Nursing Graduates Advised to Take Nursing Home Jobs

The federal government has invested more than $10 million to solve the provincial nursing shortage while creating job opportunities for aboriginals at the same time.

The funding, which was announced Monday by Selkirk-Interlake MP James Bezan on behalf of Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Diane Finley, will go towards bringing Licensed Practical
Nursing (LPN) training to cities like Selkirk and Dauphin, as well as
several First Nations communities.

"Hopefully this program will not only help to address the nursing shortage that communities are experiencing across Manitoba, but also
give those who want to take the initiative to further their education
and gain career skill the opportunity to do so in their own
communities," said Bezan.

The government's LPN program is an 18-month course which, in Selkirk, is administered through the Selkirk Community Learning Centre.

The program began across Manitoba in November of 2009 and Bezan says the government's goal is to graduate 150 students as Licensed Practical Nurses when the course is completed in April 2011.

The funding will go towards covering administration and training costs for the program, and will help to offset costs caused by smaller class sizes.

With some of the most dire nursing needs coming from First Nations communities, Bezan adds that it's his governments hope that by providing the course closer to home, students will be more likely to
stay and work in the area.

"The majority of the people who are studying for LPN are people who have already started their family lives, and are established within the community," said Bezan. "It's our hope that once they are finished
with the program, they will want to stay in their communities and
provide health services there instead of moving away.

"It's also much more successful to have these types of programs available in their communities, instead of them having to travel all the way to Winnipeg," added Bezan. "If you have a family, it's pretty tough
to pack up and move to Winnipeg. This is way more desirable, and I
think we'll see more success come out of this because of that."

The LPN program in Selkirk currently boasts 23 students and so far has been extremely successful, says SDCLC secretary treasurer and board member Alvin Keppler.

He and the rest of the board at SDCLC are happy about the funding announcement, as it opens the possibility of having the program continue on a regular basis.