Nursing employment increases in Canada despite ongoing vacancy and wage challenges

Services & workforceYesterdayManitoba

Manitoba pharmacy college fines pharmacist over tenfold anti-psychotic dosing error

The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba fined pharmacist Rumina Ishani $3,500 plus $5,000 in costs for professional misconduct. The disciplinary action follows an August 2025 incident where the pharmacist failed to verify a prescription, resulting in a patient receiving a 20mg dose of an anti-psychotic instead of the prescribed 2mg.

This case serves as a reminder to ensure rigorous verification of drug dosages and patient identification during the clinical review process.

Services & workforceYesterdayManitobaPrairie Mountain Health

Brandon emergency department staff face rising violence amid persistent staffing shortages

The Manitoba Nurses Union warns chronic staffing shortages and mounting security risks are pushing Brandon emergency room staff to their limits. MNU president Darlene Jackson calls the ER 'very chaotic' — nurses are increasingly threatened, punched and spat on. One nurse was threatened with a needle in 2025, and a patient recently entered the ER carrying a knife. The union wants two physicians on duty around the clock plus a third at peak, but Doctors Manitoba says coverage is rarely full. Patients face long waits: kidney-cancer patient Michael Houston waited 13+ hours.

Frontline ER safety and staffing in Brandon — Prairie Mountain Health is rolling out handheld metal-detecting wands alongside safety officers and cameras, and the Health Minister says AI weapons scanners like Winnipeg's and more staff are under consideration.

Services & workforce2 days agoCanada

Fatality inquiry examines emergency department overcrowding and patient capacity issues in Edmonton

A fatality inquiry heard that Prashant Sreekumar, 44, died on Dec. 22, 2025 after waiting about eight hours in the Grey Nuns emergency department in Edmonton for chest pain. A doctor testified the hospital's five general medicine units have run above capacity since at least 2024, with occupancy around 101 per cent in 2025, and that 20 to 30 per cent of beds hold patients who no longer need hospital care. The inquiry resumes in December.

The testimony puts numbers to ER overcrowding: more patients than beds, and a fifth to a third of beds taken by patients awaiting placement elsewhere.

Services & workforce3 days agoManitoba

Manitoba health union prioritizes wage parity and artificial intelligence protections

The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP) recently held its biennial general meeting, highlighting recent wage gains and the expansion of its defence fund. The union is prioritizing fair compensation, workplace safety, and protecting professional authority against AI, while continuing to advocate for Dynacare laboratory professionals seeking wage parity with Shared Health employees.

If you are an allied health professional, the union is currently developing independent workforce projections and pushing for stronger protections against AI in your collective agreements.