Nova Scotia Nurses Union president Janet Hazelton. Photo by FileArticle contentThe president of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union disputes a report by the Montreal Economic Institute that shows a high percentage of nurses left the profession in the province in 2023.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThe institute, an independent public policy think tank, said Canada is burning through its young nurses at an alarming rate as health-care systems across the country struggle to retain them. Its numbers showed that in 2023, Nova Scotia had 57 nurses under the age of 35 leave for every 100 nurses who entered the profession, a 23 per cent increase over 2014.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentJanet Hazelton, president of the province’s nurses union, said the numbers “don’t jibe from our experience.”Article content“That’s 50 per cent and that’s inaccurate,” said Hazelton on Thursday. “I’m not sure what the motivation is (for the report), but we have no proof that that is the case. In fact, our members are up. I’m not sure where or how they would get that information.”Article contentHazelton said that in the under-35 age category, the province saw an overall net gain of 394 registered nurses and an additional 94 registered nurse licence renewals in 2023.Article contentThe Montreal Economic Institute studied the supply of nurses in 2023 and 2024. The analysis is from the most recent data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, according to its publication.Article content“Nova Scotia’s numbers show that simply training more nurses won’t solve the problem,” said Samantha Dagres, communications manager at the institute, in a news release. “Without better working conditions and flexibility, it’s like filling a leaky bucket.”Article contentArticle contentIt stated that nursing job vacancies tripled in just five years across Canada, jumping from 13,178 in 2018 to 41,716 in 2023.Article contentThe institute cited a Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions 2025 survey that showed over one-third of nurses reported having worked involuntary overtime in the past six months, six in 10 experienced some form of violence or abuse at work, and one in four show clinical signs of anxiety, depression or burnout.Article content“For every 100 nurses under 35 who registered to practise in the country, 40 other young nurses did not renew their registration in 2023,” said Dagres. “This growing exodus is worsening the shortage of health-care workers and putting even more pressure on our already strained system.”Article contentNova Scotia working on meeting demandArticle contentHazelton said the province is still attempting to meet nursing demand.Article contentData from the Nova Scotia College of Nursing showed that as of October 2024, there were about 23,000 licensed practical nurses, registered nurses and nurse practitioners. Of the 23,000, there are 12,044 licensed registered nurses, 4,763 licensed practical nurses and 406 nurse practitioners working in the province.
Nova Scotia Union head disputes local nurse departure numbers from Montreal Economic Institute
