Nurses in Saskatchewan Overwhelmed, Considering Leaving Profession

According to a recent survey by the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN), the province's healthcare system is facing a severe staffing crisis that is pushing nurses to the brink of leaving the profession altogether. The survey, conducted in April 2025, found that over 53% of the 1,791 registered nurses polled have seriously considered quitting their jobs for other lines of work in the past 12 months.

The nurses cite an overwhelmed and understaffed healthcare system as the primary driver of their burnout. Around 82% of respondents said that patients on their units were put at risk in the past year due to staff shortages, while over 90% reported that short-staffing had led to longer wait times, poor patient experiences, service disruptions, and delayed or missed assessments and treatments.

SUN president Bryce Boynton warns that the province risks losing even more nurses if the government continues to ignore their concerns. "We're at the potential of seeing an even greater shortage if we don't do something about it," Boynton said. The opposition NDP has also criticized the provincial government for failing to address the nurses' issues, noting that a promised nursing task force has yet to materialize 10 months after being announced.

The government, however, maintains that its healthcare recruitment and retention strategies are working, citing a net gain of 900 nurses in the past fiscal year. But nurses argue that the government is simply not doing enough to support them and prevent further burnout and departures from the profession.