Why Ratios?
Minimum nurse-to-patient ratios are a nurse-led solution to BC’s health-care staffing crisis.
British Columbia is the first province in Canada to establish minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, setting a global precedent with a staffing standard of one nurse for every four patients in medical/surgical units, 24/7.
The BC Nurses’ Union has championed this initiative for decades. Nurses know that this is a significant step toward improving health care for nurses and patients, allowing them more time to deliver life-saving patient care.
Research shows that every additional patient in a nurse’s workload means a seven percent increase in patient mortality rates due to unsafe nurse-to-patient ratios. Minimum nurse-to-patient ratios will make workplaces safer for nurses, keep nurses in the profession, and improve the quality of care for patients. Most importantly—ratios save lives.
The BC government committed to implementing ratios in April 2023. Significant progress has been made, but there is still much more to be done. British Columbians cannot afford to wait any longer than necessary for their full implementation.
