Skip to content

Nurse practitioners still waiting for retention pay

‘It hasn’t been a priority for this Minister,’ says NDP health critic Gelinas
stethoscope doctor health
Stock image

Nurse practitioners and nurses who work in their clinics - including those in Sault Ste. Marie - are still awaiting their share of funding from the Ontario government’s Temporary Retention Incentive for Nurses Program.

“Many nurses have reached out to me,” said France Gelinas, Nickel Belt MPP and NDP health critic, speaking to SooToday on Tuesday.

“I connected with Ontario Health North East and tried to follow the money. Some sites got their money fast. At some sites, the employer decided to just pay them and just hoped that the government made good on their promise and actually pay them back.”

“Referring to the Temporary Retention Incentive for Nurses Program, our staff have received both payments,” wrote Brandy Sharp Young, Sault Area Hospital spokesperson in an email to SooToday.

Giordan Zin, Group Health Centre spokesperson, confirmed that GHC nurses have also received their retention pay.

Nurse practitioners and their nursing staff at the Algoma Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic on Northern Avenue were not immediately available for comment, but professionals at all 25 NP clinics in Ontario remain out in the cold.  

Retention pay has gone to most Ontario nurses from the Ministry of Health through Ontario Health’s six geographic regions including Ontario Health North East, which includes the Sault and area.

In contrast, retention pay for nurse practitioners and other nurses within nurse practitioner clinics can be distributed to them only if the Ministry of Health directly signs off on the funding.

“It hasn’t been a priority for this Minister to make sure that the promise that has been made is actually delivered upon,” Gelinas said, referring to current Health Minister Sylvia Jones.

“I am told that the letters are ready to go. They need the Minister’s signature and the Minister hasn’t got time to sign anything apparently. Meanwhile you have nurses working so hard they’re getting burnt out and they feel like ‘really, you haven’t got time to sign a letter for me after I’ve made time, worked over time, worked double shifts to make sure that I provide care?’”

“The stories that I hear, it’s not good. They feel disrespected,” Gelinas said.

“We know that they qualify but they have not received it yet. For nurse practitioners, their contracts cannot be changed except if the Minister changes it. The Minister has to sign and she hasn’t seen fit to sign those letters that have been prepared for her to sign so that the money can flow to nurse practitioners.” 

“I wrote a letter and handed it to the Minister. I wrote to the chief of staff for the Minister.”

Despite that, Gelinas said “it’s not a priority for the Ministry.”

While realizing Jones tested positive for COVID in late October and that the dispute between the government and 55,000 CUPE-represented education support workers has dominated discussion in the Ontario Legislature, Gelinas said that retention pay for nurse practitioners should have been released by the Ministry long ago.

“I will continue to talk to the Minister,” Gelinas said.

“I have a long list of things that she and I need to talk about. This is at the top of my list. I have checked and the money is there. There is money in the budget to pay for that. The money is there, it’s a question of moving that money forward.”

The government announced in March that $763 million would be given to eligible nurses in two installments of $2,500 for a total of $5,000 per nurse as a pandemic recovery measure.

The move came as nurses unions voiced their concern for nurses suffering from being overworked and kept at low wages that have forced some nurses to leave the profession.

In October, the Ontario government announced it will spend $57.6 million toward recruitment of up to 225 nurse practitioners for long-term care sites through its Hiring More Nurse Practitioners for Long-Term Care program.

That funding also provides up to $5,000 in relocation support for nurse practitioners hired to work full-time in rural communities for a minimum of 12 months of service.

Throughout 2022-23, the Ministry of Long-Term Care is funding the enrolment of 38 additional students into the Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner program, offered in partnership between nine Ontario universities and the Ministry of Health.

The hiring of more NPs across the province is something Gelinas has urged the government to do.

“We have many people, especially in northern Ontario, that do not have a family physician. We have many nurse practitioner led clinics that are more than willing to take on more nurse practitioners. We have nurse practitioners right now in northern Ontario looking for work and each and every one of them could be looking after 800 patients. That’s 800 patients who would have access to primary care who wouldn’t need to go to an emergency department.”

“There are many clinics that have put in requests for funding and in the grand scheme of health care, they’re a very, very small ask,” Gelinas said.


Comments

Verified reader

If you would like to apply to become a verified commenter, please fill out this form.




Darren Taylor

About the Author: Darren Taylor

Darren Taylor is a news reporter and photographer in Sault Ste Marie. He regularly covers community events, political announcements and numerous board meetings. With a background in broadcast journalism, Darren has worked in the media since 1996.
Read more