The number of nurses in Canada is on the rise for the first time since
cutbacks in the health sector began in earnest seven years ago.
But the average age of members in the profession continues to rise, fuelling
fears of an eventual shortage that will imperil care.
The Canadian Institute for Health Information reported yesterday that there
were 232,412 registered nurses employed in Canada last year, up almost 4,000
from the previous year.
But, at the same time, the average age of nurses has crept up to almost 44,
and the number of nursing students continues to decline.
"The aging nursing work force, coupled with a serious decline in the number
of younger registered nurses and impending nurse retirements, are going to
have a serious impact on the supply of registered nurses in Canada," said
Linda O'Brien-Pallas, co-director of the nursing utilization, effectiveness
and outcomes research unit of the University of Toronto.
"We need to ensure that we continue efforts to recruit and retain people to
the profession."
The CIHI data highlight that, while the nursing work force is growing over
all, the recent growth is concentrated in Ontario and Quebec, and the
numbers are actually falling in the majority of provinces and territories.
The number of nurses relative to the population being served has also fallen
markedly since 1994. There were 75.4 nurses per 10,000 population in Canada
last year, down from 80.3 per 10,000 six years earlier.
Again, there were wide variations among provinces, ranging from 68 nurses
per 10,000 population in British Columbia (and declining) to 100 per 10,000
in Newfoundland (and increasing).
In parallel, British Columbia nurses have the country's oldest average age
while Newfoundland nurses have the youngest.
The Canadian Nurses Association predicts that, within a decade, Canada will
be short 113,000 nurses -- the equivalent of half the country's entire
nursing work force today.
An international study published earlier this month also featured dire
warnings about the ability of the health system to deliver care in the
future. It revealed that almost 17 per cent of nurses working in Canadian
hospitals plan to leave their jobs in the next year; among nurses age 30 and
younger, almost 30 per cent are considering quitting. Academics and pundits
say the principal reason institutions cannot retain nurses is poor working
conditions. They also note that the use of casual employees is on the rise.
However, the CIHI study has good news on that front, reporting that 55 per
cent of nurses are now working full-time (up from 51 per cent last year),
and 15 per cent are now employed as casuals (down from 18 per cent). That
points to more stability in the workplace.
The experts also blame an aging work force, growing demand for nursing care,
insufficient numbers of graduates, and greater career and educational
opportunities in the United States for the looming shortage.
The CIHI study reveals that nursing remains an overwhelmingly female
profession. Only 4.8 per cent of nurses (11,046) are male, half of whom work
in Quebec.
The number of nurses with a university education continues to climb
steadily, with almost 23 per cent now holding a bachelor's degree. In the
majority of provinces, a degree is required to enter nursing.
Yet, there are only about 4,000 nursing graduates annually in Canada, down
from a high of 10,000.
The data reveal that the vast majority of Canada's nurses are home grown and
educated. Only eight per cent graduated outside the country, most commonly
in the United Kingdom, the Philippines and the U.S.
There are four times as many nurses in Canada as there are physicians.