Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Roles such as nursing and social work are demanding, physically and mentally, especially in small communities. I believe everyone in this House who is in here should give them all the support and tools they need to help them do a good job and be successful. That being said, my worry is that we are putting inexperienced staff, nursing staff specifically, to the detriment of those who need the care the most, i.e. special needs. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services: are there certain aptitudes or a minimum amount of experience that nursing staff must have before they are stationed in our small communities? If so, what are those requirements? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recruitment and retention of registered nurses and specialized training in rural and remote locations is a current challenge and a priority for the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services. Nurses stationed in the communities are community health nurses, CHN; nurses in charge, NIC; and nurse practitioners, NP. All three categories are nurses with specialized and advanced education after graduating from the basic nursing program. Community health nurses for smaller communities require, at a minimum, two years' experience. Nurses in charge require more experience.
During the hiring process, we consider both skills and experience to screen candidates for interviewing. During the interview process, we ask questions to test their suitability for working in small communities. Before a job is offered, references are checked. At the reference check stage, we are again checking for suitability for smaller communities. All candidates, upon hire, go through the orientation to confirm their skills match the need in the work environment and, if a gap is identified, the employee works towards the required education. Ongoing performance of staff is evaluated through the performance evaluation process. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I want to thank the Minister for her response. I want to just voice my frustration. I've been speaking with constituents, and this has happened several times, where they always say, "There is not enough training for nurses; we always have to go to another community, over to a bigger centre to get help." With that, my next question is: will the Minister committee to having an experienced nursing staff placed in communities such as Lutselk'e and Deninu Kue?
Previous experience is a key hiring criteria in our community health centres. The nurse in charge or the nurse practitioner positions require a certain amount of experience in order to successfully carry out the responsibilities and mentor new nursing staff.
I have another question for the Minister: is there a job shadowing program in place for recent post-secondary graduates for nurses and social workers in the NWT?
We offer placements for students through the Summer Employment Program, where students from the nursing program can gain on-the-job experience. New graduate nurses are hired into entry-level positions where they have an opportunity to work with more experienced colleagues, while having lesser workload, a development plan, and education plan.
Social work students have an opportunity to work as summer students, family preservation workers, and case aides, which allows them to develop the skills and experience as part of their education. Newly graduated social workers are also hired into entry-level positions, which support them to get comfortable with the role while they get experience. They will have smaller workload, an education plan, and mentors.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the response from the Minister. My last question: will the Minister commit to having a homecare nurse in Deninu Kue? Mahsi cho.
The homecare nurse position was posted last summer in the Member's community, with no successful candidate. The department will continue to recruit. In the interim, we have a relief nurse who will be working in the community starting in January. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.
