ENSURING HIGH-QUALITY HEALTH CARE FOR EVERYONE IN BC — How local governments can help solve the nursing shortage

INDIGENOUS LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

OUR FOCUS

Ensure high-quality health care is available to everyone in BC when they need it.

That requires:

• Addressing the severe nurse staffing shortage that is burning out nurses working in the system and restricting timely access to health care in communities, even putting the lives of patients at risk.
• Attracting and retaining more nurses into the health-care system.

HOW CAN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HELP WITH NURSE RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT?

• Local governments can help by creating communities that are attractive to nurses.
• Nearly half of BC nurses are under 40, and over 90% are women; child care and other local resources that help promote work/life balance are essential.

Key community factors:

• Housing
• Child care
• Transportation
• Recreation

WHY RATIOS?

BCNU MEMBER PRIORITIES

• Nurses recognize that mandatory ratios create better work environments, leading to enhanced retention & recruitment
• 84% of more than 15,000 BCNU survey respondents said ratios were a ‘must have’
• California & Australia were in a nursing shortage when they implemented ratios
• BC has tried other methods to address workload without success

WHY RATIOS?

RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

• 7,000 inactive nurses came back to work in Australia1
• 60% increase in nurse registrations in California1
• 69% decrease in vacancies in Sacramento hospitals1
• 67% say they’re more likely to stay in their jobs because of ratios2

References

1. National Nurses United (n.d.). RN staffing ratios: A necessary solution to the patient safety crisis in U.S. hospitals. Available at: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/sites/default/files/nnu/documents/0619_Ratios_Booklet_NNU.pdf
2. Aiken, L. et al (2010). Implications of the California nurse staffing mandate for other states. Health Serv Res, 45(4), doi:10.1111/j.1475-6773.2010.01114.x.

WHY RATIOS?

SAFETY FOR ALL

• 74% of nurses say that quality of care increased because of ratios1
• 31.6% fewer nurse injuries in California after implementation2
• Additional patient per nurse represents a 12-16% increase in the risk of 30-day mortality3,4
• Lower readmission rates, lengths of stay and fewer errors
• Many other benefits to nurses and patients

References

1. Aiken, L. et al (2010). Implications of the California nurse staffing mandate for other states. Health Serv Res, 45(4), doi:10.1111/j.1475-6773.2010.01114.x.
2. Leigh, J.P. et al (2015). California’s nurse-to-patient ratio law and occupational injury. Int Arch Occup Environ Health, 88(4):477-84.
3. McHugh, M.D., Aiken. L.H. et al (2020). Case for hospital nurse-to-patient ratio legislation in Queensland, Australia hospitals: An observational study. Nursing, doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036264.
4. Lasater, K.B., Aiken, L.H. et al (2021). Patient outcomes and cost savings associated with hospital safe nurse staffing legislation: An observational study. BMJ Open, doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052899.

WHAT IS NEEDED TO MAKE RATIOS A REALITY?

1. Retain and recruit more nurses
   • Incentives, a competitive collective agreement, livable communities
2. Provide safe and healthy workplaces
   • Addressing issues of violence, abuse and substance exposure
3. Apply a diversity, equity and inclusion lens

WHAT ELSE CAN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DO?

Be allies with us in:

• Advocating for the provincial and federal governments to do more to retain and recruit nurses.
• Educating the public about minimum nurse-to-patient ratios and what is needed to make them a reality.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR REGION’S NURSE LEADERS

BCNU’s elected regional leaders want to stay connected with you.
Here are your best regional contacts:

(REGION NAME) Region
Cait Jarvis or Leanne Robertson-Weeds), Regional Council Member:
caitlinjarvis@bcnu.org
leannerobertsonweeds@bcnu.org
Carly Koeppen, Lobby Coordinator: carlykoeppen@bcnu.org

QUESTIONS?