Ontario needs 26,000 more RNs to match Canada's ratio, with urgent calls for retention and recruitment efforts
New data reveals worsening nursing workforce trends in Ontario, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
The province now needs 26,000 additional registered nurses (RN) to match the RN-to-population ratio of the rest of Canada. This gap has widened by three percent since 2022.
The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) calls for urgent action to retain and recruit more RNs to improve health outcomes for Ontarians.
Ontario has held the lowest RN-to-population ratio in Canada for nine consecutive years, despite recent provincial investments in health care. The increase in nurses working in agencies, private clinics, and non-bedside roles has not alleviated shortages in hospitals, community health, and long-term care (LTC) sectors.
“We need more RNs across all sectors working full-time at full scope, providing direct care to Ontarians,” says RNAO President NP Lhamo Dolkar.
Dolkar warns that “without a turnaround in hospitals, community health, and LTC, nurses will continue to explore other options within or outside the profession, worsening the crisis.”
The RN-to-population ratio in LTC remained stable in 2023, suggesting that the government’s implementation of legislated direct care minimums, a key RNAO recommendation, is having some effect.
However, Ontario's RN per capita ratio remains critically low compared to the rest of Canada. RNAO advocates for increased investments and an enforced minimum of four hours of direct care per patient to improve LTC conditions.
The growth of nurse practitioners (NPs) in Ontario is encouraging, but more efforts are needed to address the primary care crisis. Approximately 2.5 million Ontarians currently lack access to a primary care provider, with this number expected to rise to 4.4 million by 2026.
Dolkar stresses the importance of NPs in resolving the primary care crisis and their significant roles in LTC and other sectors. She calls for substantial investments in NP education, recruitment, retention, and the establishment of NP-led clinics.
“NPs are crucial to resolving the primary care crisis and play key roles in LTC and other sectors,” Dolkar emphasizes. “Much larger investments in NP education, recruitment, and retention as well as NP-led clinics are required.”
“Nurses continue to work tirelessly,” says RNAO CEO Doris Grinspun. “We must implement the recommendations in our Nursing Career Pathways report and in our 2024 provincial pre-budget submission.”
These recommendations include full-time employment, increased compensation, addressing pay disparities, enhanced mentorship, professional development, and safe workloads.
Grinspun also urges Ontario to increase baccalaureate nursing student enrolments by 10 percent annually for the next five years and to create a Return to Nursing Now program to reintegrate RNs and NPs into the workforce.
Grinspun emphasizes the necessity for the government to focus on both retention and recruitment simultaneously.
“It’s crucial the government focus on both retention and recruitment simultaneously,” adds Grinspun. “We are committed to work with all levels of government to find sustainable solutions that retain and attract nurses to our profession.”
