A rally Wednesday prior to the official opening of the fall legislative session was organized to highlight the crisis in health care.

The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses president says three in five registered nurses have considered leaving the profession in the last 12 months for another line of work.

More than 1,600 registered nurses responded to the October 2023 survey. Tracy Zambory says, “Long waits, missed treatments, cancelled procedures, avoidable hospital admissions; these and many other indicators of increased patient safety and risk are occurring across the system every day because of registered nursing shortages.”

According to the survey 81 per cent of RNs report knowing of a time when patients were at risk due to short staffing. Of those who are aware of risk due to short staffing, over half (51.4 per cent) report the risk is frequent.

More than nine in ten note there have been times when short staffing has led to longer wait times and delayed or missed assessment or treatment. Similar proportions indicate experiencing times when short staffing has led to poor patient experience (89.6 per cent), service reductions or disruptions (88.8 per cent), reduced standards of care (88.6 per cent), and delayed or cancelled procedures (85.3 per cent).

Zambory says there’s an irrefutable link between registered nurse burnout and poorer patient outcomes.  SUN says hundreds turned out for the rally that took place at Wascana Place Bandstand across Wascana Lake from the Legislature.