Ontario’s Long-Term Care Minister says with the province committing to four hours of direct care per resident per day they need everyone working together to reach that goal.
That includes training the workforce needed to get there.
“We need all those [Personal Support Workers], nurses and nurse practitioners to be graduating, to be working at their scope of practice,” says Minister Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, who met with Canadore officials during her visit to North Bay on Thursday. “We’re also looking at expanding that scope of practice for nurse practitioners to expand that capacity.”
She also says they’ll be working with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to assess the Learn and Stay grant, with the possibility of expanding it further.
“We have expanded the program for paramedicine students and medical lab technicians,” Kusendova-Bashta says. “If there are other allied health professionals that could benefit from this program, we’re certainly happy to look at that.”
Vic Fedeli, Nipissing MPP, reiterated an announcement last month that the program has already attracted a couple hundred students locally.
“There’s 230 students in North Bay that have taken advantage of the paramedic and nursing program for free tuition under Learn and Stay,” he says.
The grant provides full, upfront funding for tuition, books and other costs for students who enrol in an eligible program and agree to stay in the region to work after graduation.
