Outaouais region struggles to train and keep nurses, data shows

Quebec's Outaouais regionis struggling to train college and universitygraduates who couldaddressthe region's nurseshortage,data obtained by Radio-Canada reveals.

The numbersshowthat other regions in the province including some less populous than the Outaouais have two to four times more nursing graduates.

The 2018 cohort of Universit du Qubec en Outaouais (UQO), for instance,had only 43 graduates, while the program offered by the same universityon a different campus in Saint-Jrme, Que., had299 graduates.

"The reality is different. The Gatineau region is not very close to other major regions," said Sylvain Brousseau, the UQO's director of health studies.

Universit du Qubec Chicoutimialso produces twice as many nurses as the UQOwhile serving apopulation four times smaller thanGatineau.

Universit de Sherbrookehas four times as many nursing graduates as well.

Proximity to Ottawa one factor

In Quebec, people can become nurses by obtaining either a university degree or a diploma from one of the province's CEGEPs.

One factor that could explain the nursing graduate shortfall is the region'sproximity to Ottawa, raising the concern that potential nurseswill study there instead.

"Ottawa does not help us, that's for sure," Brousseausaid in a French-language interview.

The majority ofapplications to the UQO programare not strong enough to be accepted, he added, with only about 40 peopleadmitted each year.

"We would love to accept more, and I work hard on it, but we do not want to lower our admission criteria. We do not want to contribute to the race to the bottom, " Brousseau told Radio-Canada.

UQOevaluating its nursing program

UQO said it's evaluating its nursing program and is planning to launch a marketing campaign to raise awareness about it.

Nurses in Quebec are increasingly working to obtain a university education, according to the Quebec Order of Nurses, despite the fact they can practise in the province without a degree.

"Nurses want to be better equipped [and] also access positions with better working conditions,"saidLucieTremblay, the order'spresident."This is a trend we are seeing, with the complexity of care and the aging of the population."

The Quebec Order of Nurses saidone in two nurses in Quebec holda bachelor's degree although those numbers aren't reflected in the Outaouais, according to the data.

The numbers there are closer to 30 per cent, the order said.

Fewer college graduates

There has been a decrease in admission applications to the college's nursing programs over the past five years, according to recent data fromthe Regional College Admission Service of Quebec, which includes CEGEP de l'Outaouais.

CEGEPde l'Outaouaissaidthat dropis reflected in the upcoming fallsemester.

We have seen it in other programs such as early childhood [programs].- SimonDesjardins,CEGEPdel'Outaouaiscommunications director

"What we see this year is a decrease of about 20 per cent in applications for admission," saidSimon Desjardins, the college's communications director.

The collegebelieves the negative attentionaround thenursing profession particularly as it pertains to patient care and working conditions is causing the decrease.

"[There were a number]of nursesthis winterwho said they were exhausted," Desjardins said in a French-language interview.

According to the college, about half of their graduates plan to head touniversity elsewhere in the province, with very few continuing their studies locally.

Not enough nurses to fill demand

CISSS Outaouais,the region'shealth network, saidit'shired half of UQO's nursing graduates for the summer and all interestedgraduates fromCEGEPdel'Outaouais.

While CISSSOutaouais estimates that 275 nursing positions need to be filled, the region's graduates fill only 20 per centof this need.

"I always say that you have to be honest with yourself,"saidRobertGiard, the assistant director of human resources atCISSSOutaouais.

The health network said it's collaboratingwith educational institutions to find ways to keep nurses in the region.

Making the Outaouais a self-sufficient region for educating nurses isn't impossible, Giard said, but it also won't happen overnight.

"I think that together we all have this responsibility to make the profession more attractive," Giard said.