More international nurses arriving in Alberta: AHS
Posted October 8, 2023 12:12 pm.
Last Updated October 8, 2023 12:16 pm.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) took a big step forward in addressing the province’s nursing shortage.
The health authority announced in a news release Friday that about 70 nurses from 15 countries are soon coming to work in Alberta.
During the next six months, the registered nurses will be starting jobs at 30 AHS sites in central and northern Alberta with the “greatest staffing needs.”
According to AHS, they’ll be sent to communities with the greatest staffing needs, starting in hospitals, community health centres and long-term care facilities in rural communities.
At this time, work is also being done to bring nurses from across the world to work in ICUs and emergency departments in urban centres.
“These efforts align with AHS’ comprehensive health workforce strategy to build and strengthen its workforce across the province,” the news release reads.
This comes after the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CNFU) announced in September it will study the growing trend of nurses across the country leaving their positions to work for private agencies and how it affects the public healthcare system.
Read More: ‘Alarming trend’: More nurses leaving public healthcare, Canada’s nurses unions launch study
Last year, AHS launched a series of internationally educated nurse recruitment campaigns, which attracted thousands of applications.
In addition, internationally educated nurses already employed by the health provider, either as licensed practical nurses or healthcare aides, are being offered support to expand their skills and knowledge to become registered nurses.
