Spending on agency nurses in Manitoba is at an all-time high, with the province spending over $56 million in the first three quarters of the 2023-24 fiscal year. The Prairie Mountain Health Regional Health Authority was the top spender at almost $21 million, which is nearly double the amount spent by the Northern Regional Health Authority. Darlene Jackson, president of the Manitoba Nurses’ Union, expressed concern over the high expenditure, stating that the money could be better utilized if invested back into the public health-care system to retain nurses. She also noted that the number of agency hours has been increasing every year.
In addition to the better pay, there is an allure for nurses to leave hospitals for agency work due to factors such as work-life balance and the ability to choose when and where they work. Jackson also highlighted the elevated number of overtime hours being worked by nurses, which is well above one million this year. She emphasized the need for the Manitoba government to develop a strong retention plan to prevent the loss of nurses from the system and start implementing it immediately. Premier Wab Kinew and Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara had previously pledged to personally offer job placements to students graduating from health-care programs, and the government has expressed its commitment to changing the culture of health care.
Shared Health, along with other health system employers, has stated that they are dedicated to reducing the province’s reliance on agency nurses. The high spending on agency nurses in Manitoba has raised concerns about the sustainability of the public health-care system and the need for more proactive measures to retain nurses. The Manitoba Nurses’ Union has called for a comprehensive retention plan from the government to address the issue and prevent further loss of nurses. The government has indicated that it is taking steps to address the situation, including offering job placements to health-care graduates and working to change the overall culture of health care in the province. With the continued rise in spending on agency nurses, there is a growing urgency to implement effective strategies to retain nurses in the public health-care system.
