Province Announces Minimum Nurse-To-Patient Ratios, Retention And Recruitment Investments

The Province and BC Nurses’ Union say they have made significant progress determining minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.

“Nurses play an important and pivotal role in providing quality patient care,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.

“Through our collaborative work with the BCNU, we are taking critical steps to address staffing challenges around the province. To meet these ratios, we’re making significant investments to retain our existing nurse workforce, support student nurses wanting to have a rich and rewarding career in BC’s health-care system and recruit more nurses. Building and strengthening our health workforce means a better workplace for health-care workers, quality care for patients and a stronger health-care system for everyone in B.C.”

This progress is supported by a $237-million investment to help retain the nurses B.C. has now, return nurses back to the bedside and recruit the nurses B.C. needs for the future.

The Ministry of Health has established minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for six health-care settings in acute care facilities.

Examples include most adult medical and surgical units, where the ratio will be one nurse to every four patients, and high-acuity units where it will be one nurse to two patients.

The province says it’s the first work of its kind in Canadian history.

The minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in remaining hospital settings and non-hospital settings, such as long-term care and health authority community settings have yet to be determined. An update about the remaining ratios will happen by summer.

$169.5 million in one-time funding for the expansion of provincewide rural-retention incentives, including signing and recruitment bonuses.

To see the full release, visit Government of British Columbia.