Sask. ER nurses say province relies too much on travel nurses to address healthcare issues
A letter signed by 49 emergency room nurses in Saskatoon is calling on the provincial government to reduce money spent on out of province travel nurses and further support homegrown health-care staff.
The opposition NDP obtained a copy of the letter that was sent to Health Minister Everett Hindley. All 49 signatures were from emergency room nurses at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon.
“The letter details how the over-reliance on out-of-province travel nurses is eroding morale and making staffing issues worse,” an NDP news release said.
According to the letter, Saskatchewan nurses who want to pick up extra shifts are told they are not allowed because the province has to give them to travel nurses first in order to meet contractual obligations to nurse agencies outside the province.
The NDP said the most recent data from the Ministry of Health claims there are 242 travel nurses working in the province, with the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) predicting $70 million will be spent on travel nurses in 2024.
“That means the province is paying approximately $289,256 for each travel nurse,” the release said.
NDP Finance Critic Trent Wotherspoon said in 2023, $59 million was spent on private contract nurses in 2023.
Hindley said Saskatchewan is one of many provinces experiencing nursing and other health-care staff shortages, which has created a need to hire from outside of the province.
“This has led to an increased need for contracted staff resources which we are doing here in Saskatchewan as do other provinces,” Hindley said.
According to Hindley, the hiring of out of province nurses alleviates pressures on the healthcare system while recruitment of provincial nurses takes place.
“As we continue to fill the vacancies that we have when it comes to nursing, we will be phasing away from and phasing out the use of contract nurses as we build a healthcare system here in Saskatchewan,” Hindley said.
NDP MLA Jared Clarke said if the province’s plan was working, they wound not have had to spend $59 million on travel nurses in 2023.
Clarke said in the letter, nurses claimed morale is being eroded and staffing issues are not improving with the province’s over reliance on travel nurses.
According to Hindley, the province’s Health Human Resources Action Plan released in September of 2022 is resulting in the hiring of health-care staff including nurses.
In the letter, nurses say most of those hires have been out of province travel nurses, the NDP said.
“We can find ways to attract agency nurses and keep them coming back, why can we not find ways to retain our own nurses,” Clarke said was a direct quote from the letter.
Hindley said over 19,000 nurses’ call Saskatchewan home. “It’s an increase of over 6,400 nurses since 2007,” he added.
Since December of 2022, Hindley said over 1,000 graduate nurses have started working in Saskatchewan.
“It’s clear in the letter that contract nursing has gone from a fill in the gaps opportunity to becoming a baked in integral part of this tired and out of touch government’s staffing plan,” Clarke said.
A redacted version of the letter can be read here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Five areas Canada's foreign interference commissioner says needs more investigation
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Funeral today for broadcasting legend and voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada' Bob Cole
A funeral is being held today for hockey broadcasting legend Bob Cole in his hometown of St. John's, N.L.
Foreign meddling 'did not affect' overall federal election results: inquiry report
Foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau's Liberals, a federal commission of inquiry has found.