Arnprior nursing home bolstering workforce with guaranteed employment, incentives to college grads
In an effort to bolster its staffing levels, The Grove Nursing Home in Arnprior is promising guaranteed employment and up to $15,000 through provincial incentives to graduates of a new joint college program.
- Sign up now for our daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
The Grove has partnered with Willis College to form a new "living classroom" program for personal support workers (PSW's), which will see students get hands-on learning experience through their education.
"They will be onsite doing their classroom portion of their program," said Jennifer Powley, vice-president of long-term care and community programs at Arnprior Regional Hospital.
"And then once they're ready to actually do their clinical placement, they will come and work here at The Grove."
Powley is hoping to bring on 10 new PSW’s through the program, which runs for eight months.
Haley Bain, a Willis College graduate and current PSW at The Grove, says the extra help would make a big difference to the depleted staffing levels care home is experiencing.
"Usually on the floor, we have about four PSW’s and on a good day, five," Bain tells CTV News. "Each PSW gets about six or seven residents."
"I think we're just in such a shortage of staff right now that we really do need that push," she says of the $15,000 in incentives. "And I think it's amazing that these programs are allowing people to have that incentive."
The Ontario Personal Support Workers Association says the level of incentives speaks to the need for staff across the province.
"If you get hired by a public long term care home or community care provider, then you can be paid up to $10,000 for the first year that you're with them, and this is on top of your wages," says Miranda Ferrier, CEO of the Ontario PSW Association.
Ferrier says the need for staff is significant, with 24,000 PSW’s needed in long term care by 2026.
Bain says with extra hands comes greater care.
"That's one thing that we kind of miss out on with being short staffed all the time, is we don't get that one-on-one time with the residents and that can be tough sometimes on them," Bain said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed Thursday in Nepean dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.
Mexican authorities say thieves killed 2 Australians and an American to steal their truck
Thieves killed two Australians and an American on a surfing trip to Mexico in order to steal their truck, particularly because they wanted the tires, authorities said Sunday.