An up-close look at seven major health professions

    Work patterns vary by age and gender

    OTTAWA, Dec. 1 /CNW Telbec/ - In a series of five new reports released
today, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) provides the
latest available and most comprehensive data in Canada about the supply,
distribution, migration, education, demographic trends and work patterns for
seven major health professions. The reports highlight changes in workforce
trends over several years for physicians, registered nurses, licensed
practical nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, as well as recent data for
occupational therapists, physiotherapists and pharmacists.
    "More than one million people in Canada are employed in health
occupations, working together as part of a health care team," says Francine
Anne Roy, Director of Health Resources Information at CIHI. "The services
offered by these workers are critical to the health and well-being of
Canadians. Understanding who they are, their work patterns and how their
workforce is evolving is vital in planning for the future of health care in
Canada."

    More women entering health care workforce

    Women are increasing their role in health care delivery, with more
entering the health care workforce. While women make up 47% of the total
Canadian labour force, they account for 80% of health care workers.(i) New
CIHI data show an increase in female participation in traditionally
male-dominated professions, such as physicians and pharmacists. In 2007, 56%
of family physicians younger than 40 were women, compared to 16% of family
physicians 60 and older. Similarly, 64% of pharmacists younger than 40 in 2007
were female, compared to only 27% of pharmacists 60 and older.
    Professions such as nursing, physiotherapy and occupational therapy
continued to remain predominantly female in 2007, ranging from 93% for
licensed practical nurses to 78% for registered psychiatric nurses.

    Age, gender and work patterns vary by profession

    The average age of physicians was 49.6 in 2007, the highest among the
seven health care professions examined. In comparison, occupational therapists
and physiotherapists were the youngest health care professionals in 2007, with
average ages of 38.9 and 41.2, respectively, while pharmacists and regulated
nurses had average ages of 43.3 and 44.8, respectively.
    Where data were available, results showed that the average age increased
over the past five years for many of the professions. The average age of
physicians increased from 48.3 in 2003, to 49.6 in 2007. In 2003, the average
age of registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses was 44.5 and 46.2,
compared to 45.1 and 47.2 in 2007.
    For occupational therapists, physiotherapists, regulated nurses and
pharmacists, women were more likely than men to report part-time status. For
example, 38% of female physiotherapists reported part-time status compared to
14% of male physiotherapists. As well, in the regulated nursing workforce, 32%
of women reported part-time status compared to 19% of male regulated nurses.
Among part-time regulated nurses, 17.5% of females reported working for
multiple employers, compared with 23.2% of their male counterparts.
    "Understanding work patterns by age and gender is important for health
planning purposes," says Deborah Cohen, Manager of Health Human Resources at
CIHI. "For example, female occupational therapists and physiotherapists work
fewer hours in their 30s and 40s compared to their male counterparts. This is
important to recognize in a field dominated by female professionals, in order
to be able to plan resources to meet the needs of the population."

    United Kingdom top source for internationally educated professionals

    The rate of internationally educated health care workers in Canada varied
by profession examined. Of all of the occupations examined (excluding
pharmacists for whom data are not yet available), physicians and
physiotherapists had the highest percentage of internationally trained
professionals (22% and 15%, respectively). In 2007, close to 7% of the
regulated nursing workforce was educated outside of Canada.
    Overall for the six health occupations examined, internationally trained
health care workers were most likely to have received their education in the
United Kingdom, the United States, India, the Philippines, South Africa,
Ireland and Hong Kong.

    Top highlights from each profession

    Regulated nurses

    Regulated nurses represent the largest group of regulated health
professionals in Canada and include three distinct professions: registered
nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered psychiatric
nurses (RPNs). Registered nurses account for 78% of the total regulated
nursing workforce, compared to 21% for licensed practical nurses and 2% for
registered psychiatric nurses (registered psychiatric nurses are regulated
separately in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia).

    Registered nurses

    - The growth rate of this workforce was steady at close to 2% per year
      over six years, with a workforce of 257,961 RNs in 2007.
    - There were 782 RNs per 100,000 Canadians, a number which remained
      relatively steady since 2005. The highest ratio previously recorded was
      824 per 100,000 in the early 1990s.
    - The average age of RNs in 2007 was 45.1, compared to 44.5 in 2003.
    - The average age of new RN graduates (those who were in the workforce in
      2007 and graduated between 2005 and 2007) was 26.5, up from 23 in 1980.
    - Since 2003, the number of nurse practitioners nearly doubled across the
      country, to 1,346.
    - 63% of RNs worked in the hospital sector and 14% worked in the
      community health sector.
    - 8% of the RN workforce in 2007 was educated outside of Canada.

