New Brunswick loses 62 young nurses for every 100 who start, a think-tank says, warning the province’s health-care system faces mounting pressure.
Sharp Rise in Young Nurse Departures
In 2023, the province of New Brunswick saw 62 young nurses under age 35 leave the profession for every 100 who began work—a rate far worse than the national average of 40. According to a new report by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), the province now has the second-worst retention rate of young nurses in Canada.
Provincial Ranking and National Context
Only Newfoundland and Labrador recorded a worse outcome, losing 98 young nurses for every 100 who started. MEI’s analysis draws on registration data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) collected from provincial regulators.
Causes and Implications for the Health-Care System
MEI economist Emmanuelle Faubert (with intern Olivia Martiskainen) warns the exodus of young nurses threatens the sustainability of Canada’s health-care workforce. Increased workloads for remaining staff lead to burnout, which in turn drives more departures—creating a vicious cycle.
Trend Over Time in New Brunswick
Though improved from 2022’s figure of 80 departures per 100 hires, the 2023 outcome still marks a 37 per cent increase in outflow since 2014. While MEI did not provide full provincial breakdowns, Faubert told CBC News that 804 nurses under 35 entered the workforce in New Brunswick in 2023 and 498 left.
Broader Sector Challenges Across Canada
Nurses are Canada’s largest group of regulated health professionals—more than 450,000 in total. The MEI report notes that nursing vacancies have tripled in five years, from about 13,000 in 2018 to over 41,000 in 2023, against rising demand from an ageing population.
Proposed Solutions & Lessons from B.C.
Faubert points to innovative policies in British Columbia—which reduced young-nurse turnover to 27 per 100—as a model. These include flexible shift-swapping pools, a “triple-track” assessment for internationally educated nurses, and a recruitment website for foreign professionals. The MEI also advocates for increased competition in labour markets (including private clinics or telehealth), and greater use of artificial intelligence to ease administrative work for nurses.
What’s Next for New Brunswick?
The Ministry of Health and the New Brunswick Nurses Union have been approached for comment. With retention rates flagging and health-care demands growing, the province faces mounting pressure to adopt reforms or risk further erosion of its nursing workforce.
