Recruitment and Retention Remain Critical to Saskatchewan’s Healthcare Industry | The Canadian News

The aftermath of the fourth wave of COVID-19 remains evident within Saskatchewan’s healthcare system.

One of the most prominent struggles lies in the hiring and retention of healthcare professionals.

According to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, from January to September this year, 10.5% more SHA staff members left the organization than in the same period last year.

CUPE local 5430 is the representative of CUPE’s sanitary workers in the province.

Its president, Bashir Jalloh, explained the exhaustion and stress that its members face, saying that “the stress of working with few staff is having such an impact that some members are thinking about retiring early or changing careers.”

According to Jalloh, there are currently 1,400 jobs in the government health care sector in Saskatchewan, of which only 180 are permanent full-time positions.

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For Jalloh, that’s a focal point of the problem.

“Most of the jobs posted today are temporary jobs and most end in March 2022,” Jalloh said. “That’s a problem; you can recruit them but you can’t keep them. The moment they see a full-time job, they will move on to those positions.”

At the Canadian Medical Association, the president, Dr. Katharine Smart, admits that it is difficult to find short-term solutions in a health and human resources crisis.

“One of the first things governments could do is really listen to doctors and nurses and reflect their feedback in decision-making,” Smart said.

“That would go a long way to making health professionals feel valued. Feeling that we have a seat at the table and that our voices are heard is a critical short-term move. “

The provincial government and SHA have taken steps to address the staff shortage. In an effort to increase recruitment, Saskatchewan Polytechnic will now have an additional 53 critical care nurse openings per year.

“There has been a lot of interest and we will continue this practice over the next academic year and into the future for as long as necessary,” said Christa MacLean, interim dean of the Sask Polytech School of Nursing.

While great interest is promising, competition is fierce as the entire country faces a shortage of healthcare workers.