    Licensed practical nurses

    - The LPN workforce increased nearly 10% since 2003, to a total workforce
      of 69,709 LPNs, or 211 per 100,000 Canadians.
    - The average age of LPNs was 43.9 in 2007, a decrease from 44.4 in 2003.
      This is the only regulated nursing profession showing a decrease in
      average age.
    - The average age of new graduates (those in the workforce in 2007 who
      graduated between 2005 and 2007) was 31.1, compared to 23.1 in 1980.
    - 46% of all LPNs were employed in hospitals and 40% were employed in
      nursing homes and long-term care.
    - 2% of the LPN workforce in 2007 was educated outside Canada.

    Registered psychiatric nurses

    - The total RPN workforce was 5,124 in 2007, representing 51 RPNs per
      100,000 population (four western provinces only). The RPN workforce
      increased less than 1% between 2003 and 2007.
    - In 2007, 23% of RPNs were male, the largest proportion of the nursing
      professions.
    - The average age of the RPN workforce was the highest of all three
      regulated nursing professions. The average age of the RPN workforce was
      47.2 in 2007, compared to 46.2 in 2003.
    - The average age of new RPNs (those in the workforce in 2007 who
      graduated between 2005 and 2007) was 29, compared to 24.2 in 1980.
    - RPNs worked mostly in the hospital sector in 2007 (41%), while 26% were
      employed in the community health sector.
    - 7% of the RPN workforce in 2007 was educated outside of Canada.

    Occupational therapists (OTs)

    - Based on an average age of 38.9, OTs were a young health profession
      that was predominantly female (92.5%) in 2007.
    - 8.1% of the OT workforce was educated outside of Canada, with just less
      than half of these having obtained their education in either the U.S.
      or the U.K.
    - 41% of OTs worked fewer than 36 hours per week.
    - 84.5% of OTs were direct service providers.

    Pharmacists (only eight jurisdictions)

    - Pharmacists in selected provinces were mostly female. Nova Scotia had
      the highest proportion of female pharmacists (68.7%), while
      Newfoundland and Labrador had the lowest (48.1%).
    - More than 75% of pharmacists worked in the community setting, while
      fewer than 20% worked in hospitals.
    - More than 92.3% of pharmacists within the participating jurisdictions
      had a baccalaureate degree as their current academic credential in
      pharmacy.

    Physicians

    - There were 63,682 active physicians in Canada in 2007; this represented
      an increase of 7.1% between 2003 and 2007. Over the same five-year
      period, the Canadian population increased by 4.2%.
    - The total ratio of physicians to 100,000 population increased from 187
      in 2003, to 192 in 2007.
    - For the fourth year in a row, the number of physicians returning from
      abroad was greater than the number moving abroad (142 versus 122).
    - 39% of all family physicians were female, compared to 28.5% of
      specialists.
    - The average age of doctors in Canada continued to rise, reaching 49.6
      in 2007. The average age of family physicians was 48.9 and the average
      of specialists was 50.5.
    - 22% of the physician workforce in 2007 was educated outside of Canada.

    Physiotherapists

    - The physiotherapist workforce increased 11% over the past six years
      from 14,471 in 2001, to 16,108 in 2006, compared to growth in the
      general population of 5.2%.
    - Physiotherapists were predominantly female (78.7%).
    - 40% of physiotherapists worked in a hospital setting, while 60% worked
      in professional practice, community or other settings.

    About CIHI

    The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) collects and
analyzes information on health and health care in Canada and makes it publicly
available. Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments created
CIHI as a not-for-profit, independent organization dedicated to forging a
common approach to Canadian health information. CIHI's goal: to provide
timely, accurate and comparable information. CIHI's data and reports inform
health policies, support the effective delivery of health services and raise
awareness among Canadians of the factors that contribute to good health.


    The report, as well as the following figures, is available from CIHI's
    website at www.cihi.ca.

    Figure 1    Average Age by Profession, 2007

    Figure 2    Age Distributions in Health Care Professions, 2007

    Figure 3.1  Male Health Professionals-Part-Time and Full-Time Status,
                2007

    Figure 3.2  Female Health Professionals-Part-Time and Full-Time Status,
                2007

    Figure 4    Percentage of Internationally Trained Health Care Workers by
                Profession, 2007

    Figure 5    Percentage of Female Medical Specialists, 2007

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    i. Source: Statistics Canada.

For further information: Leona Hollingsworth, Cell: (416) 459-6855,
lhollingsworth@cihi.ca; Jennie Hoekstra, (613) 241-7860, ext. 4331, Cell:
(613) 725-4097, jhoekstra@cihi.ca