Steve Kent 'very concerned' about LPN shortage
Health Minister Steve Kent says the Newfoundland and Labrador government has long recognized there is a shortage of licensed practical nurses (LPN) and personal care attendants (PCA), and is taking measures to address the issue.
Kent told Here and Now Wednesday that training programs have been expanded, bursaries are being offered and nurses from outside of Canada are being recruited.
"It's an issue we anticipated, and we've made some progress in a number of ways," Kent said.
The opening of a new 460-bed long-term care home in St. John's in September has once again brought the staffing shortage to the forefront.
As of this week, 55 of those beds are unoccupied.
Nearly half of those will be occupied in the next month or so when 25 seniors are relocated from the Waterford Hospital.
That still leaves 30 vacancies that cannot yet be filled because there are not enough LPNs to cover off shifts.
That's discouraging news for seniors on a waiting list to access long-term care, and Kent acknowledged he is "very concerned" about the staffing shortage.
A complex issue
Kent said there are labour market challenges in many sectors in the province, including health care.
The union that represents LPNs has argued that if the government were to offer more money and permanent jobs instead of hiring nurses on what's called full-time temporary status, the situation would improve.
Kent said the solution is more complex.
He said the province has increased the number of seats available to students in training programs offered by the College of the North Atlantic and the Centre for Nursing Studies to 185.
One of the concerns, said Kent, is the graduation rate.
A working group comprised of representatives of the Department of Health and those who administer the LPN training program has been established to examine the issue, and to ensure "we maximize the space available and ensure we do everything possible to make sure we have enough LPNs to meet that demand," said Kent.
The province also created a bursary program as a recruiting and retention incentive, Kent added
A partnership between the Centre for Nursing Studies and the Jamaican government is also aimed at addressing the shortage, added Kent.
"We have a number of LPNs that will be arriving from Jamaica over the next couple of months," he said.
A high rate of LPNs per capita
There are roughly 4,300 certified LPNs in the province, though Kent couldn't say whether every LPN that wants to work is actually gainfully employed.
At roughly 422 LPNs for every 100,000 people in this province, Kent said that's one of the highest ratios in the country.
"There are a lot of LPNs working in Newfoundland and Labrador, but the demand has grown," he explained.
He said the problem is especially acute in central Newfoundland.
