Investing in the Canadian Nursing Workforce Post Pandemic: A Call to Action

A preprint version of the Executive Summary of a forthcoming RSC Policy Briefing entitled “Investing in the Canadian Nursing Workforce Post Pandemic: A Call to Action” is now available here. The full Policy Briefing is currently undergoing peer review. This preprint version is being published ahead of final peer review due to the urgency of the recommendations. A peer-reviewed policy briefing will be made available as soon as that process has been completed.
 
“While the nursing labour market in Canada has been under stress for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic highlights critical areas within our health systems that continue to contribute to the inability to adequately plan for, recruit, retain and protect a pillar of our health system—our nursing workforce. Despite many ongoing challenges, nurses demonstrated dedicated leadership in the pandemic response and many lessons have been learned. In this report, our esteemed panel of nursing experts in Canada have brought together many provincial, national, and international learnings to identify key areas we must consider for building a strong, national nursing workforce as well as areas of weakness that have been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said chair of the Working Group Dr. Gail Tomblin Murphy.
 
The RSC has prepared Policy Briefings and other resources to ensure open access to independent, evidence-based science for Canadians.