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A new academic study recommends Ontario hospitals adopt mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios to improve patient outcomes and address the province’s staffing crisis, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees’ (CUPE) .
The study, based on research from Ontario, California, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Australia, found that higher patient loads per nurse are linked to increased mortality, more medical errors, and higher infection rates. Conversely, mandated ratios improve patient care, reduce readmissions, and enhance staff satisfaction.
Between 2022 and 2024, nurse vacancy rates in Ontario, the union says, increased by 43 per cent. They say the province also has over 16,000 licensed nurses not currently practicing. Researchers say implementing ratios could attract many of these nurses back into the workforce while lowering burnout and moral distress among current staff.
Union representatives, including CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, support ratios, noting they would reduce workplace injuries, improve retention, and provide nurses the ability to deliver proper care. International evidence shows that ratios in California, Victoria (Australia), and other regions have increased nurse retention and enhanced patient safety.
The study urges hospitals and the provincial government to fund and enforce safe staffing standards to ensure both patient safety and workforce stability in Ontario’s healthcare system.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
