Sask. nurse numbers jump | ugnayan.com news

ugnayan

goto city

select

select

Regina City

Saskatchewan, Canada

Sask. nurse numbers jump

Source: Leader-Post

36 views ·

posted 25 days ago · 0 comments

The registered nursing workforce in Saskatchewan saw bigger growth over the 2006 to 2010 period than any other province, while the average age of registered nurses slightly declined.

Both the provincial government and the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) said Friday that a partnership agreement struck in 2008 with the goal of adding 800 more nurses is a major reason behind the growth.

“I think that certainly through the SUN-government partnership we have been able to reverse what was a terrible trend in our nursing workforce,” said Rosalee Longmoore, president of the nurses’ union.

“We think there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done and we can’t let up on that.”

The latest figures, contained in a report released this week by the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI), show that Saskatchewan recorded a 12.5 per cent increase in the number of registered nurses over five years, outpacing the national number of 5.8 per cent.

For just the 2009 to 2010 period, the number of RNs working in Saskatchewan grew 4.6 per cent. Alberta saw its registered nursing workforce decrease that year by 2.5 per cent.

The average age of Saskatchewan RNs dipped from 45.8 in 2009 to 45.3 in 2010 — slightly younger than the Canadian average of 45.4-years-old.

“That’s one way that Saskatchewan does in fact jump out, is the younger nurses — the fact the average age went down, which is fairly rare among the provinces,” said Omar Kazmi, a senior analyst with the Ottawa-based institute.

Only Prince Edward and Island and British Columbia also recorded decreases in the average age of registered nurses in that same one-year time frame.

Kazmi added that Saskatchewan has one of the highest proportions of under-30 nurses, with that age group making up 14. 5 per cent of the provincial RN workforce. Part of the reason for the slight dip in average age could be the “substantial jump” in the number of internationally trained registered nurses working in the province, which went from about 200 to nearly 650 in 2010, Kazmi said. Some health regions made a concerted effort in recent years to boost nursing numbers by looking to the Philippines.

Ron Knaus, executive director of the Ministry of Health workforce planning branch, said the increase in nurse training seats put in place in Saskatchewan over the last number of years may also be influencing the average age.

“We knew our nursing numbers had increased but the fact they’re increasing at the younger age group is promising as well,” Knaus said.

But SUN’s Longmoore cautioned that the numbers also reinforce that many nurses are approaching retirement. About 27 per cent of the RN workforce in Saskatchewan is 55 or older, according to the report. Another 15 per cent is in the 50 to 54 age group.

She added that the report showed Alberta to be the most likely destination for Saskatchewan nurses who leave to practise elsewhere.

“We have to make sure that we continue to build and grow our nursing workforce,” Longmoore said.

What do you think?

0 comments

Already a member?

To Comment, please login.

E-mail address

Password

New to ugnayan?