March 14, 2024 | Ottawa, ON | Health Canada

Today, Yasir Naqvi, MP and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, announced on behalf of the Honorable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, additional funding of over $388,000 for the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing National Program Residency program for nurses (CASN).

With more than 450,000 members, nurses are the largest group of regulated healthcare professionals in Canada and play a critical role in Canada’s healthcare system. Nurses face unprecedented challenges that impact their work and the patients they care for. It’s important that we support Canada’s health workforce and integrate more workers into the health system more quickly.

This investment will support the integration of internationally trained nurses (IENTs) into the Canadian healthcare system. Through initiatives such as a pilot RNTI mentoring program, healthcare organizations, nurses working with RNTIs, and newly hired RNTIs will receive the support and tools they need to build stronger healthcare teams. Funds will also be used to support workshops and training for TITIs entering the Canadian workforce and their mentors to provide TITIs with the support they need to effectively integrate into the Canadian healthcare workforce.

This amount is in addition to the $2.4 million the Government of Canada provided to CASN in April 2023 to support the implementation and evaluation of a national nurse residency program aimed at supporting newly qualified registered nurses (RNs). ) by helping them make an effective transition from the classroom to the workplace.

The Canadian government recently announced the publication of the document Nurse Retention Toolkit: Improving the Work Lives of Nurses in Canada, a resource created by and for caregivers to help employers and health care agencies across the country improve caregiver retention. This is part of the government’s efforts to support all healthcare workers across the country, including internationally trained nurses.

The Government of Canada is working with provinces, territories and key nursing partners to identify and implement solutions so that Canada’s nurses can continue their important work and ensure the health and safety of Canada’s people.