The Chief Nursing Executive at Windsor Regional Hospital is giving more insight on what will be provided for the region from the Ontario budget.
Karen Riddell says it was announced in the 2023 provincial budget that there would be ongoing investments in the hospital sector to strengthen health human resources and to assist with immediate healthcare staffing shortages.
To help with staffing shortages, Windsor Regional Hospital has gained nurses from the Enhanced Extern Program, the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership, the Community Commitment Program for Nurses, as well as investments in nursing education and enrollment.
Riddell says the Enhanced Extern Program has been very successful at Windsor Regional.
"Windsor Regional has hired over 753 externs, and we have close to 400 currently working at Windsor Regional Hospital. So it's been a very successful program and has really helped us with recruitment post-graduation, as well as supporting our processes and work flow throughout the course of the pandemic."
She says those in the Community Commitment Program for Nurses receive an education grant to enhance their clinical skills.
"So the CCPN program provides a $25,000 grant funding to eligible nurses, in exchange for a two year commitment to an eligible employer. And we have been very lucky to be able to hire 200-plus nurses using this program."
She says through the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership they have placed 37 individuals, and hired 12 individuals to Windsor Regional.
"This program offers applicants the option to complete a supervised practice experience in Ontario. So this was their last step to become registered as a regulated health professional in Ontario specifically."
Riddell says overall these programs have been incredibly successful and have helped contribute to health human resources as well as the staffing shortages at Windsor Regional Hospital.
The Ontario budget was released on March 23, and included $200-million towards addressing health care staffing shortages by investing in supports to grow the workforce.
The money will go toward offering up to 6,000 health care students training opportunities and supporting up to 3,150 internationally educated nurses to become accredited in Ontario.
It was also announced that a total of $80-million over three years will be invested to expand nursing education in universities and colleges, which will look to add 8,000 additional nurses by 2028.