The Saskatchewan Health Authority's spending on travel nurses skyrocketed from $2.1 million in 2019-20 to $98.8 million in 2023-24, a 4,500 per cent increase, according to a new report from Provincial Auditor Tara Clemett. The report highlights both over-reliance and underuse of temporary nursing staff, along with risks to patient safety and cultural sensitivity.
Travel nurse costs and usage patterns
Travel nurses, also known as temporary, agency or contract nurses, are hired through external agencies to address staffing shortages, reduce overtime and prevent burnout. However, Clemett's report found that the SHA's dependence on these nurses has come at a high cost. Between April 2024 and November 2025, 31 per cent of travel nurse services were deployed in rural and remote regions, including Nipawin, La Ronge and Shellbrook.
While the SHA managed to reduce monthly average hours worked by travel nurses by 54 per cent after the spike, this led to a 26 per cent increase in overtime hours for permanent SHA nurses. "Indicating that the SHA's own nurse employees likely worked more overtime to compensate for the reduction in travel nurse usage," Clemett stated.
Recommendations for improvement
To address the imbalance, Clemett recommends implementing internal float pools, similar to those used in British Columbia and Manitoba. These pools are staffed by the organization's own employees who travel to facilities where needed, reducing reliance on costly agency nurses.
Another recommendation is periodic verification of criminal record and vulnerable sector checks. While SHA requires staffing agencies to perform these checks, it does little to verify compliance, posing a risk to patient safety. The report also flags a lack of cultural sensitivity training for travel nurses working in unique cultural settings, despite Manitoba already mandating such training. SHA plans to include this requirement in new agreements with agencies this year.
Opposition response
Shadow Minister for Health Meara Conway criticized the findings, blaming "two decades" of Saskatchewan Party mismanagement. "We know that reliance on travel nurses has been incredibly damaging to our system," Conway said in a news conference. "Not only does it cost more, but it further undermines workforce morale. It burns out the nurses that we have in the system."
The report underscores the need for a balanced approach to staffing, balancing cost, patient safety and nurse well-being.
