Canadian Nurses Association calls for careful management of health human resources

Ottawa, Tuesday, April 25, 2012 — Representing the largest profession in the health-care workforce, the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) is presenting tomorrow to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Rachel Bard, CNA’s CEO, will present a number of recommendations on how the registered nurse (RN) labour market could be strengthened and better managed to meet the diverse and changing health-care needs of Canadians now and in the future. Key recommendations include:

  1. Improve labour market information with funding to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) for a national health human resources survey and the implementation of a national unique identifier (NUI). A survey ensures up-to-date data and the NUI tracks the mobility of regulated health professionals within and outside of Canada.
  2. Encourage labour force mobility by improving the capacity to identify health human resource needs of jurisdictions and enabling effective pan-Canadian planning, including the movement of health professionals. To support health human resource planners, establish an observatory to analyze trends, opportunities, best practices and challenges.

Further strategies to address the RN shortage will be highlighted based on research commissioned by CNA to examine the supply of and requirement for RNs in clinical care in Canada over 15 years. The report, entitled Tested Solutions for Eliminating Canada’s Registered Nurse Shortage, showed that, without policy interventions, the RN shortage in Canada will increase to almost 60,000 full-time equivalent positions by 2022 if the health needs of Canadians continue to change according to past trends.

What: Presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Who: Rachel Bard, Chief Executive Officer, CNA

When: Wednesday, April 25, 2012 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Where: Parliament Hill Room 253-D, Centre Block

CNA is the national professional voice of registered nurses in Canada. A federation of 11 provincial and territorial nursing associations and colleges representing 146,788 registered nurses, CNA advances the practice and profession of nursing to improve health outcomes and strengthen Canada’s publicly funded, not-for-profit health system.

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For the complete set of recommendations or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Kate Headley, External Communications Coordinator
Canadian Nurses Association
Telephone: 613-237-2159, ext. 561
Cell: 613-697-7507
E-mail: kheadley@cna-aiic.ca