International ”poaching” of nurses bound to get worse

Poaching of Canadian nurses by American hospitals is getting worse because of the growing shortage of nurses there, the Canadian Nurses Association warns. ”The US is offering Canadian nurses full-time jobs and all sorts of perks,” says Mary Ellen Jeans, the executive director. ”Canada is doing nothing.” She describes the American recruiting as ”aggressive.”

The American Association of Nurse Executives says there are nursing shortages across the country. A study of the aging RN workforce (JAMA 2000;283[22]:1948-54) forecasts that by 2020 the US will have 20% fewer RNs than it needs. Federal officials and nursing groups anticipate an acute shortage beginning in 2010, when today‚s nurses, who average 44 years of age, begin to retire. Less than 10% of US nurses are under age 30.

Canada faces a similar situations. The CNA predicts a shortfall of between 60 000 and 115 000 RNs by 2010, and the UK needs 20 000 nurses immediately. ”There‚s an international shortage, so everyone is poaching from one another,” says Jeans. ”If Canada wants to turn that tap off, it‚s going to have to invest and create full-time jobs and quality working environments.” —