This issue about the new nurse grads is not unique to the NWT. The issue is whether the new nurse grads can actually practice in more independent or solo practice. A lot of jurisdictions are actually putting a lot more from the hospital side or delivery side training into that. We find that ourselves. A lot of the new nurses could come into Yellowknife where there’s a cohort around them. So what we’re doing is looking at how we can better support new nurses, new social workers to practice in the more remote areas.
The project I talked about earlier, the Territorial Support Network, I believe will also help that. We’re looking at whether we can have virtual mentors so that there’s somebody connected, again, through technology, to those new nurses so they can go out in a more isolated practice, and we’re having conversations with the CEOs around so what will it take to start to put these new nurses.
The problem is that Yellowknife is more stable and, while we had an issue there, we’ve been able to fill a lot of the permanent positions. It’s the more rural and remote positions that are difficult. We have to adjust how we’re going to support new grads in a more remote area through technology, through mentors, through supervisors that’s different than we have traditionally to be able to get them out there. Clearly, the focus is on trying to hire as many of our own because they will stay here.