Documents show Alberta’s Catholic healthcare body paying private staffing agencies nearly $110 an hour per nurse
Summary
Covenant Health in Alberta is significantly reliant on private staffing agencies to fill nursing roles, paying nearly $110 per hour for registered nurses, which is more than double the top wage for unionized nurses. This has led to the projection that Covenant will have spent over $20 million on private nursing contracts from April 2022 to April 2025. The high costs are partly due to shortages in recruiting and retaining skilled health professionals, with Covenant spending considerably more than budgeted across several healthcare facilities.
Relevance
This article is relevant to the project as it underscores the operational and ethical challenges faced by Catholic healthcare institutions in balancing fiscal responsibilities and providing equitable healthcare. It also raises further questions about healthcare threats of privatized healthcare to worker retention.