HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2009-08-05, Page 3News
s44uroalbspositor 2009 'Pago,3
Recruiter hoping tuition assistance will attract nurses
From Page 1
previous.
The rurality index is a mathemati-
cal formula based on factors such as
population, the number of doctors
and visiting specialists, the number
of hospital beds, types of services
offered, weather conditions and the
speed allowed on the highway.
When a hospital is declared un-
derserviced, the province helps to
• pay for a
variety
of pro-
grams
includ-
i n g
locum
coverage
and sti-
pends for
medical
educa-
tion for
doctors.
C ardi-
nal says
that
while
the whole
situation hasn't been fully resolved,
the hospital is closer than it was.
She adds that the Seaforth hospi-
tal's foundation gave "great assis-
tance" last summer giving financial
support to local doctors to help them
pay for locums.
"It's very difficult for doctors to
plan ahead for holidays without the
underserviced status. It's a relief
that it's closer to a resolution," she
says.
Meanwhile, Alliance recruitment
and retention specialist Sue Veraart
says she's hoping the return of the
tuition assistance for nurses will
help her recruit more nurses for the
Seaforth hospital.
Under the tuition support pro-
gram for nurses, the province will
reimburse recent graduates for all
or part of their tuition if they take
a job at an underserviced hospital
that is located within 100 km of
their high school within a year of
graduation.
Since RNs require four years of
university and RPNs require two
years of college, Veraart says the
reimbursement of tuition can be a
sizeable amount of money - she's
hoping it will be enough money to
attract the six part-time nurses still
needed at Seaforth's hospital.
While three full-time nursing po-
sitions - one in the emergency room
and two on the inpatient ward - have
been filled within the last month,
Veraart says SCH still requires
three part-time nurses in the ER
and three • part-time nurses on the
inpatient ward.
Veraart notes that- recent nursing
grads from as far away as London
or Kitchener -Waterloo would quali-
fyfor the reimbursed tuition if they
cme to work in Seaforth. She adds
`We're keeping
our fingers
crossed that
+ c.Ie are
()tieing the
sign, --
Huron Perth
Healthcare Alliance
recruiter Sue Veraart
that not all nursing grads seem to
know anything about the tuition as-
sistance program.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed
that people are noticing the sign and it will trigger them to come back,"
telling the recent grads they know she says.
about it. Maybe students going back
for their final year will notice it and.
KNOW WHAT TO
DO TO FIGHT THE
H1 N1 FLU VIRUS
The H1 N1 flu virus is a respiratory
illness that causes symptoms similar
to those of the seasonal flu (fever
and cough, runny nose, sore throat,
body aches, fatigue and lack of
appetite).
All strains of flu can be dangerous;
however, good infection prevention
measures can help protect you and
others if this virus begins to spread
rapidly in Canada.
water or use hand sanitizer.
Cough and sneeze in your
tNM�
sleeve, not your hand. ��r}`
Keep common surfaces and f
items:dean and disinfected.
D'`'dxjf;'�?>RiX'f hb i 4�A } SSfi,#tnc''Z
Stay home if you're sick, and
call your health care provider`:
if your symptoms get ywrorse.s
x`a3
I+1
For more information on flu prevention, visit
www.f ig htf lu.ca or call 1-800-454-8302
TTY 1-800-465-7735
Public Health Agence de la sant()
Agency of Canada publique du Canada
Canada
•