WAKAW — Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) president Bryce Boynton took to social media to respond to the provincial budget and the latest nursing task force announcements.
On March 20, a Saskatchewan government news release announced the framework for the Nursing Task Force had been finalized. Boynton commended this, saying it acknowledges Saskatchewan’s nursing crisis, and the framework highlights the need for targeted, funded solutions, especially to retain experienced registered nurses. SUN, he said, will continue to push to make funding the priority.
The framework outlines the structure and core principles guiding strategies around nursing issues. Key commitments include enhancing retention and recruitment, supporting nursing team members, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, nurse practitioners and continuing care assistants, through mentorship, and reducing violence in care settings. Emphasis is also placed on effective teamwork and on ensuring that all members operate within their full scope of practice. These initiatives aim to improve nurse retention and provide high-quality, accessible care for patients. Next steps involve refining initiatives and identifying funded opportunities, keeping in mind ongoing collective bargaining discussions.
Budget day also recognized the systemwide health human resources shortages, but Boynton heard no clear plan to grow and stabilize the registered nursing workforce, even in the recently announced Patients-First Health Care Plan. Short staffing, he said, isn’t abstract. It is felt in every ward, every shift, every town, by every patient.
“A clear commitment to invest in Saskatchewan’s registered nurses in all areas of care and right across our publicly-funded and publicly-delivered health care system has been noticeably missing in this week’s announcements,” Boynton stated.
This, he sees as even more concerning, given the $636 million in capital investments to build hospitals, long-term care homes, urgent care centres, and specialized facilities across the province. “It’s great news on paper, but more beds and more facilities require more registered nurses. Without them, we’re just building hotels.”
“We spend a lot of time discussing infrastructure, but what about people? We need to talk about how we can retain our people and build our nursing workforce so that we can actually function within the … infrastructure we do have.”
Boyne told the Star Phoenix in September of last year, “Many [nurses] have come to realize that they would be happier, healthier and in a better financial position if they moved to another province, and that should scare people. Nobody should be okay with that.”
Retention is what Boynton has identified since the start of his tenure as the province’s most urgent challenge. Recruitment has been the main focus in ending staffing shortages, with retention often being overlooked. Experienced registered nurses are critical to mentoring new grads, international recruits and others transitioning into new roles. Experienced registered nurses need to feel valued and safe at work, and that includes ensuring safe staffing levels and addressing workplace violence. Registered nurses in hard-to-recruit areas need to be asked what they need to stay long-term, and incentives for mid- and late-career RNs to continue working, for those who have left the workforce to return, and for casual or part-time staff to transition to full-time should also be considered, Boynton believes.
CUPE 5430 President Bashir Jalloh agreed that workers are necessary for the growth of the health sector, calling last week’s budget disappointing, “I don’t see anything in here that addresses the root cause … which is staffing and then the burnout among our workers.”
Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill announced that staffing challenges will be tackled by giving more powers to the health care recruitment agency. He has previously emphasized the importance of building a strong brand for careers in Saskatchewan’s health care sector.
