You’ve undoubtedly read in the newspaper or heard on the nightly news that there’s a nursing shortage in Canada, primarily brought on by the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, while there are positions that aren’t being filled in healthcare facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes/long-term care homes (LTCs) across the country, the main issue lies in the fact that many nurses – including nurse practitioners (NPs), registered nurses (RNs) and registered/licensed practical nurses (RPNs/LPNs) – simply don’t feel comfortable working in these environments. They may be concerned about their health and that of their loved ones, or they may not want to deal with the extra responsibilities that the pandemic has resulted in, and as such, many nurses are choosing to work in less demanding environments such as vaccination/booster clinics or collecting EI for the time being.
In this blog, we’re going to share a story about a nurse who has worked steadily in healthcare facilities throughout the pandemic – in her own words, she decided to do her “duty as a healthcare worker” and go where she was needed most. Read on to hear her story, and don’t forget to regularly check RPI’s blog daily for job postings and important announcements.
A story about an RN
When we were in the throes of the worst parts of the COVID-19 pandemic, RPI’s team of Account Managers ran into a problem: many of the nursing candidates on our roster were no longer comfortable working in long-term care facilities, and while this was understandable, it was a bit alarming. Our clients were telling us that they were understaffed and having trouble providing the outstanding care that their residents needed and deserved, and there was one LTC in particular that, in their own words, “desperately needed an RPN as soon as possible.”
One of our Account Managers, Leon, worked tirelessly to find a suitable candidate for this position, and when he called Mary, a nurse who had done a travel assignment for RPI in the past, she immediately said that she was interested. Whereas other candidates had almost immediately declined, she was very enthusiastic and told Leon that she’d be happy to take position and play a key healthcare role when it was needed the most. She began working for the LTC within days, and she started by working the overnight shift, which was 11:00pm to 7:00am – a difficult shift even in the best of times, let alone during a global pandemic. But she stuck with it and thrived, to the point where they brought her on full-time at a salary of $66,000 per year.
Throughout it all, Mary also got her Registered Nurse designation, which led to an increase of salary up to $84,000 per year – in short, not only did she work hard and diligently as an RPN, she also put in the extra work and hours required to become an RN. Mary never missed a shift for anything other than a serious emergency, and she never took any extended time off during this period – and while we will always advocate for our candidates taking well-deserved time off, we believe that it was commendable of Mary to be as dedicated as she was to her patients and to the job itself. And to top it all, Mary’s hard work was rewarded again when she recently received a promotion to the LTC’s Director of Care, which came with another pay raise to $110,000 per year.
The moral of the story
Mary’s story isn’t unique, but it’s certainly one of the most ‘feel good’ stories that we’ve seen here at RPI over the last 2 years. And the overall point of sharing the story here today is this: we’re telling all out-of-work nurses – both on our roster and off of it – that right now is the perfect time to return to a traditional nursing job, as there is more potential for growth and promotions than ever before. With COVID-19 restrictions being lifted across the country and vaccination/booster rates hovering at around 90% of the population, we’re already seeing an increase in nursing candidates who are looking to return to regular work. We predict that in as little as two months or 60 days, nursing positions will be very hard to come by, and to that end we’re recommending that nurses don’t wait too long, lest they lose out on opportunities with the potential for upward growth and increased salary. Our team of Account Managers is standing by and ready to help you find the perfect job for you – get in touch with us today, and let us help you find the last job you’ll ever need!
