The Yukon is still facing a nursing staff shortage, but the rate has declined to 36.5 per cent. 

In October 2022, Health and Social Services Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee announced that the Yukon’s nursing vacancy had exceeded 40 per cent.

As of March 20, the number was down a small percentage from the previous year.

During that day’s question period in the legislature, NDP Leader Kate White said, “Last fall, when we repeatedly heard from health care workers about shortages, we asked a question about staffing for nurses and paramedics.

“When the minister didn’t have the answer, we submitted a written question, hoping to get further clarification on how bad the shortages actually were.”

In her written response, White said, McPhee reported being short 22.25 full-time positions at the Yukon Hospital Corp.

The reply stated that this doesn’t mean the shifts go unfilled, White added.

“These vacant positions are papered over with nurses working overtime, agency nurses, and other measures,” she said.

“So, we have heard many stories from hospital workers about the ever-increasing workloads and desperate pleas from their managers to come to work on their days off,” she told the House.

“This morning, I counted the number of job postings on the corporation’s website. There now appear to be 72 vacant nursing positions.

“Can the minister confirm that the number of vacant nursing positions has tripled in the four months since she last reported on the vacancies?” White asked.

The question wasn’t directly answered.

White told reporters March 21 the territory has a shortage of employees and lots of demand. 

“For two years, government has been talking about how important and how grateful they are for health care workers,” she said.

“But if you talk to health care workers, they’re not feeling that,” said White. 

Nurses are overworked, she added, and are shuffled around amid staff shortages in an effort to cover shifts. 

“We have nurses who live in the territory, who have quit either the Yukon government or the Yukon Hospital Corporation and now work for agencies as agency nurses because they’re able to turn down shifts, they’re able to not get called in on their days off and they have more control of their schedules,” White told reporters.

She said nurses are being called to come in on their days off, and they go in so as to not harm their patients or hurt their colleagues.

“I think we have to respect people when you’ve already worked, you know, 24 hours in the last 48 hours, being asked to come in on your day off. I can’t even get my head around what that would feel like,” White said. 

In a March 27 email, cabinet communications spokesperson Renée Francoeur provided information that suggested the international lack of health care workers has had an impact on the Yukon’s nurse recruiting ability. 

“The global health human resource shortage has had impacts on the recruitment and retention efforts of health care providers here in the territory,” said the email. 

Bonus packages were rolled out to help support employees and aid in recruitment. 

“The new package is helping to keep nurses in the territory, who may otherwise have chosen to move to other, higher-paying jurisdictions,” says the email. 

Since Jan. 3, four new nurses have been hired.

In the months to come, officials are hoping to have the additional positions filled. 

The bonuses were offered to government-employed nurses, but left out hospital nurses. 

White told reporters that nurses across the spectrum work very hard, and that the hospital nurses felt disrespected. 

“I think the first thing that should happen is government should negotiate with the union and they should give those nurses at the hospital corporation the same bonuses they gave their own nurses,” said White. 

She also said the incredible work the nurses have done in the last two years, especially with the hardships of the pandemic, need to be recognized and acknowledged. 

“Say ‘thank you,’ and say more than ‘thank you,’ show it in action as opposed to just words,” White said. 

The territory has been experiencing nursing vacancies for several years. 

There is an abundance of positions open, and the Yukon is actively trying to recruit help. 

Despite the shortages, White said the health care provided in the Yukon is of high quality. 

“The care we get here is incredible. The level of service we get here is incredible.”

She also believes Yukoners should be supporting the caretakers right down to the cleaners. 

“Every single person who works in those facilities deserves not just our gratitude and words but our gratitude and action,” White said. 

McPhee told the legislature last month a Yukon health and human resources steering committee has been developed to help combat the health care issues in the territory.

The group consists of representatives from numerous departments, the Yukon Hospital Corp., Yukon University, doctors, nurses and First Nations representatives. 

“This group will work together to develop a strategy to address all aspects of the health human resources crisis in the territory. We are working to explore options to serve Yukoners” said McPhee.