End the nursing shortage, need action now!

Since 1990 nurses have known a shortage of qualified nurses was going to happen in 2000. In house trained programs closed in late 1990s and universities did not open more seats to keep up with the growing population that nurses would need to care for. LPNS (2 yr diploma) were an answer although massive amounts of LPNs who paid for private education found themselves out of work because there were too many. Many LPNs tried to get into RN nursing programs only to find that universities either did not have bridge programs or only accepted a handful to their 2 year bridge program per year. Some elected to start over with a 4 year program to the BSN. Currently the shortage in nursing is felt everywhere, nurses are overworked with unreal work expectations, nurse to patient ratios are unmanageable. Nurses working in highly specialized areas such as ER and ICU are even more understaffed ( these areas require more training and at least 2 years of practise to feel fully competent). Nurses are tired of complaining (we are too busy working) , so we came up with  answers, we  have solutions . Our professional bodies, the  provincial and federal government must take action now to change our nursing programs, to allow experienced LPNs to become RN with a one year program and offer a specialty at the end. We could have a powerful nursing force within 2 years once this is implemented. Rn programs need to undergo an complete overhaul that allows nurses to have more hands on clinical competence making RNs ward ready upon graduation. Currently most new RNs feel their universities have ill equipped them for practise upon graduation making established RNs mentors who are already overworked to try and support these new grads. 

2020 was the year of the nurse. How fitting we had the world as our stage, unfortunately the stage and the  successes we were hoping for- crumbled.

Please sign this petition if you are a nurse practioner, registered nurse, liscenced practising nurse or nursing student in Canada who wants change to our nursing education. RN programs need to change -adding more clinical hours to the RN program and LPN to RN programs should be available as a 1 year university degree for experienced LPNs ( financial compensation needs to be a part of this).

We feel we could have a robust nursing force within Canada in less than 5 years. We need the support of our governments to issue change now.

Joy Vandevelde    Contact the author of the petition