Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) have made a modest come-back in Ontario hospitals, according to new Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) data . After slipping back 1.8% in 2011, the RPN hospital workforce is up 6.3% in 2012, increasing from 13,126 to 13,954. Since 2008, the RPN hospital workforce has increased by 1,594, or 13%. The number of RPNs working in long-term care has increased even more. Between 2008 and 2012, the LTC RPN workforce increased 2,794, or 29%. The total LTC RPN workforce now sits at 12,502, only 1,452 less than the number working in hospitals. Community care has seen a slightly smaller increase than LTC, but still quite significant. The percentage of RPNs has increased 25% to 3,705 since 2008. The ratio of RPN to 100,000 population has also increased from 212 per 100,000 in 2008 to 243 in 2012. This has moved Ontario slightly closer to the national average - increasing our ratio from 95% of the national average to 96% of the nationa
Notes from Leftwords -- Doug Allan