Hospital restructuring and downsizing in Canada: are less experienced nurses at risk?

The health care sector has undergone significant change during the past decade as hospitals struggle to provide the same service with fewer resources. This study examined perceptions of hospital restructuring and downsizing and their effects on nursing staff as a function of years in nursing. Data were obtained from 1,362 staff nurses by questionnaire. Nursing staff having less tenure generally described and responded to hospital restructuring and downsizing in more negative terms. Nursing staff having less tenure were in better health, reflecting their younger age. Some implications for hospital administration and the nursing profession are raised. Entrants to hospital-based nursing staff positions are the life blood of the profession. Their reactions to hospital restructuring and downsizing may influence their commitment to nursing as well as hospital functioning. The profession may have difficulty attracting young women and men into nursing programs. As longer tenured nursing staff retire, a potential shortage of nurses may result.