Despite improvements, nurse shortage still predicted, numbers show
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 | 3:56 PM ET
CBC News
With the growth in the number of nurses in Canada just slightly ahead of population growth and the average age of nurses increasing, the profession is headed for a shortage, new research suggests.
That's the prediction in a study released Tuesday by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
The report finds that new graduates are moving in to replace retiring nurses. In 2006, there were over 50,000 regulated nurses employed in nursing who had graduated from nursing school in the previous five years, an increase of 28% over the last four years.
(CBC) The number of regulated nurses employed in nursing in Canada grew by more than 15,000, or five per cent, between 2003 and 2006, reaching 325,299. The Canadian population grew three per cent over the same time period, according to the CIHI report.
"Every year, for the past four years, we've seen a slow rise in the number of regulated nurses in Canada," said Francine Anne Roy, director of health resources information at CIHI.
In 2006, there were 772 registered nurses per 100,000 Canadians, 205 licensed practical nurses and 51 registered psychiatric nurses.
But the average age of nurses is increasing, a concern to the profession, according to the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), which could lead to a potential shortage down the road.
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In 2006, the average age of a nurse in Canada was 44.8, up slightly from 44.5 in 2003. Registered psychiatric nurses were a little older than their peers, at 47.2, and licensed practical nurses were the youngest, at 44.1.
"CNA is concerned with the element in there that focuses on the aging RN workforce," Lisa Little, associate director, public policy and communications at the Canadian Nurses Association in Ottawa told CBCNews.ca Tuesday.
"It reinforces what we've been hearing for many years ? the fact that 20 per cent of current RNs in the workforce are eligible to retire at any time, which is about 50,000. And that there are more RNs in the age group of 50 to 54 than other age groups."
Encouragingly, the report finds that new graduates are moving in to replace retiring nurses. In 2006, there were over 50,000 regulated nurses employed in nursing who had graduated from nursing school in the previous five years. That's an increase of 28% over the last four years.
But the CNA says it's not enough. "We are only graduating 8,300 RNs in 2006 ? well below the required 12,000," said Little. She added that the profession needs to increase the number of graduates and to "make better use of the existing workforce."
This includes projects like the Late Career Initiative, a project launched in 2006 at the University Health Network. Aimed at nurses over age 55, it encourages employers to free up 20 per cent of a nurse's time to do less physically-demanding work and to undertake assignments such as mentoring new workers. The idea is to keep nurses in the workforce longer.
Nurse practitioner numbers rise
As well, the CIHI report finds that the number of nurse practitioners almost doubled between 2003 and 2006, increasing to 1,300 from 725. A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse with additional education in health assessment, diagnosis and management of illnesses and injuries, including prescribing drugs.
This pleases the CNA. "It's good news for Canadians in terms of access to care and reducing wait times," says Little. "[Nurse practitioners] can be used to treat the non-urgent or less-urgent cases saving the more urgent and acute cases for physicians."
The number of internationally-trained nurses has also risen very slightly to 7 per cent in 2006 from 6.7 per cent in 2003. The most common countries of graduation were the Philippines (29.3 per cent of all internationally educated regulated nurses), the United Kingdom (19.8 per cent) and the United States (6.6 per cent).
Despite the improvements highlighted in the current report, a nursing shortage is likely inevitable, Little says.
"The projected shortage is 78,000 RNs by 2011 and 113,000 by 2016. We haven't seen a huge increase in the supply of RNs, we haven't seen a major change in the number of internationally-educated RNs; we have seen a slight increase in the number of new graduates. We're still feeling that the shortage is going to happen if the numbers don't change."
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 | 3:56 PM ET
CBC News
With the growth in the number of nurses in Canada just slightly ahead of population growth and the average age of nurses increasing, the profession is headed for a shortage, new research suggests.
That's the prediction in a study released Tuesday by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
(CBC)
"Every year, for the past four years, we've seen a slow rise in the number of regulated nurses in Canada," said Francine Anne Roy, director of health resources information at CIHI.
In 2006, there were 772 registered nurses per 100,000 Canadians, 205 licensed practical nurses and 51 registered psychiatric nurses.
But the average age of nurses is increasing, a concern to the profession, according to the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), which could lead to a potential shortage down the road.
Continue Article
// '); // ]]> dcmaxversion = 9dcminversion = 7DoOn Error Resume Nextplugin = (IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash." & dcmaxversion & "")))If plugin = true Then Exit Dodcmaxversion = dcmaxversion - 1Loop While dcmaxversion >= dcminversion
In 2006, the average age of a nurse in Canada was 44.8, up slightly from 44.5 in 2003. Registered psychiatric nurses were a little older than their peers, at 47.2, and licensed practical nurses were the youngest, at 44.1.
"CNA is concerned with the element in there that focuses on the aging RN workforce," Lisa Little, associate director, public policy and communications at the Canadian Nurses Association in Ottawa told CBCNews.ca Tuesday.
"It reinforces what we've been hearing for many years ? the fact that 20 per cent of current RNs in the workforce are eligible to retire at any time, which is about 50,000. And that there are more RNs in the age group of 50 to 54 than other age groups."
Encouragingly, the report finds that new graduates are moving in to replace retiring nurses. In 2006, there were over 50,000 regulated nurses employed in nursing who had graduated from nursing school in the previous five years. That's an increase of 28% over the last four years.
But the CNA says it's not enough. "We are only graduating 8,300 RNs in 2006 ? well below the required 12,000," said Little. She added that the profession needs to increase the number of graduates and to "make better use of the existing workforce."
This includes projects like the Late Career Initiative, a project launched in 2006 at the University Health Network. Aimed at nurses over age 55, it encourages employers to free up 20 per cent of a nurse's time to do less physically-demanding work and to undertake assignments such as mentoring new workers. The idea is to keep nurses in the workforce longer.
Nurse practitioner numbers rise
As well, the CIHI report finds that the number of nurse practitioners almost doubled between 2003 and 2006, increasing to 1,300 from 725. A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse with additional education in health assessment, diagnosis and management of illnesses and injuries, including prescribing drugs.
This pleases the CNA. "It's good news for Canadians in terms of access to care and reducing wait times," says Little. "[Nurse practitioners] can be used to treat the non-urgent or less-urgent cases saving the more urgent and acute cases for physicians."
The number of internationally-trained nurses has also risen very slightly to 7 per cent in 2006 from 6.7 per cent in 2003. The most common countries of graduation were the Philippines (29.3 per cent of all internationally educated regulated nurses), the United Kingdom (19.8 per cent) and the United States (6.6 per cent).
Despite the improvements highlighted in the current report, a nursing shortage is likely inevitable, Little says.
"The projected shortage is 78,000 RNs by 2011 and 113,000 by 2016. We haven't seen a huge increase in the supply of RNs, we haven't seen a major change in the number of internationally-educated RNs; we have seen a slight increase in the number of new graduates. We're still feeling that the shortage is going to happen if the numbers don't change."