The Province of Saskatchewan in Canada will need 800 nurses over the next four years. The shortage urges the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses and the provincial government to sign for an agreement to solve the shortage with registered nurses (RNs) and registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs).

The Health Minister Don McMorris said that they have to take serious step to cope with the nursing shortage. The number of vacancies for nurses is continuously increasing that the province is giving out financial incentives and support to health regions to meet hiring target. Through this scheme, they hope to invite more nurse applicants.

The union and the ministry have agreed to work together with the health regions to reach the annual targets in hiring nurses until 2012.

The agreement also states that the union and the ministry should find ways to convince senior nurses to stay longer in their workplace, improve nurse/patient ratios, increase the use of nurse practitioners, focus on prevention by using RNs in new roles, increase training and ensure new graduates are offered full-time jobs, and assured of permanent employment.

According to the president of the Canadian Nurses Association and associate dean for the College of Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Marlene Smadu, they will work with the union and the province to develop a more detailed action plan to implement the agreement.

“This collaborative partnership represents a significant opportunity to address issues critical to the sustainability of the health care system and advancement of health,” said Smadu. “Nurses have a key role to play in identifying challenges and providing solutions, as stated in the agreement.”