PRACTICE EDUCATION FACT SHEET

BC Healthcare Worker Shortages

The need for qualified, skilled healthcare providers exceeds the number of people entering the field. With urgent shortages of health service providers, and a dwindling supply from other provinces and countries, more new health professionals will be employed directly out of BC education institutions after practice placements in BC health authorities. The challenge is that the increase in the number of schools, programs and students coupled with fiscal constraints, staff downsizing and health care restructuring has posed a serious risk to the effective training of health professionals and has resulted in a bottleneck effect.

SOLUTION: Practice Education is a priority at BCAHC

Students engaged in practice education are the greatest resource for the future provision of healthcare in BC. Under the guidance of the BC Academic Health Council, BC has made progress in moving towards a coordinated approach to practice education.

Health service provider education has both academic and practice components: educational institutions develop, implement and evaluate the theory-based curricula while B.C. health authorities provide the practice education environments where students apply and further develop the knowledge and skills gained in the classroom. Strong partnerships between health authorities and post-secondary institutions build a foundation for capacity and quality in practice education. Achieving a coordinated, effective PE system province-wide is a challenge requiring ongoing leadership, collaboration, a comprehensive strategy and resources. Please refer to our 'Timeline of Accomplishments' to review the progress made so far.

World Health Organization Factsheet on the global shortage of health workers and its impact.

Helpful Links:

UBC offers a Certificate in Practice Education for Health and Human Service Professionals to help train those who are already working with, or planning educational experiences for, students, peers or patients. To find out more about this 100% online, part-time program, view cstudies.ubc.ca/cpe.