YORKTON – The RBC Foundation is donating $10,000 to support nurses and nursing education at Yorkton Regional Hospital.
The donation, administered through the Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan, will help retain local nurses by giving them a chance to advance their education in areas like critical care, dialysis, operating room, chemotherapy and emergency room training.
“It is so very difficult for us to recruit nurses that already have the specific training they need to work in the ICU or Emergency Departments. The support from RBC allows our local nurses to upgrade their clinical skills and ensure we are able to provide the best patient care,” said Sherri Krochak, Health Services Manager, Yorkton Regional Health Centre.
“Enhancing clinical skills is very meaningful to the nurses in Yorkton Regional Hospital, and is important to us as our nursing staff don’t have to leave to be able to advance their education,” said Krochak.
Held in honour of nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, National Nursing Week is designed to increase the awareness of the many contributions nursing makes to the well-being of Canadians. National Nursing Week runs from May 8-14, 2023.
“RBC recognizes the impact that nurses have in our healthcare system is unparalleled. Dedicated, committed and always answering the call no matter the sacrifice, they are our caregivers and comforters during our deepest times of need,” said Kim Ulmer, RBC Regional President, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nunavut and Western Ontario.
“We aim to give back to nurses through a donation supporting their continuing education and professional development, to refresh their skills and open more opportunities for their career options and advancement," added Ulmer.
The show of support comes at a critical time. Recent Statistics Canada data shows Canadian front line healthcare workers are feeling strained and overloaded.
In July, Statistics Canada reported 23,620 vacant nursing positions in the first quarter of 2022 (up 219% from 2019), and an all-time high of 136,800 job vacancies within the health sector throughout the first quarter of 2022. Recent data released by Mental Health Research Canada also shows that healthcare workers, and nurses in particular, were profoundly impacted by the pandemic.
