Report Shows More than 1600 Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners Worked for Private Nursing Agencies in 2024

WINNIPEG – Today, the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba (College) released a data report examining a growing trend in registered nursing and nurse practitioner regulation: the increasing shift to agency nursing practice.

Since 2023, the College has been collecting and analyzing data from registrants regarding the number of registered nurses (RNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) engaged in agency nursing practice, as well as the total number of hours worked while employed by a nursing agency. The preliminary results of those efforts are documented in this brief data report in alignment with the College’s commitment to provide unique data to assist in health human resource planning and decision making.

Additionally, monitoring trends such as this which affect RN and NP practice allows the College to respond where required by providing direction and guidance to registrants to ensure professional standards are met and public protection is upheld.

“Agency nursing practice is nothing new — hospitals and long-term care facilities in Manitoba have used agency nurses to fill temporary staff shortages for decades,” said Deb Elias, CEO/Registrar. “However, the use of agency nursing services has increased dramatically in the years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are motivated by our understanding that meeting the health needs of all who reside or need care in Manitoba requires a health system that can remain flexible, ensure patient safety, and is supported by appropriate health human resources.”

Key data identified by the College include:

• 1,610 registrants worked for an agency in 2024 – more than 10% of the total RNs and NPs registered in Manitoba
• 464 registrants worked nursing practice hours equivalent to between 0.4 and 1.0 of a full-time equivalent (FTE) position in agency roles
• 919,800 hours of agency practice were reported in 2024, the equivalent of 456.4 full-time equivalent positions of agency practice

College data and other national trends show that increased reliance on agency nursing practice to meet health system staffing needs can potentially lead to increased risks to patient safety, a lack of qualified oversight, and transparency issues, amongst others. Earlier this year, the College took action to introduce an agency nursing practice direction and will continue working collaboratively with health system partners to support effective and durable solutions to the retention of skilled nurses in the public health system.

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For media enquiries, please contact:

Martin Lussier
Manager of Communications and Public Engagement
204-789-0662
mlussier@crnm.mb.ca