Question Period Note: Nursing Shortage

N.A.

• Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) recognizes the hard work of nurses across this country.

• The ongoing national nursing shortage has a particular impact on nursing health human resources in remote and isolated Indigenous communities.

• ISC is making all possible efforts to address this shortage, including committing $500 million dollars through recent federal budgets.

• ISC is also re-deploying nursing resources to areas of greatest need; increasing recruitment and retention, including allowances; and working with communities to identify immediate solutions.

• ISC will continue to work in partnership with provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples to advance better access to care, where and when it’s needed.

ISC employs approximately 905 nurses across Canada in a range of roles from front-line service delivery operations to Senior Management. Approximately 70% of the front-line workforce is made up of part-time employees who commute from their homes in urban and rural centres to remote communities on a rotational basis to provide 24/7 primary care services. These nurses are seeking access to the necessary clinical and technology tools and supports they are accustomed to using as part of their standard practice in non-remote settings.

In order to meet the needs of nurses, ISC has implemented a number of strategies, including: introduced a case management team (Nursing Services Response Centre – NSRC) for nurses who encounter challenges in IT, compensation and security ; a robust orientation and onboarding process; Implemented policies in order to enhance the safety of nurses who work in remote and isolated settings; and worked to include other health care resources into the models of care within communities.

Community-based nursing services — such as Home and Community Care and Public Health —complement those delivered by ISC and helping restore and maintain client health and wellness across the continuum of care in collaboration with provincial and territorial health systems. While ISC does not set salaries or incentives for First Nations employed nurses, the levels and stability of ISC funding directly influences communities’ ability to offer competitive compensation, benefits, training, and supports —key factors in recruiting and retaining qualified nursing professionals.

If pressed on what is being done to address the nurse shortages in Indigenous communities:

• To ensure the ongoing delivery of quality healthcare in First Nation and Inuit communities ISC has continued implementation of the Nursing Health Human Resources Framework.

• ISC is building inter-professional teams to augment the existing nursing workforce while strengthening our promotion of nursing as a career opportunity in Indigenous communities.

• Introducing various initiatives to assist nurses when they encounter challenging conditions. For example, the addition of community security personnel to nursing stations.

• Supporting Indigenous partners to explore and develop new and innovative ways of delivering healthcare services to their communities.

• Incorporating paramedics, licensed practical nurses and physician assistants into the health care delivery models when applicable under provincial and territorial legislation.

• Focused on responding to the needs of this workforce through the Nursing Services Response Centre which includes a case management service to address challenges encountered in the work place and reduce administrative burden; and supporting the use of technology in the delivery of healthcare services in community. If pressed on Nursing staff employed by Indigenous communities:

• In communities with transferred health services, nurses are employed and supervised by Indigenous organizations who are also responsible for managing services and setting compensation.
• However, many of these employers face challenges in offering competitive pay and incentives to attract health professionals, who are in high demand and short supply.
• ISC strengthens and supports community nursing by providing advice on sustainable recruitment and retention, facilitating networking and continuing education for front-line staff and supporting professional practices that enhance program delivery and promote evidence-based, and safe client care.