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A recent report from the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) reveals that Nova Scotia is facing a severe challenge in retaining young nurses, with 60 out of every 100 new nurses leaving the profession before the age of 35.
This figure, based on 2022 data, is significantly higher than the national average, where 40 nurses out of 100 left the field.
Across the country, the rate of nurses under 35 leaving the profession has increased by 25 percent since 2013, and if trends continue, Canada could face a shortage of 117,600 nurses by 2030.
Nova Scotia ranks ninth in the country for nurse retention, with a 42 percent increase in young nurses leaving since 2013. The only province faring worse is New Brunswick which lose 80 of its newly trained nurses before their 35th birthdays.
The report points to long hours, mandatory overtime, and a lack of control over shift schedules as key reasons for burnout, driving nurses to leave their positions.
For many, staffing agencies offer a temporary reprieve, with more flexible hours and higher pay. However, the provincial government has taken steps to limit the use of such agencies, capping the number of days agency personnel can work each year and barring recent Nova Scotia-trained nurses from joining agencies during their first year.
Travel nurses were considered as still in the profession in the MEI report which used nursing credential renewals as the metric to track whether nurses were still in the industry.
Renaud Brossard, vice president of Communications at the MEI, warns that these measures could exacerbate the problem if underlying workplace issues are not addressed. “For many young nurses, staffing agencies are their last remaining hope to stay in nursing,” he said, adding that phasing out agencies without improving working conditions may push more nurses to leave the profession entirely.
You can find the full report on the MEI website.
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