SASKATCHEWAN LEADS NATION IN GROWTH OF REGISTERED NURSES

Saskatchewan leads the country in the growth of its registered nurse (RN) workforce, according to a report released yesterday by the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI).

Regulated Nurses: Canadian Trends, 2006 to 2010 outlines positive news for the province. During this timeframe:

• The registered nurse workforce in Saskatchewan increased by 12.5 per cent - the highest of any other province in Canada. 
• Saskatchewan is one of the few provinces where the average age of RNs decreased.
• In 2010, more than 60 per cent of RNs worked in full-time positions - the highest percentage in western Canada.
• In Saskatchewan the number of nurse practitioners increased from 88 in 2006 to 122 in 2010, an increase of 38.6 per cent.

"This national report recognizes the solid progress we've made in Saskatchewan," Health Minister Don McMorris said. "This past fall, we celebrated the addition of more than 900 new nurses working in the province than in 2007-08 - far exceeding our commitment to hire 800 more registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses."

The majority of these nurses have been hired as part of the work under the partnership agreement between the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) and the provincial government, signed in February 2008. Additional positions have been created by health regions.

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For more information, contact:

Tyler McMurchy
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083