HEAM seminar: A Review of Nurse Retention in Ontario 2010-2021

Reports of nurse staffing crises, including higher than normal rates of retirement, resignations, and job vacancies have increased. Using the 2010 to 2021 Health Professionals Database, a census of nurses in Ontario, we examine the year over year rate of nurse retention among registered nurses (RNs), and registered practical nurses (RPNs) before, during, and after the pandemic. First, we examine the rate of nurses that transition from actively working in Ontario to (1) an inactive registration/license status, and (2) an inactive practice status, where the latter indicates a nurse has an active registration/license, but does not have at least one Ontario nursing job. Next, we examine historical trends in the age distribution of nurses that retire, leave Ontario, and exit the nursing profession altogether. Lastly, among nurses that transition from working in Ontario to an inactive registration or an inactive practice status we investigate if they return to work in the Ontario nursing profession.