Nunavut defends its efforts to recruit Inuit nurses

The Government of Nunavut has responded to criticism about hiring and retention practices for Inuit nurses, saying it’s doing its best to is doing its best to attract, develop and hire Inuit for nursing careers.

“Nunavut is heading in the right direction even though there is still much work to be done,” says the health department’s 16-page document, tabled June 3 in the Nunavut legislature in response to Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.’s report in March that criticized the GN’s efforts and record on nursing.

But Nunavut students who want to become nurses lack the academic qualifications for nursing, the health department admits.

“Many Inuit who do apply are not academically qualified for the program… efforts to strengthen academic skills must reach back into the elementary and high school system,” says the health department.

The NAC’s four-year nursing program was supposed to start up in Cambridge Bay in 2009 and in Rankin Inlet in 2010, but the program start-up in Cambridge Bay was postponed due to “an inadequate number of qualified applicants.”

Now the health department and NAC are looking at offering a two-year practical nurse program in Cambridge Bay and Rankin Inlet, instead of the full, four-year Bachelor of Nursing program, given in Iqaluit since 1999.

The shorter, less demanding practical nursing program would start in 2011, says the health department.

Practical nurses work under registered nurses. They can’t give some medications and treatments or go into management— and they are paid less.

To better prepare students for careers as practical or registered nurses, NAC may also offer a specialized “nursing access year” in addition to its upgrading “foundation program” in Cambridge Bay and Rankin Inlet.

An average of five nurses a year have graduated from the NAC nursing program in Iqaluit since 2004.

Of these graduates, 10 were beneficiaries— which the health department calls “a significant achievement.”

But it’s not clear from the numbers supplied how many of the NAC beneficiary graduate nurses have chosen to work as registered in Nunavut.

The health department says 10 Inuit nurses now work in Nunavut but acknowledges that some received their training outside the territory.

More work and activities still need “to be rolled out” to up the numbers of Inuit nurses in Nunavut, the health department says.

As for the NTI report, it makes some valuable observations, but has shortcomings, the health department says in its response to the report.

The NTI report didn’t “fully acknowledge” the work done by the GN, the health department says, because it was based on information gathered in 2009.

The NTI report also contains “some factual errors,” such as the lack of funding earmarked for the recruitment of Inuit nurses, the health department says.

And there are several recommendations in the report— including calls for Inuit-hiring targets and Inuit priority for shift and rotation selections, which the health department says it can’t support.

“While nursing can be a demanding job, especially for those with family responsibilities, it would inequitable to give priority choice on shift selections and rotations to one group over another, and would not respect the collective bargaining agreement.”

The health department says it has been promoting Inuit recruitment to nursing, under its own 2007 “Nunavut Nursing Recruitment and Retention Strategy.”

Since 2008, the health department says it’s spent $100,000 a year, producing such information as “Nunavut Nurse” ads, posters brochures, a website and nine recently posted YouTube videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/NursingCareers.

To build math and science skills among high school students, the education department is also hiring a new science co-ordinator and introducing a course on community care-giving and family studies. As well, the math graduation requirements may increase from 10 to 15 credits.

The health department says it also plans to offer three “health science and health careers youth camps” this summer, which will be run by Actua, a non-profit organization that offers science courses to youth.

To help those who do decide to study nursing, the health department says it plans to work on an orientation package, which will include a “detailed and realistic” description of what they’ll face as nursing students.

A working group on nursing with members from the GN, NAC and NTI has also been meeting since January to look at these issues, the health department notes.

View one of the GN’s nursing student recruitment videos: