Arnprior hospital offering staff education upgrades to retain workforce

Tara McNicoll working at the Arnprior Regional Hospital. (Dylan Dyson/CTV News Ottawa)

At a time when there is a critical shortage of nurses in Ontario, the Arnprior Regional Hospital is taking a different approach to retain their staff.

The hospital in Arnprior, Ont. is offering a bridging program for employees to upgrade their skills or education in exchange for a prolonged employment.

"We really want to grow our own here at ARH," VP of Human Resources Andrea McClymont said.

The hospital foundation has committed $20,000 each year for the next 10 years to the program. Employees who have worked at the hospital for a least one year are eligible to apply. The trade off is following completion of their programs, staff must commit to working at least another two years at the Arnprior hospital.

"It's obviously important for us to retain our staff and I think having that commitment gives people the feel of what it's like to work here and to be part of this team and grow with us," McClymont said.

Tara McNicoll has been a registered practical nurse (RPN) in Arnprior for two years. This fall she received $5,000 from her employer to enroll at the University of Ottawa to become a registered nurse (RN).

"My end goal was to be an RN," McNicoll tells CTV News. "So this was just another way to do it."

"The difference between RN and RPN is RN's can have more critical patients whereas mine are more stable. I can advance to be a manager if I wanted, whereas an RPN you can't do that. So I can go into different roles at this hospital or others."

Following completion of the three-year nursing program at the University of Ottawa and the two year commitment that comes with the program, McNicoll will have spent seven years working at the hospital in Arnprior.

"It was a no-brainer for me," she said. "I love the people I work with; I think we have a great manager, great staff, so it was basically a no-brainer."

According to the Ontario Nurses' Association, the province needs to hire another 24,000 registered nurses to meet the national average.

McClymont says there are currently eight vacant RN positions at the Arnprior Regional Hospital.

In the first year of the program, three RPN's are receiving funding to become registered nurses.

At the Arnprior Regional Hospital, McClymont says the pay increases between $25,000 to $30,000 from RPN's to RN's.

"And I think after those two-year commitments people will be willing to stay," says McClymont. "It's a fantastic place to work."