Skill shortage?

Nursing shortage getting critical; BGH holds job fair to attract new recruits
Posted By Susan Gamble
Posted 11 hours ago
As Ontarians get older and need more health care, the pool of registered nurses keeps shrinking.

Most hospitals, long-term care facilities and clinics are short of nurses - a situation that puts a strain on those who are left, who are working harder and longer than before.

According to the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, the province is short about 14,000 RNs, and the ratio of RNs to the population is the worst in the country. Nurses are lost as they leave the province, move into other lines of work, retire early and - in a profession dominated by women - take time to give birth and raise families.

Trying to lure and keep good solid employees is an ongoing goal for any facility with nurses, as Lisa Keefe, the recruitment and retention specialist at Brantford General Hospital will tell you.

"If we're not in crisis now, we're fast approaching it," said Keefe Saturday at a special job fair held to attract nurses. "The coming crisis is going to have to be at the top of our priorities."

On any given month, the hospital is short an average of 40 nursing positions.

Keefe said local nurses who may have stopped working to have families and haven't yet returned know that if they want back in the workforce, the opportunities are immense.

About 50 nurses turned out to the recruitment fair - a number that delighted those who toured them around the facility, took resumes and did on-the-spot job interviews.

"The response has been fantastic and we're very happy," Keefe said. "This is a large community hospital with a variety of programs for nurses with a specific interest, so we think it's a great place to work. There's a welcoming environment, competitive pay and benefits and a lower turnover rate than many places."

The hospital boasts a high number of long-service employees, she noted, indicating employees are pretty content with their positions. One of the biggest challenges is replacing nurses for a year when they take a maternity leave. The health-care system has plenty of part-time and temporary positions to offer. "We can offer nurses full-time jobs if they want. We do have positions although we have to offer them internally first."