Programs

Nursing Graduate Guarantee
Beginning in 2007, every new Ontario nursing graduate who wants to work full-time in the province will have that opportunity. HealthForceOntario has assembled a task force of employers, nursing associations, nursing unions, academics, and researchers to plan the best way to implement the promise.

2008 Nursing Research Fund Call for Proposals  
The Nursing Secretariat and the Research Unit of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care are pleased to announce the 2008 Nursing Research Fund Call for Proposals. For details on the various research priorities and instructions regarding how to apply, please visit the Research Unit website.

Underserviced Area Program
The Underserviced Area Program (UAP) is one of a number of supports provided by the Ministry not only to help underserviced communities recruit and retain health professionals but also to access health care services in rural and remote communities. The program is administered through the Primary Health Care Team of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The aim of the program is to enhance access to health care services in designated underserviced areas across the province that have difficulty attracting and retaining health care professionals. It offers a variety of components aimed at attracting and retaining health care providers to underserviced areas in Ontario. To access the UAP's recruitment and retention benefits, a community must be designated as underserviced. The Tuition Support Program for Nurses is part of the Underserviced Area Program.

Nursing Community Assessment Visit Program
Through the Nursing Community Assessment Visit Program, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) will provide reimbursement for travel and accommodation expenses incurred by nurses and their spouses who are interested in working in communities designated as underserviced. The expected benefits of the Nursing Community Assessment Visit Program include:

• enhanced distribution of nurses working in underserviced and rural communities in Ontario;
• increased access to currently available nursing employment opportunities across the province; and
• additional resources for employers to support nursing recruitment. 

Late Career Initiative
The Late Career Initiative is a program that supports nurses over age 55 to spend part of their time doing less physically demanding work, such as mentoring other nurses or teaching patients. This gives experienced nurses a break from the physical demands of front line nursing and keeps them from retiring early — so the health care system can benefit from their knowledge and experience.

Submit the 2008-09 Late Career Nursing Initiative Final Report.

Clinical Simulation Initiative
The Clinical Simulation Initiative is a program that provided funds to nursing schools to purchase clinical simulation equipment. This equipment, which is now in place in every nursing school in the province, gives students a broader range of clinical experience and build their skills and confidence before they enter the workforce.

Patient Lift Initiative
The Patient Lift Initiative is a program that provided funds to hospitals and long-term care homes to buy mechanical patient lifts. This equipment reduces the physical demands on nurses, helps prevent injuries and helps create healthier workplaces.

Telementoring Project  
HealthForceOntario is looking at the potential of technology to support primary care providers working in northern and remote communities, reduce professional isolation, and provide opportunities for career development. The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario is leading the Telementoring project. The Telementoring Toolkit for Nurse Practitioners in Rural and Remote Areas (TMentRKit) is a user-friendly resource, designed for both mentors and mentees. 

Safety Engineered Sharps
In March 2005, Ontario provided $11.6 million to help hospitals to provide safer medical equipment. Employers could use the funding to buy needle-less systems like newer IV connectors as well as other safer equipment, such as blunt suture needles and plastic blood collection tubes to replace breakable glass tubes. This investment was intended to reduce sharps-related injuries and create healthier work environments for nurses.

Grow Your Own Nurse Practitioner
The Grow Your Own Nurse Practitioner is an innovative program designed to help employers recruit nurse practitioners. Employers can now use funding available to hire a nurse practitioner into a long standing vacant position to grow their own NPs. The funding can be used to sponsor a local registered nurse to take the NP education. The program pays the nurse a salary while she/he attends school, and can also be used to cover tuition and other educational expenses. This helps overcome the financial barriers to registered nurses going back to school. The local nurse is also more likely to continue to live and work in the community.

Nurses who participate in the program must agree to provide service for a certain length of time once they become NPs (i.e., return of service).