Five institutions in the Quebec health system are turning to France again to hire nurses. The CHUM alone would like to recruit 500. The new recruitment mission will be held at the end of May.
Last fall, about 50 nurses were hired to work in Quebec. Thirty are at the University Hospital of Montreal (CHUM). But the institution is looking for 70 additional nurse clinicians. Especially since the management confirms that the lack of nurses slows down the development of activities.
Even after spending her first rather cold winter, Julie Porte seems delighted to have chosen to work in Quebec.
She is part of a group of half a dozen French nurses who are starting their training at the University Hospital of Montreal. “It’s a hospital that has hyperspecialities and all the technological innovations. So for me, it’s perfect! Says the 28-year-old.
Last year, thirty nurses were recruited during a mission to France. But the objectives of the CHUM have not been achieved. “Our strategy is to get a hundred in total. So we leave early May to get the 70 we miss, “says Renée Descôteaux, CHUM’s Director of Nursing.
The CEO of the CHUM recognizes that the challenge is important. “Like everyone else, we have a recruitment problem. But in addition, we have specialization levels that require more nurses who are more specialized! Says Fabrice Brunet.
How many nurses are missing at the CHUM?
We are missing 100 urgently. But we would like to recruit 400 to 500.
Fabrice Brunet
In an interview with Patrice Roy, he admits that the shortage can slow the opening of some departments. ” Absolutely. But this is the case for all establishments, “says Fabrice Brunet.
Several doctors say to micro closed that the lack of personnel slows the start of the CHUM. “It’s a half-truth,” says Nursing Director Renée Descoteaux. “We chose not to resume fully to better integrate the teams,” she said. But the needs are real. “We would easily take 200 more nurses than expected by the fall,” said Ms. Descoteaux.
In an interview with Patrice Roy, he admits that the shortage can slow the opening of some departments. “Absolutely. But this is the case for all establishments,” says Fabrice Brunet.
Several doctors say to micro closed that the lack of personnel slows the start of the CHUM. “It’s a half-truth,” says Nursing Director Renée Descoteaux. “We chose not to resume fully to better integrate the teams,” she said. But the needs are real. “We would easily take 200 more nurses than expected by the fall,” said Ms. Descoteaux.
University graduates are popular
She thinks French professionals are part of the solution. They represent 10% of nurses hired for a year. “The quality is extraordinary. We are very happy with the nurses we recruit. ”
Their training is equivalent to that offered at universities in Quebec. And compared to the training given in the CEGEPs, the university course is better suited to the needs of a specialized center like the CHUM. “It allows the nurse to be excellent vis-à-vis with other professionals who have university training,” says Ms. Descôteaux. In addition, French women like Julie Porte can be functional quickly.
At the CHUM, the French and French are doing a 75-day internship. “We are paired for 35 days and we are really supervised. After we are alone and we still have thirty days to prove ourselves, “says Albin Néris, a nurse of French origin who has been working at the CHUM for 4 years. “To integrate well, we must also erase some of what we know,” said the young man.
The retention rate seems pretty good for nurses, whether French-born or not. But the CHUM is making efforts to support the recruits. “We are several up-and-coming nurses who talk to them to keep them with us,” says Jennifer Pierre.
Assistant nurse-leader, she is also president of the youth affairs committee. One more tool in this recruitment and retention campaign. The big boss of nursing is confident. “It’s easy to attract people to the CHUM. We are a state of the art hospital. ” she says.
Difficult to quantify the problem of recruiting nurses in Quebec. But five other Quebec health facilities also travel to France at the end of May to recruit nurse clinicians. Two institutions in Montérégie, the CISSS de Lanaudière, a facility in Quebec City and the Sainte-Justine Hospital will be in attendance.
John Davis is a seasoned health journalist with expertise in public health and medical research. Holding a degree in health sciences, John excels in making complex health topics understandable and engaging for his readers. His articles, featured in top health publications, cover everything from cutting-edge treatments to public health policies. Outside of journalism, John is an advocate for health education and frequently speaks at community events.
