Frequently Asked Questions
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General
For the New Graduate Nurse
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General
What is the Nursing Graduate Guarantee?
Part of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s (MOHLTC) health human resource strategy – HealthForceOntario – the Nursing Graduate Guarantee (NGG) is an initiative aimed at ensuring that every new Ontario nursing graduate (RN and RPN) who wishes to work full-time in the province will have that opportunity.
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How long will the Nursing Graduate Guarantee positions last?
The length of the Nursing Graduate Guarantee positions will vary based on the needs of the individual employer. However, New Graduate Guarantee positions are required to be maintained for a minimum of 12 weeks and a maximum of 32 weeks (7.5 months).
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Is a request for funding to support a Nursing Graduate Guarantee position 100 percent guaranteed?
Yes. Within the parameters of the initiative, the government is committed to providing all new Ontario nursing graduates with the opportunity to move into full-time employment immediately upon graduation.
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Are new graduates getting this full-time job opportunity over other nurses?
New graduates in supernumerary Nursing Graduate Guarantee positions will have to compete with any other nurses on staff when applying for permanent positions. The supernumerary ("above staff complement") Nursing Graduate Guarantee positions are intended to support new graduates in ultimately gaining full-time job opportunities by providing them with the experience that makes them job ready and more marketable.
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What is being done to support experienced nurses in the field who want full-time positions?
As part of the government’s Nursing Strategy, efforts are underway between the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and employers to increase the number of nurses employed full-time to 70 percent. The government has targeted $50 million annually for the creation and maintenance of full-time positions for nurses in the province. In addition, the government has committed to creating 17.55 million additional hours of nursing care (9,000 nursing positions) over the next four years.
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Will this be an ongoing initiative?
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care will continue implementing the Nursing Graduate Guarantee in 2009/10 under the existing terms and conditions with 100% of funding providing new nurses with a guaranteed job opportunity.
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For the New Graduate Nurse
How do I participate?
- New graduates interested in the Nursing Graduate Guarantee initiative must register on the Nursing Graduate Guarantee Portal, an online employment portal that links new graduates with employers through an online application and matching process.
- New graduates can consult the registry and apply for Nursing Graduate Guarantee positions with as many employers as they wish*. These positions are intended to eventually bridge the new grad into a full-time nursing position.
- Employers invite the new graduate for an interview and send their organization’s letters of offer through the Portal, giving the new graduate the chance to choose the position he/she desires.
- Once a position is accepted, an automated confirmation letter will be generated which must be completed by employers and sent to the Ministry to request funding.
- The full-time bridging position begins once funding requests have been approved by the Ministry and as soon as Temporary Registration has been obtained by the new graduate from the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO).
- Unmatched graduates should contact the HFOJobs support office for assistance at hfojobs@hfojobs.ca.
* Note: new graduates must match with an employer and begin the Nursing Graduate Guarantee position within 6 months of course completion.
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When should I start registering?
New graduates must sign on and complete their registration through the Nursing Graduate Portal and may do so prior to or following their course completion date. However, please note:new graduates must begin employment in the Nursing Graduate Guarantee position within six months of course completion (that is, within six months of receiving their final grades). New grads must also obtain Temporary Registration from the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) prior to commencing employment.
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If I have secured a position post-graduation, will I still be able to participate in this initiative?
The Nursing Graduate Guarantee funding only applies to those jobs that are posted on the Nursing Graduate Portal. Employers can post the position online and then hire the new graduate nurse as the successful applicant. The organization can then receive funding for the new graduate’s salary. Again, the new graduate nurse in this case would be in a supernumerary position above the staff complement.
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What happens if I accept a position with an organization through the Nursing Graduate Portal and then receive an offer from another organization after the 72-hour period? Can I accept a different offer?
The Nursing Graduate Guarantee provides one funded bridging position opportunity for each graduate. Therefore, once a graduate has accepted an offer from an employer, he/she will not be permitted to accept another position through the portal after the 72-hour period has expired. Since the employer will assume that the graduate has accepted their offer in good faith, graduates should consider any potential legal ramifications of not pursuing the position with that employer. The Ministry cannot provide specific advice in this regard.
Please note that 72 hours after the new graduate accepts this position with the organization, his/her status on the HFOJobs registry as a new graduate user will automatically change to that of a regular nurse user. Therefore, the new graduate will notice that, after 72 hours of accepting the position, he/she will no longer be able to view new graduate positions or offers.
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Can I still participate in the Nursing Graduate Guarantee (NGG) if I do not successfully pass the national nursing registration examination (either the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination or the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination)?
Subject to any applicable collective bargaining requirements, if the nursing graduate does not successfully pass the applicable national nursing registration examination, he or she will be temporarily suspended from the initiative since nursing graduates are required to have a valid Temporary Certificate of Registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario. Should the new graduate rewrite and successfully pass the applicable national nursing registration examination, he/she may return to his/her original Nursing Graduate Guarantee position (with the original employer) if it is still available, subject to any applicable collective agreement requirements. Please note that the NGG provides only one funded bridging position opportunity for each nursing graduate and therefore the graduate will not be permitted to re-apply for other Nursing Graduate Guarantee positions.
Subject to any applicable collective agreement requirements, in cases where the new graduate nurse does not successfully pass the applicable Canadian Registered Nurse Examination or Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination on his/her third attempt, the new graduate nurses’ employment must be terminated by the employer.
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How will I benefit from the Nursing Graduate Guarantee?
This initiative offers the following benefits for new graduates:
- New graduates will have access to invaluable employment opportunities across all sectors that they might not have had otherwise, and a good chance of bridging to permanent full-time employment;
- Assists graduates in gaining full-time experience, helping to ease the transition into the workforce;
- The extended orientation will support a more effective transition to practice for new graduates, thereby allowing them to become fully engaged as key members of the health care team.
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What are the minimum orientation requirements for the Nursing Graduate Guarantee initiative?
Minimum orientation requirements for the Nursing Graduate Guarantee initiative are as follows:
- Organizations must provide new graduate nurses with a minimum of 12 weeks orientation including a minimum of three to six days of general orientation to the organization;
- The organization must clearly define the roles of the new graduate, mentor and orientation leader;
- A learning plan must be developed by the new graduate and mentor, with input from the orientation leader, and should be used to monitor the new graduate’s progress and to guide evaluation;
- Orientation to meet goals of the learning plan should include a variety of teaching strategies and delivery methods to educate on competencies.
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Will I accrue seniority while in the position under the Nursing Graduate Guarantee?
The Minisitry of Health and Long-Term Care strongly encourages employers to have early and ongoing dialogue with collective bargaining representatives regarding participation in the Nursing Graduate Guarantee and should consult with the RN/RPN bargaining representatives for union matters including accrual of seniority.
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Who can I contact if I have technical questions or problems related to the Nursing Graduate Guarantee portal?
All technical support questions should be directed to HealthForceOntario's HFOJobs:
North America: 1-800-463-1270 (press 6)
Toronto: 416-862-2200 (press 6)
E-mail: hfojobs@hfojobs.ca
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