Human resource planning in the health and social services sector will be enhanced through a study released today by the Prince Edward Island Advisory Committee on Health Human Resources. The committee includes representatives from the public and private health and social services sectors, the education sector, professional associations and the federal government.
The "Health Human Resources Supply and Demand Analysis" includes a comprehensive profile of 4482 health and social services employees in the public and private sectors. It identifies demand, supply, and predicted surpluses and shortages in major occupational groups during the next five-year period. The analysis also includes a dynamic human resource planning model to support collaborative planning on an ongoing basis among educators, employers and professional associations.
"The Government of Canada is pleased to support this Health Human Resources Study," said Shawn Murphy, Member of Parliament for Hillsborough, on behalf of Honorable Jane Stewart, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada. "The valuable information and analysis contained in this study provides a wealth of information for employers within the health sector and the educational system as well."
Health and Social Services Minister Jamie Ballem said the new information will be of great value to the health system as it implements its five-year strategic plan. "The availability of health professionals is being influenced by increasing demand, an aging workforce and a changing labour market," said the minister. "With the results of this study, we have for the first time very specific information on our current supply of professionals and immediate needs. The inventory of current educational programs will help to identify the future supply of providers and our capacity to produce trained professionals. Finally, we have a dynamic forecasting tool to support collaborative human resource planning on an ongoing basis."
Ray Loxdale, of the Private Nursing Home Association and member of the Health Human Resource Advisory Committee, welcomed the new planning model as a positive step forward. "Effective human resource planning is essential to meet current and future challenges. The completion of this analysis is an important first step in the development of a collaborative planning process to ensure an adequate supply of health professionals and continued access to quality services," he said.
An inventory of post-secondary health education programs was also developed to determine the supply of professionals over the next five years, consisting primarily of programs in the Maritimes. The inventory is based on such information as program entry requirements, length of training, capacity and enrollment, and the number of PEI students enrolled.
The analysis also includes several recommendations such as the need to maintain accurate data, to collaborate in human resource planning, and to implement initiatives which build on current successes, such as the recent 31 per cent increase in seats at the UPEI School of Nursing and the province's $9.2 million nursing strategy and $4.2 million physician recruitment and retention strategy.
The recommendations of the study will be considered by the partner groups following consultations with the study participants in January 2002.
Funding of $129,375 for this project was contributed through the Canada/Prince Edward Island Labour Market Development Agreement, co-managed by Human Resources Development Canada and the provincial Department of Development and Technology.
MEDIA BACKGROUNDER
The study was conducted by DMR Consulting of Fredericton during the period from February to November 2001.
The first step in the analysis was to create a database of public and private sector employees working within 49 occupational groups in the public sector, and nine groups in the private sector.
Of these employees, 88 per cent are female. An age group analysis indicates that 24 per cent are age 35 or under, 58 per cent are in the 35 to 54 age range, and 13 per cent are 55 years and over.
The percentage of employees who work full time is 43 per cent, 30 per cent work part time, 17 per cent work casual, and eight per cent are temporary or unemployed.
The three largest occupational groups represent 60 percent of all employees. They include registered nurses who comprise 31 per cent of the total, licensed nursing assistants who make up 15 per cent, and resident care workers who also comprise 15 per cent of total employees.
Most providers work in the public sector which encompasses 64 per cent of employees. Another 26 per cent work in the private sector, and 2 per cent work in other areas such as the federal government.
Occupations which are primarily private sector include ambulance attendants, audiologists, child care workers, pharmacists, community residential workers, and those working in the dental profession.
The analysis identifies potential shortages and surpluses over the next five years in nine occupational groups for which supply or demand is a potential issue, and for which sufficient forecast data was available. The forecast model will be applied to other groups as more data becomes available.
During the next five years, the most significant shortage is expected to occur in the registered nursing profession, escalating to as many as 189 nurses in 2004, and declining slowly in 2006. There are currently 1385 registered nurses in the PEI workforce.
A moderate shortage of between 21 and 35 LNA's is anticipated over the forecast period. A small shortage of residential care workers is anticipated next year, and by 2005, a surplus of up to 39 RCW's is forecast. There are currently 687 LNA's in PEI.
A shortage of 11 social workers in 2001 is expected to increase to 33 by 2006. There are currently 188 social workers in the PEI workforce.