Arnprior hospital offering staff education upgrades to retain workforce
At a time when there is a critical shortage of nurses in Ontario, the Arnprior Regional Hospital is taking a different approach to retain their staff.
The hospital in Arnprior, Ont. is offering a bridging program for employees to upgrade their skills or education in exchange for a prolonged employment.
"We really want to grow our own here at ARH," VP of Human Resources Andrea McClymont said.
The hospital foundation has committed $20,000 each year for the next 10 years to the program. Employees who have worked at the hospital for a least one year are eligible to apply. The trade off is following completion of their programs, staff must commit to working at least another two years at the Arnprior hospital.
"It's obviously important for us to retain our staff and I think having that commitment gives people the feel of what it's like to work here and to be part of this team and grow with us," McClymont said.
Tara McNicoll has been a registered practical nurse (RPN) in Arnprior for two years. This fall she received $5,000 from her employer to enroll at the University of Ottawa to become a registered nurse (RN).
"My end goal was to be an RN," McNicoll tells CTV News. "So this was just another way to do it."
"The difference between RN and RPN is RN's can have more critical patients whereas mine are more stable. I can advance to be a manager if I wanted, whereas an RPN you can't do that. So I can go into different roles at this hospital or others."
Following completion of the three-year nursing program at the University of Ottawa and the two year commitment that comes with the program, McNicoll will have spent seven years working at the hospital in Arnprior.
"It was a no-brainer for me," she said. "I love the people I work with; I think we have a great manager, great staff, so it was basically a no-brainer."
According to the Ontario Nurses' Association, the province needs to hire another 24,000 registered nurses to meet the national average.
McClymont says there are currently eight vacant RN positions at the Arnprior Regional Hospital.
In the first year of the program, three RPN's are receiving funding to become registered nurses.
At the Arnprior Regional Hospital, McClymont says the pay increases between $25,000 to $30,000 from RPN's to RN's.
"And I think after those two-year commitments people will be willing to stay," says McClymont. "It's a fantastic place to work."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.