Our progress on what we will do
Develop a provincial health workforce strategy to ensure community health needs are met in the short and long term.
Open more nursing seats to increase the number of registered and practical nurses graduating in the province, including those from underrepresented groups.
Work with Cape Breton University to research and explore new ways to recruit, train, and retain more healthcare workers in rural areas.
Work with Dalhousie Medical School’s Family Medicine Clinics to take 3,500 more people from the Need a Family Practice Registry.
Increase residency seats, targeted to areas of specialty and need across the province, such as child psychologists.
Train more specialized healthcare professionals, including laboratory technologists, through a partnership with the Michener Institute of Education.
Continue implementation of free tuition and books for Continuing Care Assistant students.
Give communities the tools they need for successful recruitment, including establishing a $2 million fund for local recruitment efforts, and developing recruitment and retention plans to meet community health needs.
Continue to implement new physician incentive programs to recruit doctors and retain graduates, primarily in rural communities.
Provide new and graduating family physicians and nurse practitioners the tools they need, such as office space, mentorship, and onboarding supports, to establish new practices.
Work with the Health Association of Nova Scotia to support clinical placements and rural hiring of continuing care assistants.
Establish clear and effective processes and timelines for hiring.
Expand opportunities for physicians and/or other health professionals to participate in recruitment efforts.
Establish a retirement fund for full time physicians who practise patient-facing services.
Ensure reporting mechanisms are in place for staff experiencing racism and discrimination in the workplace.
Identify and address internal barriers to equity in employment and advancement.
Review and update employment equity policies to address the concerns of equity- seeking and racially visible groups.
Review and implement diversity and equity training to support the continued development of the workforce.
Explore opportunities to increase the number of Clinical Assistants practising in the province.
Expand existing pathways for foreign-trained physicians to gain full licensing in Nova Scotia by increasing the number of seats in the Practice Ready Assessment Program.
Support internationally educated health providers to work in the province, including supporting their transition and integration into communities.
Advance a targeted immigration strategy to support recruitment efforts in continuing care.
Work with the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) to position the Nursing Re-entry Program to meet the needs of internationally educated licensed practical nurses.
Implement One Person, One Record (OPOR).
Use resident assessment technology in long-term care homes to better understand people’s care needs.