From shortage to solution: A study of nursing retention policies in British Columbia

The nursing shortage in British Columbia is causing significant issues across the province and threatens to collapse the entire healthcare system. As of 2022, there is a shortage of approximately 3,570 nurses, a number that has been steadily increasing due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. A major contributor to this shortage is lack of retention, or a shortfall of incentives for nurses to remain in the workforce despite its challenges. This study uses a jurisdictional scan and multi-criteria analysis (MCA) to identify and analyze new policies to retain the current nursing workforce. The study concludes with a bundle of policy recommendations for hospitals, healthcare providers, and the provincial government to maintain, preserve, and improve the current number of nurses in BC.