Turnover rates for nurses in Quebec hospitals are higher than in pre-pandemic times
CTV
Turnover rates for nurses in Quebec hospitals increased nearly 10 per cent in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic rates, which comes as no surprise to nurses who are struggling to stick it out in the profession.
Turnover rates for nurses in Quebec hospitals increased nearly 10 per cent in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic rates, which comes as no surprise to nurses who are struggling to stick it out in the profession.
The data was compiled by Le Journal de Montreal (JDM), using official documents they received through an access to information request.
Naveed Hussain, a nurse at the MUHC, told CTV News he doesn't think health authorities really understand what's going on in emergency rooms and hospital units.
"I've never seen a government official spend a 12-hour shift working with a nurse and seeing what's really happening," he said.
That disconnect, he said, leads to policies that don't improve the work conditions of nurses and other healthcare workers.
Hussain said it's difficult for people on the outside to understand what nurses face daily, including long hours and life-and-death situations.
"What we've seen is young nurses going to the private sector where they get paid better, working in pharmaceuticals or within insurance companies," he said. He pointed to the fact that nurses in Quebec are the lowest paid in Canada.
