Government Programs
Underserviced Area Program
Provincial Nursing Strategy Initiatives
Telementoring Project
Grow Your Own Nurse Practitioner
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Underserviced Area Program
The Underserviced Area Program (UAP) is one of a number of supports provided by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care not only to help underserviced communities recruit and retain health professionals but also access health care services in rural and remote communities.
Administered through the Primary Health Care Team of the Ministry, the program will enhance access to health care services in designated underserviced areas across the province. These underserviced areas traditionally have difficulty attracting and retaining health care professionals. The UAP offers a variety of components aimed at attracting and retaining health care providers. 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.
Learn more about the Underserviced Area Program
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Provincial Nursing Strategy Initiatives
The New Graduate Initiative: a program that helps new nursing graduates gain full-time experience and make a successful transition to the workforce.
The Late Career Initiative: a program that allows 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.
Clinical Simulation Initiative: 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.
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Initiative: a program that enables nurses to deliver more effective care to patients. PDAs provide nurses with instant access to a range of clinical tools and programs, helping them respond to the health care needs of patients with enhanced speed and accuracy. Through this initiative 30 organizations have received funding for more than 1,400 devices, providing up to 2,000 nurses bedside access to PDA technology.
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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. A Telementoring Tool Kit for Nurse Practitioners in Rural and Remote Areas (TMentRKit) has been developed. It’s a user-friendly resource, designed for both mentors and mentees.
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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). To learn more about the Grow Your Own Nurse Practitioner, click here »
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