Manitoba is taking the next step toward safer patient care with the completion of its first collaborative report on safe nurse staffing levels, work shaped directly by front-line nurses and developed in partnership with the Manitoba Nurses Union (MNU), employers and government partners.
“Every Manitoban should feel confident that when they walk into a hospital, there are enough nurses there to provide safe care,” said Premier Wab Kinew. “Safe staffing is about giving families that confidence and making sure nurses have the support they need to provide the care Manitobans deserve. This work is another step forward as we rebuild a stronger, more reliable public health-care system for people across our province.”
The Nurse-to-Patient Ratio Subcommittee report provides Manitoba’s first roadmap identifying evidence-based approaches to safe staffing, with a focus on improving patient outcomes, supporting nurse retention and strengthening high-acuity areas such as intensive care units and operating rooms, where staffing levels have the greatest impact on care.
“Nurses have been clear with us about what safe staffing looks like because they live it every day,” said Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara. “Front-line staff know where pressures exist and what helps patients receive safe care. After the previous government fired nurses, we are rebuilding by consulting directly with nurses and working collaboratively with partners across the system to ensure the next steps are grounded in real experience and focused on strengthening care for Manitobans.”
The report builds on commitments made through collective bargaining and incorporates research, jurisdictional comparisons and input from more than 4,800 Manitoba nurses. The recommendations identified priority areas where staffing approaches may help improve continuity of care, reduce burnout and strengthen recruitment and retention across the health-care system. Rather than imposing top-down solutions, the process focused on front-line experience to identify practical approaches that reflect the realities of patient care.
The report reflects a collaborative approach grounded in front-line expertise and shaped with partners across the nursing profession including union leadership.
“We know that this is the first step in creating a system where both patients and staff feel at ease when they enter the system. But to be clear, this is only the first step. Our committee has worked hard to bring forward initial recommendations, but the real cause for celebration will be when those recommendations are fully implemented,” said Darlene Jackson, president, MNU. “I would like to thank the front-line nurses, including those who participated in this process, for speaking out about what is needed to ensure safe care.”
Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, praised the work on the Nurse-to-Patient Ratio Subcommittee report following the first National Council for Nurse-Patient Ratios Implementation meeting, which Asagwara attended as the only provincial health minister.
“Focusing on patient safety is what nurses do. This joint initiative between the Manitoba government and MNU is what is needed across the country,” said Silas. “Bravo to all who participated in the process.”
The Manitoba government has added 1,200 nurses across the health-care system since 2023. With new legislation and ongoing record investments in health care, the government is committed to achieving the nurse-patient ratios recommended by this report, beginning with priority areas.
