Report on Current Trends and Issues in Nursing and Health Systems

This report analyzes the trends and issues within the Canadian nursing and health systems, focusing on the critical issue of nurses' remuneration and its impact on retention and public perception. The report examines the issue through the lens of three articles, discussing the influence of funding models, the impact of nursing shortages, and the role of public opinion. The author explores the challenges of attracting and retaining nurses, the impact of pay gaps, and the importance of proper funding models for education and employment. The report references several scholarly articles and media sources to support the arguments and concludes by emphasizing the need for improved funding, competitive working conditions, and increased educational opportunities to address the nursing shortage and ensure a sustainable healthcare system. The author also reflects on their personal values of accountability and compassion in relation to the topic.

Running head: TRENDS AND ISSUES IN NURSING AND HEALTH SYSTEMS
TRENDS AND ISSUES IN NURSING AND HEALTH SYSTEMS
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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TRENDS AND ISSUES IN NURSING AND HEALTH SYSTEMS
Introduction
Nurses serve decisive role in the healthcare sector by delivering care to patients and
executing leadership roles at healthcare organizations and health systems. However, being
employed as a nurse involves numerous challenges (Ariste & Béjaoui, 2015). Nursing
compensation is seen as the most critical issue in recent times. During the past decade,
healthcare expenditure growing has attained accumulative consideration from policy makers
in Canada as well as additional industrialized nations because of its growing trends.
Considering the fact that health is a labour intensive industry, remuneration is anticipated to
be vital factor of the trend. In the view of Martin-Misener, Donald, Kilpatrick, Bryant-
Lukosius and Rayner et al. (2015), although physician compensation has been broadly
studies, it is not equitable for nursing professionals irrespective of the fact that nurses
comprise of one-third of the Canadian health professionals. Moreover, nursing professionals
are considered to be an imperative entity of the Canadian health system. The following essay
will evaluate the issue of nurses’ remuneration in the Canadian health system and reveal the
public perception of nursing professionals and the profession as a whole. The thesis statement
of the essay is “The most important way of reduce nursing abrasion in the Canadian health
system is to emphasize on funding models.”
Discussion
Article One
Wranik, Haydt, Katz, Levy and Korchagina et al.(2017), have mentioned in their
scholarly article that the Canadian health system has been publicly subsidized which is close
to around 70% of accumulative health expenses which are financed through taxations.
According to Wranik, Haydt, Katz, Levy and Korchagina et al. (2017), the degree to which

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financial investment has been directly attached to the activities of the team as a whole and the
funding which has not been related to limiting subsidies based on geographical roster or
budget essentials. Additionally, the range of investment sources have instigated additional
issues related to multiple lines of accountability within what has been considered to be whole
organization along with the unequal remuneration structure arranged for similar tasks for
nursing professionals.
Developed health care systems have been putting utmost emphasis on nursing
professionals for delivering primary care. They usually execute their operations in hospitals
with continuing care services as well as clinics and are chiefly salaried from public funds
(Jimenez, Bui, Mantilla & Miranda, 2017). According to authors, wide ranging research has
been done on number of nursing professionals, their individualities, service status, and
working durations in addition to retention factors. Marchildo and Hutchison (2016) has
shared similar views like Wranik and claimed that Ontario’s solitary focus is on primary care.
Furthermore, the development of these reforms has been significant and the information of
the reforms has initiated to break with the limitations of the original Saskatoon Agreement.
However, the provincial government has depended significantly on modification in nurses’
compensation and the provision of performance inducements with an intention of achieving
its aims. Wranik, Haydt, Katz, Levy and Korchagina et al. (2017) by making good use of
previous studies have found that methods to funding have been considered by the degree to
which they have been associated with the activities of the team.
To my understanding it has been clear that monetary structure have been limiting
enablement of collaborative functioning amongst nurses. Thus, proper funding is vital to
retain more number of nurses in this field.
Article Two

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Burke (2015) has claimed that nurses’ retention in any remote community in Canada
has been viewed as a critical challenge. Thus, in order to ensure the accomplishment of the
most rudimentary health needs, provincial administrations must employ registered nursing
professionals for few days in order to continue the rotation of nursing professionals working
with the local populace. It has been further asserted that the alternation of registered nursing
professionals to the local community is imperative as they receive high remuneration in
Ontario ranging from $21 and $40 on hourly basis.
In contrast, Staples and Sangster-Gormley (2018) has found that nursing students
engaging into Nursing practice programs have declined by nearly 9.3% from 2015 to 2016.
Such decline has resulted in the deterioration of Registered nurses across wide range of
healthcare organizations along with a decline in post-RN staffing as well as aging regulated
nursing personnel and most importantly financial constraints on educational funding. Staffing
and practice issues have been continuing to challenge the integration of nursing practitioners
in Canada because of shortage of proper funding models. By drawing relevance to high
nurses’ retention has shed light on the pay gap in nursing. Even though nursing profession
has been significantly dominated by women they fill almost 92% of the labour force, there
has been unequal pay structure amongst nursing professionals (Baker, 2018).
By delving into the information provided on the website, I have understood that
simply paying high to RNs to continue the shift of nurses would not suffice the current issue.
Hence it requires proper funding model and framework along with the support of other
domains.
Article Three
Fraser (2019) in the report has revealed that nursing shortage in renowned hospital of
Canada has been increasing susceptibility of the organization and health care initiatives at
risk. As per the report, there has been found around 200 permanent, full and part-time nursing

