Funding from the Ontario authorities has helped the Chatham Kent Well being Alliance (CKHA) rent two nurses.
The group just lately acquired round $150,000 by means of the Scientific Scholar Program.
Meredith Whitehead, vice-president of transformation and Chief Nursing Govt with CKHA, stated this system goals to companion nursing graduates with senior nurses to assist them achieve useful hands-on expertise.
“It is a wrestle once you’re a brand new grad making an attempt to do all of this stuff,” she added.
The 2 graduates might be moved from division to division to make sure they will study as a lot as attainable.
The 2 graduates have been working on the CKHA since October. This system funding will cowl the nurses salaries for one yr.
The brand new hires have helped the CKHA decrease its nurse emptiness fee. In the beginning of 2024, it was sitting at 10 per cent however has since lowered to round 4.7 per cent as of the tip of October. The emptiness fee was as excessive as 15.9 per cent in 2022.
“[CKHA’s nurse retention] is the perfect I’ve seen in my travels at numerous hospitals throughout the nation,” stated Adam Topp, CKHA’s president and CEO.
CKHA’s total emptiness fee has dropped because the begin of the yr. It is presently at 3.51 per cent, as of October 31, after beforehand sitting at 8 per cent.
