A first in Canada! Minimum Nurse-to-Patient Ratios are starting in BC!
Introducing mNPRs across BC
In April 2023, The Ministry of Health (MoH) and Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA) signed a memorandum of understanding to adopt minimum Nurse-to-Patient Ratios (mNPRs) across British Columbia, a first in Canada.
Northern Health (NH), with other health organizations, is actively implementing mNPRs across the North as a staffing initiative that aims to improve the working environment of health care providers and quality of patient care.
What are mNPRs?
Minimum nurse-to-patient ratios represent a minimum number of nurses deemed necessary to care for the number of patients on a given unit. MNPRs provide a simple, clear formula that transparently indicates staffing requirements for licensed practical nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, and registered nurses throughout the province.
mNPRs will be implemented across three sectors:
- Hospital-based care settings
- Community and non-hospital care
- Long-term care and assisted living
The Ministry of Health (MoH) provides a complete list of ratio definitions that have been announced.
Benefits
mNPRs help to:
- Create a healthy, safe, and motivated workplace ensuring a better health care setting for patients
- Balance workloads and staffing levels that reduce risk of burnout
- Allow nurses to spend more time with patients
- Improve patient outcomes by decreasing patient safety events
Join NH in helping us achieve mNPRs
Do you want to help improve care for patients and make workplaces safer for nurses? Now is a great time to join Northern Health. Together, we can work toward meeting mNPRs and making health care better for everyone in the North!