Province Exceeds Target Of Hiring 100 New International Nurses
December 3, 2009
Nurses from the Philippines Settling into Manitoba Communities, Providing Quality Health Care: Oswald, Howard
More than 100 new nurses have started work in rural Manitoba health-care facilities across the province as a result of a successful recruitment mission to the Philippines one year ago, Health Minister Theresa Oswald and Labour and Immigration Minister Jennifer Howard announced today.“We are excited these nurses have bravely moved more than halfway around the world to put their skills and expertise to good use right here in Manitoba,” said Oswald. “Filling nursing vacancies in our rural communities ensures the regions are able to continue providing safe, quality health-care services for rural Manitobans.”
The recruitment drive resulted in 123 nurses accepting offers from the province; of these 120 have already arrived in Manitoba. To date, 102 of these nurses have written and passed theCanadian Registered Nurse Exam and have registered with the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba, which allows them to practise as registered nurses in the province. The remaining nurses are able to work in Manitobaas graduate nurses and are expected to write theCanadian Registered Nurse Exam in early February.
“Our strong partnership with the Philippines government in recruiting skilled workers has made this mission a true success,” said Howard. “These nurses and their families have chosen to take advantage of the opportunities available here in Manitoba and are settling into their new communities.”
“We are pleased we could assist with this successful initiative which benefits the citizens of Manitoba,” said Kathy Doerksen, RN, president of the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba. “This type of recruitment strategy, coupled with ongoing robust nursing education programs here in Manitoba helps ensure that we have sufficient registered nurses to meet the health needs of Manitobans today and into the future.”
Nurses from the Philippines were targeted for recruitment because the country trains more nurses than it is able to hire internally, offering a mutually-beneficial opportunity to stabilize health services in rural Manitoba, said Oswald.
“The addition of the Philippine nurses to the Brandon region has been extremely positive. In concert with Brandon University and other nursing grads, they are a breath of fresh air to our organization,” Jason Marchand, vice-president, human resources and support services, Brandon Regional Health Authority. “These additional nurses have allowed us to keep beds open, approve vacation for nurses that deserve a needed break, provide training to current nurses into specialty areas like the operating room and emergency departments, and save significant health-care dollars.”
Nurses from the Philippines have filled positions in the Assiniboine, Brandon, Central and Parkland regional health authorities.
“Through this opportunity from the Manitoba government, we have in one way or another made our families’ lives better,” said Joan Duhaylungsod, incoming Filipino nurse in the central region. “The support we send to our families helps to treat illness and save lives, it helps to send children to school, it helps to build a new future for someone. To us who may be distant from our loved ones, it still feels rewarding to touch their lives in the finest ways we know.”
The ministers noted the success of the recruitment mission builds on other work to support nursing education and training in Manitoba including:
· investing $1.2 million to begin training 74 additional nurses in communities across Manitoba including programs at the University of Manitoba, Brandon University, the University College of the North and Red River College;
· creating 40 new training seats in 2008 at the University of Manitoba, Red River College and Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface;
· providing permanent funding for 10 additional joint-baccalaureate nurse-training seats, over and above previously announced commitments at the University College of the North; and
· investing an additional $500,000 in the Nurses Recruitment and Retention Fund to expand access to continuing education, staff development and other opportunities that strengthen nurse retention;
There are 2,034 more nurses working in Manitoba today than there were in 1999.
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