The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) is pleased to present Registered Nurses Education in Canada Statistics, 2021–2022 — Registered Nurse Workforce, Canadian Production: Potential New Supply.
This annual report supports health human resources planning in both the nursing service and nursing education sectors. It represents the fruit of a strong partnership among national and provincial/territorial bodies and effective collaborative relationships with multiple stakeholders.
The report provides data and statistical analysis of
- the number of pre-licensure graduates eligible to apply for initial licensure/registration and enter the registered nurse (RN) workforce;
- the number of RNs obtaining graduate qualifications;
- the number of nurse practitioner (NP) graduates;
- innovations in nursing education program access and delivery;
- the composition of faculty delivering nursing education; and
- faculty retention and recruitment.
Highlights from the report include the following:
- 12 439 students graduated from entry-to-practice programs for registered nurses in 2022 (3,271 Quebec diploma and 9,168 baccalaureate) (graph, page 6), representing a continuous trend upward from the 4,833 who graduated in 2000.
- 16 785 students were admitted to entry-to-practice programs for registered nurses in 2021-2022 (3,960 Quebec diploma and 12 825 baccalaureate) (graph, page 5).
- Statistics Canada reports the number of vacancies for professional occupations in nursing (which includes “nursing coordinators and supervisors, registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, and graduate nurses”) in 2018-2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, as 11 615 vacancies on average (Q4 2018-Q1 2020). For 2022, Statistics Canada reports an average of 26 438 vacancies nationally.
- There were 809 graduates from nurse practitioner programs in 2022 (graph, page 12).
- There were 948 admissions to nurse practitioner programs in 2021-2022 (graph, page 12).
- In 2022, schools were unable to fill 78 full-time faculty positions. Schools projected a need to hire 425 full-time faculty (265 permanent positions, 160 full-time contract positions) in 2023.
- 91 permanent faculty retired in 2022.
