations and colleges. CNA believes that the sustainability of a publicly funded, publicly administered, not-for-profit health system rests upon a vibrant nursing workforce.

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