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positions at another hospital in Canada as well as other smaller communities. Salaries of
nursing assistants and personal care providers have not seen any growth, which has made
recruitment quite challenging. Furthermore, even for the profitable organizations which
deliver services like maintenance and companionship to aged citizens who pay out-of-pocket
have been encountering issues with staffing. Fraser (2019) has claimed that training,
education and knowledge development along with labour has reflected on the reasons behind
fund limitation which restricted the vacancies for new students.
In contrast, Kahn and Rubenfeld (2015) have mentioned that considering the
probability regarding the demand for RNs which will not significantly weaken although with
the increase in remuneration, the labor market of health care system will be contingent on
development in the supply of RNs with an intention of attaining equilibrium. As per Fraser
(2019), the reason for withdrawing the funding has been concerned with the programs which
did not introduce any new vacancy for students. Furthermore, healthcare organizations have
been investing on nursing education openings directly. This has led to the facilitation of cash
required initiatives to make proper expansion. However, if these approaches do not raise the
number of nursing students which can be quartered, deficit in nursing professionals are likely
to continue longer as expected to be. According to Hickerson, Taylor and Terhaar (2016),
nurses’ shortages will last for continued time and is only likely to end if salaries are increased
and developed in the RN education. Repayments to amenities which hire employ RNs
require illustrating the increasing cost of RN labor. Furthermore, state as well as local
governments should expand the size of the RN programs which they fund as well as expand
loan programs in order to attain private RN education. Fraser (2019) has shared similar views
claiming that involvement from all sectors will be vital to the achievement of encountering
challenges faced by the current Canadian healthcare system. Nonetheless, from a societal
point of view, surplus of registered nursing professionals has been seen as a lesser issue than

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the current shortage. According to Kahn and Rubenfeld (2015), the social disadvantage of
derisory patient care consequential to nurse scarcity almost unquestionably overshadows the
social damage of temporary job forfeiture for certain individuals. However, if an additional
tends to arise, RNs can pursue employment in other employment domains. It has been noted
that over the last few years, the unemployment rates of RN have not increased more than 1.5
per cent, also during years whereby a shortage has been seen to exist. Thus, there has been
recognized an importance of RN education. RN education offers an outstanding background
for organization, methodical as well as client-centric employment. Consequently, it will be
advantageous for the healthcare system as well as upcoming nursing professionals to identify
the importance of this nursing scarcity as well as respond in view of that (Fraser, 2019). At
this juncture, the healthcare sector can come into play and back up the nursing labour market
and its movement in the direction of equilibrium.
Kahn and Rubenfeld (2015) have noted that number of hospitals have introduced
programs with an aim of directly supporting RN education with local universities and
academes. Further has been expanding the number of apprentices who are likely to be
accommodated in the educational system. Furthermore, employers also should guarantee that
working conditions in support of nursing professionals are acceptable and competitive with
other professions. It has further been noted that government recently has been encountering
monetary constraints and severely requires support funding for additional vacancies which
has not been sustained. Such provision would facilitate individuals to comprehend
discussions on the outlays of training nursing professionals.
In my view, nursing shortage will not end devoid of any substantial RN remuneration
as well as qualification development every year for the next decade.

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Conclusion
Thus to conclude, the professional value as a nursing student regarding safeguarding
patients at any cost might overlook the current issue of lack of funding in nursing profession.
On the other hand my personal value of accountability and compassion might compel me to
reconsider the current issue which has attained attention of not only media but also wide
range of academicians. While, Fraser and Wranik and others have put emphasis on the
funding programs for nurses, Burke on the other hand has focused on ways in which RNs are
offered high salaries to retain more number of nurses in Canadian healthcare systems.

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References
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Burke, E. (2015). Being a nurse in the North is challenging, but ‘there are salary perks’—big
ones. Retrieved from https://www.macleans.ca/education/college/being-a-nurse-in-
the-north-is-challenging-but-there-are-salary-perks-big-ones/.
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