Paramedics and emergency response workers offered free tuition; retired nurses offered incentives
Nova Scotia has announced it will offer free tuition fees to paramedics and emergency response workers, benefiting more than 460 individuals. However, the paramedics must work in the province for four years, while the emergency medical responders must work for two years.
“This is an investment in people who want to save lives. It’s an opportunity for them to learn and work in their communities and for our province to increase the number of skilled paramedics and emergency medical responders,” said Health and Wellness minister Michelle Thompson. “As our population grows, so too will our demand for emergency health services. We must be proactive now and use every tool at our disposal to increase the number of people on the ground who can respond to an emergency.”
Nova Scotia allocated $1.9 million to cover the tuition fees of about 80 emergency medical responders and $3.5m for 150 new primary care paramedics. Meanwhile, $1.35m has been invested in about 135 primary care paramedics who are currently in training or recent graduates, whose tuition has already been covered by the province, in exchange for three years of service. It is said that the provincial government will cover the other half of their tuition for one additional year of service.
According to the government, there are currently 14 emergency medical responders and 692 primary care paramedics working in Nova Scotia.
“This new bursary will undoubtedly remove additional barriers for anyone interested in joining this great profession. There has never been a better time to become a paramedic in Nova Scotia,” said Doug Allen, paramedic and paramedic recruiter at Emergency Medical Care.
Earlier this year, the Manitoba government sought feedback from health care workers in the province in looking to bring make improvements to its healthcare system.
Meanwhile, Newfoundland and Labrador has decided to reinstate its recruitment and retention incentive for retired registered nurses and nurse practitioners seeking to return to work or who are already employed by its local health services.
According to the government, retired registered nurses and nurse practitioners who meet license eligibility requirements are eligible for reimbursement of license-related fees up to $500 with a return in service commitment of 390 hours per year. This incentive is available until March 31, 2025.
The province has allocated $10 million for this initiative.
Ontario is facing massive shortages in nurse and personal worker (PSW) counts, and it could be worse in the coming years, according to a recent report.
The Newfoundland and Labrador incentive was introduced in 2022, following a Nursing Think Tank, to address pressing concerns and challenges the nursing profession faces. Findings from the think tank continue to inform the province’s recruitment and retention efforts for the nursing profession.
Since the launch of the incentive in 2022, around 230 retired nurses availed of the incentive to return to the workforce.
“We made a commitment to help address the workplace challenges faced by our nursing community. Our incentives and signing bonuses are helping to alleviate the pressures in our province’s health care system, as we continue to improve health care delivery in the province,” said the minister of health and community services Tom Osborne.
Yvette Coffey, the president of Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland & Labrador stated: “We are pleased to see this investment in those who are working within our publicly funded, publicly delivered health care system.”
