Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (May 17/99) - Despite a recruiting drive for nurses in Newfoundland that didn't pan out as well as was hoped, Marsha Duggan said there was still light at the end of the tunnel for the grim nursing shortage in the Baffin region.

Based in Iqaluit, Duggan is the manager of patient care and services at the Baffin Regional Hospital. She said that, at first, she was optimistic because of all the attention her recruiting team received from Newfoundland nurses.

"There was a lot of interest in terms of people asking questions and making inquiries, but at the end of the day, the amount of resumes that we got wasn't as great as we thought it would be," said Duggan.

Of the few resumes that were handed in, several were from rookie nurses and, while grateful for the interest, Duggan said BRH required staff with more experience.

"The kind of nurse we require is a nurse with five to 10 years experience because of the level of acuity of our patients."

With the resignation of two more nurses at the struggling hospital -- combined with the mounting Canada-wide competition for nurses -- Duggan said they were beginning to turn their recruiting efforts outside of Canada.

Currently targeting Australian nurses with strong obstetrical and midwifery training, a skill that is crucial in Nunavut with its high birth rate, Duggan said five offers of full-time employment have gone out and, so far, one has been accepted.

"We're ecstatic about the calibre of nurses that have responded, people with 20 years of experience in the field who are excited about coming to the Arctic."