Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to follow up on my Member’s statement on northern grad nurses. I mentioned that I received a copy of the letter to Ms. Lee from one of my constituents who was really dismayed and took offense to the remark in the House by Ms. Lee. I just wanted to get some clarification, questions. Is there an actual policy or directive of government that graduated nurses that have designated RNs must take some additional training to be employed in our system, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member knows, his constituent wrote to me on February 14th at 10:23 a.m. and I responded to her at 11:25 a.m. on February 14th. I stated to her that given the questions and concerns that the graduating class has expressed and some of the confusion that might have created because of the discussions being held here, that I have asked Department of Health staff as well as Human Resources staff to go into the classroom and meet with the new grads so that they get full and comprehensive information about the employment opportunities available to us. We are, as a government, fully committed to using and hiring all of the nursing grads. We have done that before and we will continue to do that, but we need the students to work with us, because there are many jobs in many different places in different communities and different practices.
So let me just state, clearly our nursing program is a very good program. We graduate highly qualified, skilled, competent grads out of that class. We hire those grads, but nursing jobs all over the Territories are different. A nurse’s job at Stanton is different from a nurse in Jean Marie River or Fort Good Hope or Inuvik. Being a nurse in charge in Aklavik is different from being a nurse in Smith. So at no time did I say that those nurses are not qualified to do the job, there are just so many different jobs that a nurse would take on and we do have programs that would have them be practice ready, which is different. So I think it’s important that we treat our nurses well and we respect our nurse grads and we do that. I have indicated to the staff that we need to meet with them so that they have all the information and not go by what’s in the media clips coming out of this House. Thank you.
Thank you. The media clips that come out of this House are taken with seriousness by all our constituents and people throughout the North because what’s said in this House is reflected sometimes in policy and in how we administer our government. So just given that, Mr. Speaker, if anything, given the seriousness that my constituents have taken with it, the chief of the community has taken it very seriously as well, and I think, if anything, if there was an error in her statement and she offended people, I think the Minister owes an apology. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Media clips are taken seriously, but they are not comprehensive and they are not always accurate, which is the reason why I’ve asked our staff to go and meet with the grads.
Mr. Speaker, the Graduate Nurses Employment Program is a successful program. It’s one that nursing grads could benefit from. We have currently four graduate nurses employed at Stanton. In 2009 and 2010 there were 10 graduate nurses placed at Stanton and seven in 2008-2009. This is a successful program that allows the grad nurses to transition into a nursing position. They don’t have to go through that program but it’s one of many programs that the government has put in place to transition the nurses into a full-time nursing program. So it’s to their benefit. They don’t have to take that. At no time did I say they were not ready to take on a job. I’m just saying they have to be practice ready for the jobs that are available and we are here to help them.
I want to commit again that we are committed to hiring northern grads. We ask them to work with us and take full advantage of all the programs that we have available.
When we say things in the House it is recorded in Hansard. That’s exactly the words I have in front of me, which says, “They need more training before they can be put into practice settings. They wouldn’t be, I don’t think, ready to apply for a job that’s available on the website.” That’s the kind of thing that really shocks them and I think it’s outrageous. The chief of my community thinks it’s outrageous that the Minister would say something like that. Once again, if anything, I know that the Minister is taking great lengths, between her and her department, to meet with the graduating nurses, but I believe she owes the people who took offence an apology.
I didn’t hear a question there, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
