The Province is giving nurses lump-sum payments to try to keep them on the job.
Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott made the announcement today.
“Through this retention payment, Ontario will provide a lump sum payment of up to $5,000 for eligible full-time nurses and a pro-rated payment of up to $5,000 for eligible part-time and casual nursing staff,” she said.
But unions representing nurses say the payment will do little to stem the exodus of people from the profession.
They say members are leaving because of a provincial wage cap, staff shortages, burnout, and a lack of support from administrators.
The payment will be paid by employers in two installments.
Nurses eligible to receive the payment include nurses in hospitals, long-term care, and retirement homes, home and community care, primary care, mental health and addictions, emergency services, and corrections, as well as a range of other community-based and developmental services including youth justice. Nurses in a management or supervisory role who were redeployed to a direct patient care role will qualify.
Retaining and hiring more nurses is one more way Ontario is creating a stronger health care workforce. Since March 2020, the government has launched emergency programs that have already added over 8,450 health care professionals to the system, including hospitals, long-term care homes and home and community care settings. These programs will also provide hospitals with the capacity to add another 4,000 additional providers to high-need hospitals to support staffing pressures due to COVID-19 by March 31, 2022, including the deployment of nursing students and other health care providers-in-training.
Throughout the pandemic, nurses have shown dedication and selflessness as they cared for Ontarians.
We're providing nurses with a payment of up to $5,000 that will help stabilize and retain our nursing workforce so patients can access the care they need.https://t.co/vyTWNvK6jQ pic.twitter.com/Ao6F2DeQrC
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) March 7, 2022
I was thrilled to be in Belleville today to announce a historic investment in our nursing workforce.
A retention incentive of up to $5,000 will support nurses so that Ontarians continue to have access to the care they need.
Thank you to Ontario's nurses.https://t.co/1WfRL9AseW pic.twitter.com/PEdP3FJC1T
— Christine Elliott (@celliottability) March 7, 2022