Why Ontario Needs Safe Nurse Staffing Levels
- Marc Woodhouse
- Aug 21
- 1 min read
“The public needs to know that without better working conditions and more nurses, the system is never going to recover.” – Oncology nurse
Marc Woodhouse, Global News
August 18, 2025
Report prepared by James T. Brophy, PhD and Margaret M. Keith, PhD
Ontario needs more nurses.
Health care in Ontario is in a precarious state. There is a significant shortage of nurses in hospitals, long-term care, and community care. Many of those who are working are suffering from burnout. The public is also suffering from long wait times and reduced care. One solution to this problem is to increase the nursing workforce. To this end, several jurisdictions have successfully implemented mandated minimum nurse staffing levels, such as minimum nurse-patient ratios (mNPRs). Precedents for mNPRs, for example, have been set in California, British Columbia, Australia, and Oregon. These models include RNs as well as RPNs or equivalent in their ratios. Minimum staffing levels, in some form, have also been established in other jurisdictions, such as Nova Scotia and several US states.
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