New figures show paramedic job vacancies on the rise in Nova Scotia

New figures show job vacancies among paramedics have increased in the last three years.

Last week, Nova Scotia's NDP caucus released figures through a freedom of information request that show in the first nine months of 2021 there were 100 vacancies, 25 more than in all of 2020.

Figures also show 54 paramedics left their jobs for reasons other than retirement in 2017. That number jumped to 73 in 2020 and 89 in the first three quarters of 2021.

Mike Nickerson, business agent for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 727, told CityNews Halifax he's not surprised by the numbers.

“Paramedics in Nova Scotia are overworked just like the rest of health care,” he said. “They're feeling underappreciated and devalued”

Nickerson said compensation is also a driving force in job vacancies, adding there are paramedics in other jurisdictions that are making roughly $10 more per hour than paramedics in this province.

He adds many paramedics in the province continue to be overworked and that's impacting their home lives.

“Paramedics know getting into this that they're going to have late calls and they are going to miss those events, but it's becoming routine and that's the issue,” said Nickerson. 

Meantime, the province's new Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment  said it's working with EHS on the recruitment and retention of paramedics.