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Articles on Health-care workers

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Women — particularly racialized women — are more likely to be in positions at the lower end of the health sector’s pay scale, that also require close and prolonged contact with patients. (Shutterstock)

Canada’s health-care crisis is gendered: How the burden of care falls to women

Not only is the health sector feminized, but women — particularly racialized women — are more likely to be in jobs at the low end of the pay scale, but that require prolonged contact with patients.
A fundamental component for training health-care professionals is interacting with patients and families. (Shutterstock)

Solving Canada’s shortage of health professionals means training more of them, and patients have a key role in their education

Each encounter that health-care students have with patients and families helps them understand real-world patient needs. That means all Canadians have a role in educating future health-care providers.
Nurses of the University College Hospital protest in London on Feb. 6, 2023. The walkout is part of a wave of health worker strikes and demonstrations in recent months. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Health-care worker strikes in the United Kingdom: Are there lessons for Canada’s health crisis?

U.K. health worker protests echo issues in Canada. They are also a harbinger of future labour disputes and systemic collapse if austerity, underinvestment and neglect of health workers continue.
Canada has a shortage of doctors. That’s why making it difficult for internationally trained doctors to practise here is so mystifying. (Francisco Venancio, Unsplash)

Why is Canada snubbing internationally trained doctors during a health-care crisis?

Canada is sidelining qualified doctors while many Canadians struggle to find health care. Here’s what we can and must do better for internationally trained physicians.
Building safer workplaces requires leaders who understand how years of resource constraints, unhealthy work environments, abuse from patients and a pandemic have contributed to overwhelming burnout and job dissatisfaction among workers. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

How health-care leaders can foster psychologically safer workplaces

The future of our health system depends on recruiting and retaining passionate and highly skilled health-care workers. It’s essential to build work environments where they feel supported and safe.
Patient safety incidents are the third leading cause of death in Canada. (Shutterstock)

When health care goes wrong: It’s time for transparency in patient safety

Patient safety incidents were already a leading cause of death in Canada. With that crisis converging with the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, health care is being pushed to a breaking point.
Common approaches used to encourage internationally educated health-care professionals to work in smaller communities often focus primarily on attraction, but do not address the reasons why they tend to leave. (Shutterstock)

How rural Canada can attract and retain international health-care providers: Address discrimination, provide support

Small communities struggle to retain needed internationally educated health-care professionals. Challenges will persist until the compounding effects of social and professional isolation are addressed.
Health-care workers protest over stalled contract negotiations with the provincial government in Montréal in October 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Workers, not warriors: 4 lessons from health worker protests during COVID-19 that could help avert a looming workforce crisis

To prevent a shortage of health workers, public expressions of appreciation need to be backed by policies that provide dignity, decent working conditions, accountability and appropriate remuneration.
Police officers speak to a health-care professional outside the emergency department at Toronto General Hospital during a protest against COVID-19 measures in September 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young 

Patient aggression and physician burnout: The makings of a human resources crisis in health care

Although demanding, disruptive and violent patients are a major contributor to physician burnout, solutions to address this increasing problem are not a priority.
In addition to patient care, many doctors also have heavy administrative burdens, including insurance company requests and government forms that advocate for their patients’ needs, as well as all the challenges of running an office. (Shutterstock)

The doctor won’t see you now: Why access to care is in critical condition

Less than half of Canadians can see their doctor same-day, and millions don’t even have a family doctor. Improving access to care means providing doctors with the support they need to focus on patients.
Intensive care nurse Kathryn Ivey’s Tweet illustrates the impact of the pandemic on health-care workers. Used with permission. @kathryniveyy/Twitter

High rates of COVID-19 burnout could lead to shortage of health-care workers

Rates of burnout have increased alarmingly among health-care workers during the pandemic. Unless the system provides more support to its already depleted workforce, staff shortages may get worse.
A resident chats with workers at Orchard Villa Long-Term Care in Pickering, Ont., in June 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn)

Resistance, innovation, improvisation: When governments fell short during COVID-19, long-term care workers stepped up

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the scarcity of resources in long-term care. But it has also revealed how staff are undervalued.

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