Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I wish to speak about the issue of the northern grad nurses and the Minister’s lead statement from last week.
Nahendeh has produced many nursing professionals over the course of time, and I’m very proud of each and every one of them. Last week, Mr. Speaker, my constituent who is from a small community in my riding and is graduating this year from the Bachelor of Science in the Nursing Program was very dismayed by the Minister of Health and Social Services’ remark last week who implied that they need more training in different situations before they can practice and get jobs in our health care system. Outrageous!
The chief of that community called me, as well, to voice his deep concern that we say we will support our youth and students, yet in practice this may not occur. In jurisdictions all across our country, nurses that write the CRNE, the Canadian Registered Nurses Exam, are qualified to be registered nurses. Do we now have a policy that new grads in our system have to go to a Graduate Employment Program to be employed?
My colleague Mr. Ramsay brought up the fact that there are no or very little RN postings due to locum nurses. It is like they are permanent and there no opportunities for our new registered nurses as they graduate. What kind of policy is this? The policy should be that the locums are temporary until we have ready and willing northern trained nurses to fill these positions. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Abernethy.
