In New Brunswick, 80 in 100 nurses leave job by age 35, report finds

New Brunswick is losing young nurses at a faster rate than anywhere else in the country, according to a new report by the Montreal Economic Institute, an independent public-policy think tank.

For every 100 nurses who entered the profession in New Brunswick in 2022, 80 left before the age of 35, the report shows.

That's double the national average, and 51 per cent higher than it was in New Brunswick a decade ago, said Emmanuelle B. Faubert, an economist at the institute and author of the report, released Tuesday, entitled, "Which Provinces Struggle the Most to Keep Young Nurses?"

It's a "staggering number and very worrying when we know that the young nurses of today are the experienced nurses of tomorrow," she said. "So losing them puts in jeopardy the future of our health-care system."

There are several reasons nurses are leaving their jobs, said Faubert. Most are related to working conditions that affect job satisfaction, such as stressful environments, being overworked and problems with work-life balance.

So while financial incentives might help attract more nurses and retain them for a bit longer, if the working conditions don't improve, "it doesn't matter how much they make," she said.

"If they're overworked, they will burn out and a burnt-out nurse, you can't really expect them to last very long before they leave entirely."

Where the nurses are going is unclear, said Faubert. The figures are based on unrenewed permits, so they could be leaving to work in another province or another country, or abandoning the profession altogether.

Paula Doucet, president of the New Brunswick Nurses Union, agrees the report's findings are "very concerning," particularly since the province is already facing "one of the highest vacancy rates we've ever seen," with about 750 nursing jobs currently unfilled.

"It just really solidifies and validates the work that we've done at the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions in surveying our members across the country as well."

The federation's latest annual poll revealed that nine in 10 Canadian nurses consider themselves burnt-out, and four in 10 intend to leave the profession within the next year.

The Department of Health did not respond to a request for comment but said in a news release in July that the province has seen a net increase of 686 registered and licensed practical nurses since 2021.

The largest segment of New Brunswick nurses voted against a tentative collective agreement with the government shortly before the Oct. 21 provincial election was called.

Part 3 nurses, who work in hospitals, clinics and extramural care, and represent about 90 per cent of the union's membership, rejected the deal by a margin of 59 per cent.