Registered nurses
July 25, 2024 — Registered nurses (RNs) are health care professionals who work both autonomously and in collaboration with others to enable individuals, families, groups, communities and populations to achieve their optimal levels of health. RNs deliver direct health care services to those at all stages of life and in situations of health, illness, injury and disability; they also coordinate care and support clients in managing their own health. RNs contribute to the health care system through their leadership across a wide range of settings.Reference 1
Use the sections below to learn about the supply, education, employment and distribution of nurses across the country.
Key findings
In 2023,
- 259,276 RNs were employed in direct patient care in Canada.Footnotei This number increased by 4,111 between 2022 and 2023 (an annual growth rate of 1.6%).
- In the provinces/territories where place of work data was available,Footnoteii more RNs were employed in direct care across all sectors of care except community health agencies:
- 513 more RNs were employed in direct care in hospitals (0.4% increase), 343 more RNs were employed in other sectors, such as private nursing agencies and self-employment (2.1% increase), and 247 more RNs were employed in long-term care or nursing homes (1.7% increase).
- Meanwhile, 76 fewer RNs were employed in direct patient care in community health agencies (0.2% decrease).
- The overall supply (321,971) of RNs licensed to practise in Canada grew at a rate of 2% in 2023, faster than the rate in 2022 (1%).
- Internationally educated RNs made up 68% of the net increase in RN supply (6,256) in 2023, compared with 64% in 2022.
- The majority of RNs (64%) were employed on a full-time basis.Footnoteii
Featured material
Quick Stats
This interactive tool is ideal for workforce planners, health service managers and analysts who want to create customized visualizations.
Explore and compare the supply, workforce, inflow/outflow and provincial and territorial trends of Canada’s registered nurses.
Data tables
These tables are meant for analysts, researchers and those who want to explore and analyze the raw data.
Access 10 years of supply, workforce, employment, education and demographic trends for Canada’s registered nurses.
Methodology notes
These notes are meant for all data users.
They summarize the sources, definitions, strengths and limitations of the data available.
Reports
The state of the health workforce in Canada, 2023
CIHI has compiled the most recent data (up to 2023) on selected health professionals to illustrate the current state of the health workforce, with a special focus on primary care.
The state of the health workforce in Canada, 2022
This report provides an overview of 4 key areas: health workforce supply and distribution, internationally educated health professionals, workplace measures and specific population needs.
Hospital staffing and hospital harm trends throughout the pandemic
This report presents a high-level look at available pan-Canadian data on hospital staffing — including sick time, overtime and agency use — and potential impacts on patient harm to explore trends observed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health workforce in Canada: In focus
Learn about the impacts of COVID-19 on licensed practical nurses and how these professionals helped shape Canada’s response to the pandemic.
Health workforce scopes of practice
Explore data and information on legislated scopes of practice for registered nurses and other health care professionals in Canada’s provinces and territories.
Other regulated nursing professionals
Databases and data sources
Health Workforce Database
CIHI collects record-level, standardized, comparative data on the supply, demographics, geographic and distribution characteristics, and education and employment details of RNs in Canada. To find out more about CIHI’s RN data, visit the Health Workforce Database metadata page.
Reference
1.
Canadian Nurses Association. Framework for the Practice of Registered Nurses in Canada (PDF). 2015.
Footnotes
i.
Excludes P.E.I. and Manitoba, as area of responsibility data for RNs was not submitted to CIHI.
ii.
Excludes P.E.I., Quebec and Manitoba, as place of work data for RNs was not submitted to CIHI.
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