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The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses wants a better idea of how the Health Region is recruiting and retaining nursing positions.

Last June, the Cypress Health Region issued a report on their recruitment initiatives for nurses.

But, in a recent letter to Cypress Health, the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses says there are plenty of immediate problems that need to be fixed, such as hospitals that are cutting hours because they don’t have enough staff.

One example they address is the vacancies in Shaunavon. SUN says instead of looking for temporary Registered Nurses, they should call for permanent positions.

That’s a call echoed by Sask Party Leader, Brad Wall.

In 2003, the Canadian Institute of Health Information released figures that projected a 26% decline in the number of RN and RPN workforce in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Marlene Brown is the First Vice-President for the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses. She says we are experiencing those numbers right now. She says that right now the province needs to communicate a better plan.

Due to summer vacations, Cypress Health was unavailable for comment at this time.