Canada is burning through its young nurses at an alarming rate as health care systems across the country struggle to retain them. This is according to a new publication recently released by the MEI, an independent public policy think tank with offices in Montreal, Calgary and Ottawa. Through its publications, media appearances and advisory services to policymakers, the MEI stimulates public policy debate and reforms based on sound economics and entrepreneurship.
“For every 100 nurses under 35 who registered to practice in the country, 40 other young nurses did not renew their registration in 2023,” said Emmanuelle B. Faubert, economist at the MEI and author of the report. “This growing exodus is worsening the shortage of health care workers and putting even more pressure on our already strained system.” According to the report, nursing job vacancies have tripled in just five years across Canada, jumping from 13,178 in 2018 to 41,716 in 2023. Saskatchewan’s ratio, the report continues, has worsened by 26 per cent since 2014, with 38 young nurses leaving for every 100 new entrants in 2023. “Flat numbers don’t equal good news,” Faubert said. “The fact things aren’t getting worse shouldn’t distract us from the fact they aren’t getting better.”
British Columbia stands out as a beacon of improvement, Faubert added, having cut the turnover of young nurses by 50 per cent since 2014. Nearly 93 per cent of nurses trained in that province are now registered to practice there. “Flexibility is key,” Faubert noted. “Nurses are the backbone of our health care system and thus, we need to ensure the system works for them, not against them.” According to the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions’ 2025 survey, more than one third of nurses reported having worked involuntary overtime in the past six months, six in 10 experienced some form of violence or abuse at work in the past year, and one in four show clinical signs of anxiety, depression or burnout “Burning through our young nurses today means having no nurses for tomorrow,” Faubert said. “Protecting our health care system requires letting go of the government monopoly in order to offer nurses the working conditions they deserve.”
According to the Government of Saskatchewan, however, the future of health care in this province is not as bleak as has been suggested. “Since the Health Care Human Resources Action Plan was introduced, there are 346 more doctors and 2,083 more nurses in Saskatchewan,” remarked Lt.-Gov. Bernadette McIntyre in her 2025 Speech from the Throne, which she presented in the Saskatchewan Legislature recently. “The Saskatchewan Health Care Recruitment Agency is actively recruiting health care professionals in the United States and other countries by highlighting the benefits of practicing in Saskatchewan – competitive compensation, lower cost of living, supportive physician networks and numerous opportunities for career growth. This past summer, Saskatchewan welcomed 11 paediatric specialists, improving access to care for children and giving parents the confidence that they can access the specialized expertise their child needs close to home.” She also said everyone in Saskatchewan should have access to either a doctor or nurse practitioner by 2028.
“To strengthen primary care, we are introducing new contracts for nurse practitioners,” McIntyre said. “These contracts will enable nurse practitioners to work to their full scope of practice, either by joining existing practices or establishing their own. Each nurse practitioner will serve a dedicated panel of patients, ensuring more residents across Saskatchewan have access to ongoing, reliable care. People in rural and remote areas are concerned about access to health care. That is why the number of communities eligible for the Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive has increased to 70. This $50,000 incentive will increase the number of health care providers working in rural and remote areas.” It was also noted students have recently started their studies at a new Physician Assistant Program at the University of Saskatchewan. “Demand was high with 350 applications for 20 seats,” McIntyre said. “This new program will see graduates working in Saskatchewan communities in just two years. Seventy-seven new full-time health care positions have been added or enhanced in 30 rural or remote communities across Saskatchewan. Our government has accelerated nursing training, assessment and licensing to make it easier for international health professionals to start their new careers here.”
In 2007, Saskatchewan had the longest surgical wait times in the country. “Our health care professionals were successful in reducing the number of people waiting for surgeries,” McIntyre said. “Today, a growing population and the challenges of recruiting and retaining health care professionals have resulted in increased wait times. A determined effort is required once again. Our government is committed to performing 450,000 surgeries over the next four years. That goal will be reached.”