Tuesday 18 December 2012

Full time job search made easier for nursing graduates

From the moment you walk into the emergency department to the day you leave the hospital, you will come into contact with many nurses. Registered Nurses (RNs), Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) play an integral role in our healthcare system.

As the population ages, the demand for nurses increases. At Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC), our nurses provide our patients with high-quality, skilled, compassionate care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We understand that the competition for nurses is strong and we know that many new nurses struggle to find full-time work once they have graduated.



We are excited to be a part of the Nursing Graduate Guarantee, an initiative of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care that helps find employment for new RN and RPN graduates. Our participation in the program also fosters continual learning and career development of members of our staff who want to upgrade their skills or become nurses.

Through this program, the ministry funds the salaries and benefits of nursing graduates for six months as they work alongside experienced MAHC nurses in the Emergency Room and Med-Surg and Complex Continuing Care units. In return, MAHC guarantees their employment for an additional six weeks.

In addition to gaining real experience, the nursing graduates who participate in this program also have more than seven months after graduation to find full-time employment.
We have been participating in this program for five years and have seen tremendous results. The program benefits both the graduates and MAHC. The nursing graduates receive hands-on mentoring and gain the experience of working in a healthcare facility. We have also retained a number of the nurses who participated in this program in permanent positions.

I would encourage all nursing students to look into this program and see if it is a good fit for you. To find out if you are eligible for the program or to learn more, visit Health Force Ontario. Learn more about opportunities for employment at MAHC.


Nursing graduates include former staff and nursing students at Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare