Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 24/99) - There are communities in the North with two nurses who should have seven. One community doesn't have any at all.

In the NWT, there is room for 360 nurses. Right now, the Department of Health and Social Services is looking to fill 40 full-time spots.

"The turnover rate is a big problem. We have communities that are stretched to the maximum in terms of staffing," said senior nursing consultant Tammy Irving.

"(A nursing shortage) means additional demands on existing staff's time and inner resources and that means they don't have the opportunity to participate fully in community life. The situation right now is not a sustainable one," Irving said.

To keep health and social service professionals in the North, the government announced a $3 million direct compensation package, to be paid out over the next two years.

Human resources and board support director Chris Keeley said it's a short-term step to alleviate strain on an already overburdened health care system. The money is just one part of an aggressive program to fix the problem.

"Money will attract people, but it won't keep people," Keeley said, adding that Northern nurses are paid the highest base salary in Canada.

"The primary objective is to focus on our long-term goals, which include building a Northern workforce and ensuring the working environment in the communities are safe."

He said health and social services developed a comprehensive Retraining and Recruitment Strategy to stabilize the current situation. Improving working conditions and building competency levels among the Northern workforce are high priorities.

But Keeley admits they have their work cut out for them. Provinces across the country are hiring. He said Ontario recently announced they'll be adding 10,000 nurses to their force.

"There isn't 10,000 unemployed nurses in Canada. The market for the type of professional we're looking for is expanding rapidly with southern jurisdictions moving towards community based health care," Keeley said.

"What that means to us is increased competition for nurses."

Northern Development Co-ordinator Cindy Caudron is charged with the primary, long-term goal of building the Northern health and social care workforce. High schools, colleges and universities are her main focus.

This summer, 30 high school students will be shadowing health care professionals in a program designed to introduce them to the health care field. She has also contacted 20 colleges and universities in Canada to secure students for Northern practicum placements.

"Our purpose is to look at Northerners who want to pursue careers in the health and social services field and create the opportunities they need to do that," Caudron said.

For university practicum students, a step program was developed to reward them with more money each year they return to the North.

"The monetary build-up is necessary to draw them back here year after year. The benefit to that is they can easily enter into our summer employment program and it gives them Northern experience."

Shaun Dean is acting manager of planning and communications at the Department of Health and Social Services. He said communication is the key to securing success in the future.

"The success of the Recreation and Retention Initiative is dependant on the success of the partnerships between government, health boards, professional associations and communities," Dean said.

"The fact of the matter is, the majority of health and social service professionals are employed by the nine NWT health boards. The government can support boards in their recruitment efforts by promoting health and social services careers."