Minimum Nurse-to-Patient Ratios
Minimum Nurse-to-Patient Ratios Coming to BC
British Columbia will become the first province in Canada to establish minimum nurse-to-patient ratios (mNPR), setting a global precedent with a staffing standard of one nurse for every four patients in medical/surgical units, 24/7.
BCNU has championed this initiative, and nurses know that this is a significant step toward improving health care for nurses and patients. Establishing proper nurse-to-patient ratios will allow nurses to dedicate more time to delivering life-saving patient care.
The Ministry of Health and BCNU has begun the work with health authorities to implement the first phase of establishing the first set of hospital-based ratios announced on March 1. An announcement on mNPRs for remaining hospital settings and non-hospital settings, such as long-term care and health authority community settings will be announced this summer.
Globe and Mail - Sponsored Articles
As part of BCNU’s Ratios Save Lives public education campaign, we are excited to share two of three sponsored articles in the Globe and Mail aimed at informing the public about the benefits of nurse-to-patient ratios and the positive impact ratios will have on health care in British Columbia.
Government Commitment and Funding
In April 2023, the Nurses' Bargaining Association (NBA) and the Ministry of Health signed an agreement to enhance nursing support across the province by implementing minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals, long-term care and assisted living facilities, as well as community and non-hospital care settings.
To fund the implementation of this model, a total of $750 million has been allocated: $200 million for 2023/2024, $250 million for 2024/2025, and $300 million for 2025/2026.
In March 2024, the province announced an investment of $237 million in funding initiatives to help retain, return, and recruit new nurses into the health-care system.
Nurses Know, Ratios Work
Nurse-to-Patient Ratios Improve Nurse Job Satisfaction and Retention
Ensuring a minimum nurse-to-patient ratio benefits both patients and nurses. Fewer patients per nurse allow nurses to provide the dedicated care patients need and deserve, resulting in quicker response times, improved monitoring, more thorough assessments, and reduced errors.
Better working conditions for nurses attract more people to the profession and help retain those who might otherwise leave. Over time, this decreases the significant number of nurse vacancies across the province.
California: Implementation led to hospital vacancies dropping below 5%, well below the national average. In Sacramento, vacancies decreased by 69% in four years.
Australia: Nurse vacancies almost entirely eliminated, with over 7,000 inactive nurses returning to the profession in response.
Nurse-to-Patient Ratios Improve Patient Outcomes and Save Lives
The evidence is clear: when nurses have too many patients to care for, both patient mortality and negative outcomes increase significantly. Studies have consistently shown that high patient-to-nurse ratios correlate with poorer patient outcomes and higher mortality rates.
- 2021 Study: Found that for every extra patient assigned to a nurse, the risk of patient mortality increased by 16%.
- 2023 Study: Found that Canadian hospitals with inadequate staffing saw a 20% rise in patients’ urinary tract infections and pneumonia, a 25% rise in aspiration pneumonia, and a more than 50% increase in pressure ulcers.
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