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November 10th, 2023

Mr. Devon Code
Fleming College, Sutherland Campus
599 Brealey DR Peterborough, ON
K9J 7B1

Dear Mr. Code,

The following report analyzes the trend of paid education in the nursing field, requested
November 12th, 2023. Please see attached. Our report includes a description of the causes and
effects of the nursing incentive program the Canadian government offers and the nursing
shortage. This analysis shows what is in store for the future of this program and the nursing
shortage. It is hoped that the incentives put in place will bring more nurses into the profession.
Our trend will be described through many different reliable resources on the nursing shortage
and this solution. The new program will allow for an ease in the nursing shortage. The goal is to
help solve the problem, but as will be stated, this single initiative will not be enough. It must be
made available in more areas nationwide to make the most of this program and solution.

Thank you for taking the time to review our report; we look forward to getting feedback. We
appreciate your time and consideration taken to help improve our analysis.

Sincerely,

Emma Serroul, Elliott Allman

Students
Fleming College
Practical Nursing Program
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Analyzing a Trend: Nursing Shortages

Subtopic: Paid Education for Nursing

Elliott Allman, Emma Serroul

Sir Sandford Fleming College

COMM202: Communications II

Devon Code

November 6, 2023

Table of Contents
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Letter of Transmittal 1

Executive Summary 4

Introduction 5

Findings and Analysis

Trend Description 5-6

Causes and Effects 7

Looking Ahead 7-8

Conclusion 8

References 9-10

Executive Summary
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The nursing shortage has been an issue in healthcare for many years. New incentives

have been put in place to attract students to the nursing profession. However, until these

incentives take fruition, awareness of this trend must be made known. In the following, we

analyze the nursing shortage in Canada and the increase in paid education for nurses. The

government is funding a program that includes complete coverage of nursing tuition and

alternative schooling costs like books and housing. Additionally, the nursing shortage is the

biggest cause of this program, and the program allows for a semi-permanent solution. The

analysis shows that this program will help in the future. However, it will not be a long-term

solution. Figuring out the crucial issues related to the nursing shortage will allow us to open our

minds to the solutions that must be implemented for a better future. The resources used include

peer-reviewed papers, the Canadian Federation of Nurses, and Government of Canada websites.

Analyzing a trend: Nursing Shortages (Paid Education for Nursing)

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Introduction

The nursing shortage has been a known issue in Canada since the late 1990s. As of 2022,

to achieve the national average of slightly over 800 nurses per 100,000 people, Ontario would

need to add more than 24,000 nurses to the workforce (Ontario Nurses Association, 2022). New

incentives have been put in place to attract students to the nursing profession. Those just starting

their educational journey within healthcare can take advantage of the Ontario Learn and Stay

grant (Government of Canada, 2023). Those continuing their education within the healthcare

field can utilize the BEGIN program both of which will be discussed further in this report

(Bridging Educational Grant in Nursing, 2023). The government has taken steps in the right

direction by offering funding for nursing programs across Canada to address the current and

future workforce shortage. This analysis extends to understanding the causes and effects of this

shortage, exploring how this program will impact students and address the nursing crisis. The

following trend analysis dives deeper into these incentives, effects, results, and effectiveness.

Findings and Analysis

Trend Description

The ever-growing need for nurses in Ontario and across Canada is bringing forth new

incentives to try and bolster the workforce. As highlighted by Statistics Canada, during the first

quarter of 2023, job vacancies for nurses collectively increased by over 5,000 positions

(Government of Canada, 2023). In 1991, Ontario has been at a deficit for nurses as depicted in

the graph below. Ontario has created the Learn and Stay program (Government of Canada,

2023). This incentive program has allowed 1,500 nursing students in 2023 to have their tuition
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fully and all compulsory fees paid for in exchange for committing to six months of work for

every year of tuition paid (Office of the Premier, 2023). However, this incentive program is

limited to certain schools, thus limiting how many people will take advantage of the program.

For students who would like to bridge from PSW or RPN, the BEGIN program allows this to be

possible with funding (Bridging Educational Grant in Nursing, 2023). Qualified PSW-RPN

students will be entitled to a tuition reimbursement of up to $15,000, and eligible RPN-RN

students can receive reimbursement of up to $30,000 (Bridging Educational Grant in Nursing,

2023). While this is a step in the right direction, many positions remain to be filled.

Note. From “They’re leaving every day: Peel Nurses giving up on profession, especially

after PC’s wage suppression law,” by Thakur, A December 12th 2021. The Pointer,

(https://thepointer.com/article/2021-12-12/they-re-leaving-every-day-peel-nurses-giving-up-on-

profession-especially-after-pc-s-wage-suppression-law).
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Causes and Effects

The nursing shortage is driven by many interconnected factors. The Canadian Federation

of Nurses Unions (CFNU) states that an aging population with increasingly acute health needs

has amplified the demand for healthcare services, while the growth in the regulated health

workforce, including nurses, has remained stagnant (2022). Completing the RPN program in

Ontario will cost upwards of $20,000 (Fleming College, 2023), while completing the RN

program will cost upwards of $32,000 (Trent University, 2023). This program is competitive and

expensive. Ultimately, you are put into a workforce that is understaffed, overworked, and

arguably underpaid. The ever-increasing cost of living and escalating tuition costs make post-

secondary increasingly unaffordable for many, acting as a significant deterrent (Cfsfcéé, 2022).

