Stand with Registered Nurses

Nursing shortages hurt everyone. The data is clear.

Shortages Hurt Patients

In a 2026 survey of 1,810 of Saskatchewan’s registered nurses, 9 in 10 said short staffing had led to negative patient outcomes:

96% reported longer wait times.

92% reported poor patient and family experiences.

90% reported delayed or cancelled procedures.

91% reported service disruptions.

Shortages hurt rural communities

Saskatchewan has lost 1 in 4 rural registered nurses since 2018

– Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Shortages hurt registered nurses

FIX THE STAFFING CRISIS

Recruit and retain — together

New registered nurses need experienced registered nurses as mentors & supports — and right now, we are losing both. Saskatchewan must match infrastructure investments with safe registered nurse staffing.

Safe nurse-to-patient ratios

Safe staffing is not a nice-to-have — it is an evidence-backed patient safety standard. For each additional patient a registered nurse is caring for, the greater the risk of adverse events. Nurse-patient ratios are a life-or-death variable.

Nurse Practitioners are key

Nurse Practitioners (NP) are a proven solution to primary care access — especially in rural communities. NPs can diagnose, treat, prescribe, order diagnostic tests, and refer patients to specialists.

Stabilize rural health care

Targeted rural recruitment and retention incentives. Care should not depend on your postal code. Rural care must be reliable, not uncertain. Saskatchewan’s economy is rooted in rural communities. These communities cannot exist without healthcare, & health care can exist without registered nurses.

  • As a rural registered nurse, I can be working in the emergency department one minute and delivering a baby the next.
    Hillary, RN
    Moosomin, Saskatchewan
  • I support patients through heart surgery recovery, manage complex heart rhythms, and care for those with pacemakers and other cardiac devices.
    Jenny, RN
    Cardiac Surveillance
    Regina, Saskatchewan