Manitoba wants American nurses to come north, nurses union wants focus to be on local nurses who have left

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said the province is actively reaching out to American health-care workers in a recruitment push.

Manitoba had 50 American nurses join a pair of webinars Wednesday to learn more about potentially working in the province’s health-care system.

This comes as the Manitoba government has expressed interest in trying to bring nurses from south of the border into the Manitoba workforce.

“So our government is open to and actively responding to interest from folks from the United States and making sure that we have expedited and barrier-free pathways to practise right here in Manitoba,” said Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara.

They said the Retention and Recruitment Office has been working to try and to bring health-care professionals to Manitoba from across Canada and internationally but noted there has been a focus recently on American counterparts.

“We want for everybody to know, whether you live in Canada, the United States, or elsewhere, that Manitoba is a place for you. We value a diverse workforce. We want as many people as possible to know they’ll be safe to practise to their full scope in our province, and they’re going to be able to work in a province where their government has their back.”

Asagwara said the province has already recruited three nurses from the U.S. to work in Manitoba. As well, the province is in conversations with a dozen doctors who are interested in coming north.

“We’ve been very clear that we respect health-care workers. We respect the health-care workforce and we want them to have a good work-life balance.”

Darlene Jackson, the president of the Manitoba Nurses Union, said recruitment and bolstering the health-care system is a positive thing, but she has some concerns with the province’s current plan.

She feels poaching nurses from the U.S. is just a short-term fix.

“I really don’t see nurses coming from the U.S., leaving their families behind to come and work in Canada and then staying here permanently,” said Jackson. “I think the entire project and the length is dependent on what’s happening south of the border with the government.”

If the province isn’t able to permanently retain U.S. nurses, Jackson said it would be considered a waste of money.

She also questions the ethics of the entire process, noting there is a worldwide nursing shortage.

Instead, Jackson would like to see the Manitoba government implement a magnet system— bringing back Manitoba nurses who have left the province.

However, for that to happen, she said the culture needs to change.

“What I hear every day from nurses is they don’t feel like their employers value them. They don’t feel like they’re acknowledged; they don’t feel as if they’re listened to, and they almost feel as if they’re made to feel as if they’re disposable.”

Jackson said nurses want to have the ability to know they can go home when their shift is over, as well as feel like they aren’t being stretched too thin.

Jackson wants Manitoba to implement nurse-patient ratio legislation that is in place in California.

This kind of legislation would require employers to have a set number of nurses assigned to patients to ensure they are receiving safe, appropriate care.

If the proper rules are in place to fix culture, Jackson feels it would automatically be the bargaining chip needed to bring local nurses back home.

“They know that when I get to work, this is going to be my patient load, and I am going to provide safe, quality patient care to that number of patients.”

Jackson did note the union received a letter of understanding for nurse-patient ratios in the last round of bargaining, and that is something that is being worked toward.