Nursing staff retention: Quebec is a “not to follow” example, according to a study

According to a report from the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), the proportion of young nurses who leave the profession has worsened over the past decade in Quebec, as has the rest of Canada.

In his study published on Tuesday, economist Emmanuel B. Faubert estimated that regional public health systems “have not been able to solve this problem or provide the best working conditions and the necessary flexibility to limit these departures”.

On the contrary, the latest data from 2022 shows that the situation seems to be deteriorating, especially in Quebec, where for every 100 new nurses, 43 will leave the profession before turning 35, she confirms. This is a painful increase of 29% over the national average compared to 2013.

In fact, across Canada, of every 100 young nurses who entered the profession in 2013, 32 left before the age of 35. In 2022, the ratio of departures increased to 40.

New Brunswick had the worst results, losing eight young nurses for every ten new recruits in 2022. Manitoba ranks first, with 29 young nurses out of 100.

In Ontario, the situation has worsened: in 2013, the profession lost only 19 young nurses for every 100 new entrants, a ratio that will increase to 35 (+83%) in 2022.

Adequate salary and work overload

Among the reasons these young nurses quit their jobs, the MEI report cited “inadequate pay, stressful work environment, work overload and lack of balance between work and personal life”.

The economist emphasized the importance of “improving the working conditions of nurses by providing them with more flexibility”.

According to her, nurses, including those working in private agencies, should get “flexible” employment contracts with greater professional autonomy.

“Forcing them all to work for the same public system, as Quebec is trying, will only lead to professional burnout, which will further increase the risk of nurses leaving. […] Offered by independent nursing agencies […] More employment options,” we read.

The Quebec government's decision to ban the public system from using independent nurses in agencies will “worse the situation,” according to the MEI, adding that other provinces “should not follow Quebec's example and instead simply do the opposite.

“No matter who the nurses are assigned to, patient care is the priority,” the report concluded.