Province urges Manitobans to consider health-care careers, promises 350 health-care aides

The province is urging Manitobans to consider careers in health-care, as it promises to hire hundreds of more health-care aides and add dozens of new nursing positions.

On Friday, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Scott Johnston announced the province would be spending $16 million to recruit and hire more than 350 health-care aides to increase the daily direct care to residents, and add a combined 72 positions for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses.

He said the new health-care aide positions would increase the daily direct care ratio from 3.6 hours per resident to 3.8 hours per resident. Johnston said the calls for a higher ratio of care per resident is among the 17 recommendations in the Stevenson Review – which was completed in January 2021 following the deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the Maples.

"Longer term our goal is to continue to establish more of an hourly ratio with our residents," he said.

However, the minister said he was not in a position to say when these positions would be filled.

Kathy McPhail, the chair of the provincial team tasked with implementing the recommendations of the Stevenson Review, said hiring, recruiting and training will take time.

"We know that more than the number of positions announced today are required, but we also know the current labour force market out there," she said.

McPhail urged Manitobans to choose health-care careers, saying there are positions needed across the health-human resource classifications. She said while money is important, there is another piece needed.

"I think we need to once again make health-care attractive," she said. "We're trying to create… an environment in personal care homes that is attractive and supportive of staff, family and residents."

The province added $1.5 million of the funding announced Friday will be used in tuition supports and direct care staff recruitment incentives. The province said the funding will also be used to create medical leads for leadership and guidance in personal care home medical services, and infection prevention and control enhancements.