Quebec's nurse retention problem getting worse: Montreal Economic Institute

Nearly half of Quebec's new nurses are leaving the profession before their 35th birthday, according to research released Tuesday by the Montreal Economic Institute.

"We are seeing that they are burnt out. Nine of 10 are saying they're feeling these symptoms," said Emmanuelle Faubert, lead researcher on the report and economist.

In April 2023, the Quebec government adopted Bill 10 with the aim of limiting -- and eventually eliminating -- private staffing agencies.

But forcing nurses to work for the public system is only making more of them want to quit, Faubert says.

"This is giving them an ultimatum that is removing the safety nets that allow them to work where they want and however they want," she adds.

A spokesperson for Quebec's Ministry of Health did not respond by publication time. 

Registered nurse and former president of the Quebec Nurses Association, Natalie Stake-Doucet, says the losses have been happening for a long time.

"Back in 2011, it was 37 per 100 … so we've been watching nurses go away, often leaving sick, broken, hurt by the health-care system," said Stake-Doucet, who is also a professor at the Université de Montréal.

She says allowing nurses to self-schedule and decreasing the administrative workload will help, but the most important measure is implementing fair nurse-to-patient ratios.

"It helps retain nurses, and not only that, it helps dramatically decrease the amount of nurses that are on sick leave," Stake-Doucet said.

If these conditions are not met, she said the province's nursing shortage won't improve any time soon.