Good News for Nursing Graduates

It's reported that Alberta Health Services (AHS) is ramping up hiring more full-time nurses, including new graduates.  Work undertaken by AHS to ensure the right staff is in place at the right time will result in increased workforce sustainability and better continuity of care for patients.

Approximately 750 RNs and registered psychiatric nurses (RPNs) will be graduating from Alberta schools in December and will be looking for employment.  AHS would like to hire them all and is working to recruit them. AHS will be at career fairs in Red Deer, Calgary, Edmonton and Grande Prairie to encourage registered nursing grads to work for AHS. There will be a nursing job for absolutely every qualified nurse who wants to work with AHS. 

Approximately 40,000 employees provide nursing care, including 26,500 RNs and RPNs, and 13,500 licensed practical nurses (LPNs), health care aides (HCAs) and nursing attendants (NAs), according to Sept. 2012 data. All of these providers play key roles in AHS facilities throughout the province.  Within the next five years, eight per cent of the AHS workforce – approximately 5,700 clinical employees – could retire. This includes 2,200 RNs and RPNs. Health systems across Canada are facing the same situation. With projected retirement rates and expected demands for increased health services, an additional 35,000 clinical workers will be required in five years. Increasing the percentage of full-time positions will help AHS significantly decrease that number.  At South Health Campus, AHS has filled 1,120 of the 1,345 jobs posted to date as full-time positions.