Nursing shortages affect us all. One big way nursing shortages affect you is in the high rate of patients acquiring infections at the hospital. These are called nosocomial infections. These infections can lead to longer hospital stays, more serious conditions that need surgery, result in negative long-term health consequences, or even lead to death. In fact, there are 220,000 hospitalizations and 8,000 deaths due to these infections in Canada each year. This means that one in ten adults and one in twelve children will contract in infection while in a Canadian hospital.

Studies have shown more cuts to nurse staffing is associated with higher rates of hospital-acquired infections. Recently, due to the 2013 Health Care Accord, Canada is faced with $36 billion cuts in health care. Nosocomial infections directly cost the health care system up to $1 billion annually. In Ontario alone, there are 7 nurses for every 1000 patients, which is the second lowest nurse-to-patient ratio in all of Canada. By demanding more nurse to patients in our hospitals, we can greatly reduce and prevent these infections. It's up to you to demand change.


The Ontario Nurses Association (ONA)and the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) commit to safe, quality and competent patient care. Through Standards of Practice, both organizations are dedicated to ensuring best practice in nursing care and in nurses' responsibilities in preventing hospital-acquired infections by ensuring proper hand-washing and infection prevention and control measures in hospitals. In addition, both the ONA and CNA have lobbied for change in nursing shortages, but it isn't enough. It's up to you to demand change.