Quebec losing 37 young nurses for every 100 who enter workforce, report says

Quebec is losing 37 young nurses for every 100 who start, as burnout, long hours and violence on the job drive many out of the profession, a new report warns.

According to a new report, Quebec is losing young nurses faster than it can replace them, with 37 nurses under 35 leaving the workforce for every 100 who started in 2023.

The Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) says the province’s nurse shortage shows no signs of easing, even though the numbers are slightly better than a decade ago, when 40 young nurses left for every 100 who started.

“This exodus is worsening the shortage of health-care workers and putting even more pressure on an already strained system,” said Emmanuelle B. Faubert, an economist at MEI.

The study points to long hours, burnout and red tape as major reasons nurses are walking away.

According to a 2025 survey by the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, working conditions are taking a serious toll on nurses’ mental health and morale.

The survey found that more than one-third of nurses had worked involuntary overtime in the past six months, six in 10 had faced violence or abuse on the job in the past year, and one in four showed clinical signs of anxiety, depression or burnout.

“While Quebec has seen a modest improvement in the ratio of nurses leaving the workforce in the past decade, it’s clear that this is not enough,” said Faubert.

“No province should be satisfied with losing over one-in-three young nurses for every nurse that starts.”