Debates of May 11, 2007 (day 5)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my statement today I talked about this being nurses week and I’d like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services if he could provide this House with an update on our ability, as a government, to fill nursing positions in the North right now. In the past, we had been struggling to ensure that vacant positions were filled. We’ve used a lot of agency nurses in the communities, locums and at a probably greater cost than it would cost our government if we could have nurses come here, be recruited, retain them. I’d like to ask the Minister what is the status of the nursing shortage in the Northwest Territories today? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 58-15(6): Recruitment And Retention Of Northern Nurses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t have the vacancies that we have across all the health authorities on me at this moment; I can get that information. What we have done, for example, in trying to address this, is we’ve worked with authorities on how we’re going to use agency nurses. There is a shortage yet; we still will use them from time to time, but what we’ve worked with authorities on is the fact that if agency nurses are going to be used, it is to ensure that our facilities stay open, not to do a top-up, as was happening in a number of stations. We continue to work around the continued education as well, and an example of that is the community health nurse initiative and the nurse practitioner initiative here in the Territories, and that mentorship, trying to encourage that in the Territories. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 58-15(6): Recruitment And Retention Of Northern Nurses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yes, there has been a certain degree of success with some of those programs that the Minister has referred to, but he has confirmed that we still do have a nursing shortage in the Northwest Territories. I noticed when I was flying to Edmonton the other day, the Up Here magazine has an article called “Northern Outpost Nurses - Choose Your Adventure,” and there’s quite an extensive ad here trying to recruit nurses to join a venture healthcare program to go to northern outposts. I’m sure that it’s similar to the agency nurses that we hire. How aggressive are we being in terms of advertising and trying to attract nurses to the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 58-15(6): Recruitment And Retention Of Northern Nurses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have stepped up in that area of recruitment and are going to universities and colleges that have the nursing programs beyond our own program in trying to encourage nurses to come north. Put out packages and extend the fact that we have this new program of community health nurse side and nurse practitioner side as well, and we’re starting to do that work and looking at expanding it to bring more nurses to the North. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 58-15(6): Recruitment And Retention Of Northern Nurses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I assume there’s an advertising campaign, as well; I’m assuming we go to job fairs. How many people in the Department of Health and Social Services are devoted to the task of recruitment of health care professionals to the North? If a nurse was reading this Outpost Nurses advertisement versus what we -- well, I’ve never seen an advertisement from us -- but how would what they’re offering and what we’re offering compare? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 58-15(6): Recruitment And Retention Of Northern Nurses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we work with the Department of Human Resources on our recruitment and retention side closely. They have some dedicated staff that work with us. We do, internally, as well, within the department of working towards what we can do and that example I gave earlier about going to colleges, universities, along with our own recruitment practice we have with our own Nurse Graduate Program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Supplementary To Question 58-15(6): Recruitment And Retention Of Northern Nurses

Thank you. I’m still not getting the sense that there’s any dedicated staff in Health and Social Services or in HR that are specifically devoted to recruitment efforts; I have not seen any advertising. So I’ll ask again are there any positions that are specifically dedicated to recruitment of nurses and do we have an advertising campaign? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 58-15(6): Recruitment And Retention Of Northern Nurses

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are dedicated staff within HR. As well, we do have some staff within the department and I will get that information. Thank you.