This puts more pressure on current nurses in the workforce, increasing burnout. The effects of

the incentives being put in place are increased numbers of nurses in the workforce. However,

these incentives will take time to have any noticeable effect.

Looking Ahead
The Learn and Stay program and the BEGIN program are relatively recent initiatives the

Canadian government implemented. In the coming years, it will be essential to monitor their

long-term sustainability. While this is an under-examined topic, there have been studies on the

effectiveness of similar incentives for physicians. The National Library of Medicine

demonstrates how these programs have solved their goal of short-term recruitment but have had

less success with long-term retention (Sempowski, I.P. 2004). It can be inferred that the

incentives for nurses may temporarily alleviate the short-term nursing shortages in certain areas,

but there is uncertainty about their long-term effectiveness. Some of the areas offering these

incentives include Kingston, Ottawa, North Bay, London, and Windsor (Village Life, 2023).
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This arrangement is especially advantageous for these regions as it guarantees a consistent

supply of full-time nurses entering the workforce. Participants commit to a 6-month service

period for each year of government-sponsored schooling, ensuring a reliable presence for at least

1-2 years (Village Life, 2023). As a result, this is not a long-term solution for the shortage and

needs to be more widespread to alleviate the shortage.

Conclusions

With job vacancies for nurses greatly increasing over recent years, “vacancies for licensed

practical nurses were up by 2,290, or one-fifth (+20.2%), to 13,620 positions” (Government of

Canada, 2023, para 4). Introducing programs like the “Learn and Stay” initiative in Ontario,

which offers financial support for nursing students in exchange for a commitment to work, is a

step in the right direction. The biggest reason for this program being put in place is the dire need

for more nursing staff. These initiatives that offer to alleviate the cost of education are essential

in addressing the root causes of the nursing shortage. The end goal is to ensure adequate nurses

are available to support the healthcare system. Unfortunately, some areas of interest do not have

funding opportunities, such as Toronto and it is not a permanent fix. In expanding the reach of

these programs, we could see the industry as a whole benefit but not necessarily fix the shortage.

Paid education for nursing is a positive step towards mitigating the nursing shortage. It is only

one piece of the puzzle. Addressing the underlying economic factors is necessary to ensure a

sustainable solution to the nursing shortage in Canada.

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References

Bridging Educational Grant in Nursing. (2023). The begin program. WeRPN.

https://begin.werpn.com/

Cfsfcéé. (2022). Here’s how inflation is impacting students across Canada: Latest updates.

Canadian Federation of Students. https://www.cfs-fcee.ca/blog/heres-how-inflation-is-

impacting-students-across-canada

Fleming College. (2023). Practical Nursing. https://flemingcollege.ca/programs/practical-

nursing

Government of Canada. (2023, July 24). Nurses: Working harder, more hours amid increased

labour shortage. Statistics Canada. https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/4165-nurses-

working-harder-more-hours-amid-increased-labour-shortage

Office of the Premier. (2023, January 20). Ontario newsroom.

https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1002652/ontario-expanding-learn-and-stay-grant-to-

train-more-health-care-workers

Ontario Nurses’ Association. (2022, November 17). Ontario’s nurse staffing is falling further

behind the rest of Canada, report shows. Ontario Nurses’ Association.

https://www.ona.org/news-posts/20221117-nurse-staffing-report/

Sempowski, I. P. (2004). Effectiveness of financial incentives in exchange for rural and

underserviced area return-of-service commitments: Systematic Review of the literature.

Canadian journal of rural medicine : the official journal of the Society of Rural Physicians
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of Canada = Journal canadien de la medecine rurale : le journal officiel de la Societe de

medecine rurale du Canada. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15603680/

Trent University. (2023). Peterborough Fall 2023 & Winter 2024 tuition fees-ontario students.

Peterborough Fall 2023 & Winter 2024 Tuition fees-Ontario Students - Tuition,

Scholarships and Financial Aid - Trent University.

https://www.trentu.ca/studentfinances/peterborough-fall-2023-winter-2024-tuition-fees-

ontario-students

Thakur, A. (2021, December 12). “They’re leaving every day”: Peel nurses giving up on
profession, especially after PC’s wage suppression law . The Pointer.
https://thepointer.com/article/2021-12-12/they-re-leaving-every-day-peel-nurses-giving-
up-on-profession-especially-after-pc-s-wage-suppression-law

The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU). René, B. (2022, January). Canada’s

nursing shortage at a glance.

https://nursesunions.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/nurses_shortage_media_ref_guide_c

omp.pdf

Village Life. (2023, May 21). Ontario students can study to become a nurse or paramedic for

free. NewmarketToday.ca. https://www.newmarkettoday.ca/village-life/ontario-students-

can-study-to-become-a-nurse-or-paramedic-for-free-6735094
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