March 6, 2008

Eighty-six per cent of new nursing graduates who have completed the Nursing Graduate Guarantee program have landed full time work in Ontario over the past year reversing a historical trend.

Ontario’s Nursing Graduate Guarantee is a new program designed to give nurses on-the-job experience following graduation from college or university.

Over 2,660 Ontario graduates have taken advantage of a job opportunity through the program, which provides a guaranteed seven-and-a-half month work placement to transition into a full-time permanent position as they become available. Preliminary data from more than 165 employers indicates that, of those graduates who have completed the program, 86 per cent have secured full time employment and another 10 per cent have part-time employment.

“These results are spectacular,” said George Smitherman, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. “By working together with employers we are bringing new nursing graduates into the workforce rather than leaving them to search for greater pastures elsewhere.”

“The new graduate initiative was such a benefit for me because I got a full time job in nursing right after finishing school,” said Tara Johnson, a new registered nurse at The Hospital for Sick Children. “My orientation at Sick Kids was so rewarding for me professionally. I learned how to educate patients and families about their diagnosis, upcoming treatment plans, side effects and emotional support needed when caring for children and their families with cancer.”

“It is a one stop shop for nursing graduates to find work and experience,” said Vincent Lee, president of the Nursing Students of Ontario. “It’s such a great opportunity for us.”

“This program has been able to take the nursing graduate at the start of their career and bring them into the profession to gain the kind of valuable experience they need,” said Mary Ferguson-Pare, President of RNAO and Chief Nurse Executive at University Health Network. “It is filling a critical void in the health care system.”

• Before Ontario implemented the Nursing Graduate Guarantee :
• 40 per cent of registered nurses found full-time jobs after graduation
• After Ontario implemented the Nursing Graduate Guarantee :
• 89 per cent of registered nurses found full-time jobs after graduation using the program
• In the first year of the program :
• 86 per cent of registered nurse and registered practical nurse graduates who completed the program have secured full-time permanent employment
• 10 per cent have landed part-time permanent positions.
• 242 facilities across Ontario have participated and benefited from the Nursing Graduate Guarantee. The program is the largest of its kind in the world, ahead of initiatives underway on Vancouver Island, B.C. and in Victoria, Australia.
• Ontario launched the Nursing Graduate Guarantee in February 2007 with an initial $89 million investment. The program will be extended for another year.

View a video of the announcement  

View over 5,700 Nursing Graduate Guarantee employment opportunities.

Visit HealthForceOntario for information on the Nursing Graduate Guarantee.

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