PSWs assume the responsibilities of the bureaucracy, politicians, and CEOs when families complain. They bear the responsibility for these decisions, not those in offices. The PSW is held accountable and made to accept the shortcomings of an entire system. We’re brushed off for it. Belittled and discredited for all the work we do, the conditions we do it in, and the toll it has taken on us mentally and physically. 

We’re brushed off because profit and greed take priority, and the PSW has been made an expendable commodity. So we’re forced to bear witness to the flaws in our system.

Please remember, the true struggle of the PSW is not about wages; it’s about the cost of bearing the constant responsibility, especially for often being the sole contact between the patients and our health-care hierarchy. 

The PSW needs your respect. We stay because of a sense of duty, and taking away the profession solely dedicated to the bedside will make our entire system fall to the ground. We need respect because, without caregivers, we all have no care.    

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Canada’s physician workforce depends on international medical graduates. An alternative route to licensure is helping more of them enter practice each year.

Canada depends on international medical graduates (IMGs), particularly in family medicine and particularly in rural and remote communities. IMGs comprise an average of 25 per cent of the physician workforce across the country. In Saskatchewan and Newfoundland, that number is 50 per cent and 40 per cent, while in rural Saskatchewan, that number jumps to 70 per cent.

In today’s context of a health-care system under strain, and with many in Canada lacking access to a family physician, the Practice-Ready Assessment (PRA) is one route that can help alleviate those health human resource challenges. Seven provinces in Canada participate in a PRA framework called the National Assessment Collaboration (NAC), overseen by the Medical Council of Canada (MCC). 

NAC PRA is an alternative pathway to licensure for IMGs who have completed residencies and practised independently outside Canada. For 12 weeks, under the supervision of trained physician assessors, PRA candidates’ skills are observed and assessed in real-clinical settings for readiness to practise within Canada. After completion of the rigorous assessment, successful candidates obtain provisional licensure, and most are fully licensed within two years. Dr. Jack Burak, Clinical Director of PRA-BC, says, “if they pass our robust assessment, we have total confidence that they will practice safely and confidently. And if they decide to move across the country once they have their full license, the medical regulatory authority in whatever jurisdiction they move to will have that same comfort.”

NAC PRA outlines a set of common standards for assessing IMGs. Clinical Director of Nova Scotia’s Practice Ready Assessment Program (NSPRAP), Dr. Fiona Bergin, established her program using the national framework and drawing on the existing provincial programs, which, she explains, “are collaborative and helpful to each other, sharing both expertise and information.” The provincial programs rely on the MCC’s examinations to identify qualified candidates and use MCC- and NAC-developed common tools, resources, and assessor training. One of these resources is the Communication and Cultural Competence orientation program housed on physiciansapply.ca, a self-education program intended to help physicians learn about the cultural expectations and standards of communication between physicians and patients and between health professionals in Canada. The latest module added to the program is “Compassionate Virtual Care.”

But why is PRA necessary? The common conditions physicians see in Canada are often related to an aging population, chronic diseases, and the country’s unique population groups, including Indigenous Peoples, and might not reflect the common conditions seen in an IMG’s home country. Dr. Jon Witt, Medical Director of the Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA), explains that there’s a bridging of knowledge and skills that needs to happen to support an IMG’s transition into Canadian practice and ensure patient safety. “During the 12-week clinical field assessment, assessment is going on, but learning is also going on. A broken ankle is the same across the world, but how you investigate it, how you communicate to patients, what follow-up would be done, how you communicate to other members of the team, and the medications you would use. Those are different.” It’s essential that PRA candidates demonstrate knowledge of appropriate therapeutic strategies when managing medical conditions in a Canadian context while meeting patients’ expectations of a high standard of care. Importantly, as Dr. Burak clarifies, PRAs are “not re-training.” PRA programs identify qualified candidates and discover through assessment whether they’re competent and safe to practise in the Canadian context.

A shared challenge of the PRA programs is the recruitment of assessors. It’s also the single most limiting factor in expanding PRA program participant numbers. A lot of demands have been placed on physicians during the pandemic; the same diminishing pool of physicians is caring for patients while acting as teachers and supervisors to medical learners in the Canadian streams. Often, it’s other IMGs who step up. Dr. Witt says, “they understand the immigration journey. A lot of them have trained in the same country, sometimes even the same medical school as the applicants coming through.” Many assessors have come through PRAs themselves and see becoming an assessor as a way to give back. Dr. Bergin adds, “there’s a real feeling of kinship.” 

At the end of each 12-week intake, new family physicians enter practice, joining communities where they’re desperately needed. Dr. Bergin hears frequent praise for the PRA candidates from both assessors and patients. “They’re being well received in their communities and are doing well out there.” NAC PRA assisted 600 family doctors in entering the Canadian health workforce in the last five years. Averaging 120 doctors annually, this figure is comparable to the number of graduates from a Canadian medical school.

In good news, existing NAC PRA programs have recommitted to the framework for another three to five years. Dr. Burak believes “if the IMG pool of applicants is large enough, there should be the potential to expand all of the programs across the country.” NAC PRA is making a notable contribution to the physician workforce and offers an essential bridge to IMGs to follow their calling in Canada. 

The post A Pathway to Licensure for Internationally Educated Physicians appeared first on HiveInnovates.

With the value of health-care workers more apparent than ever, a new degree at Seneca equips tomorrow’s nurses with the skills and knowledge to be leaders in their profession.

The first cohort of students in Seneca’s Honours Bachelor of Science – Nursing (BSN) program — which launched in September of this year — is acquiring a global perspective that will help them make a positive difference in our most vulnerable communities.

BSN students will graduate after four years with the prerequisites to become registered nurses in Ontario. 

“The pandemic has shone a light on the critical need for nurses, and we all understand the important role they play in a strong health-care system,” says Maria May, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Arts and Health Sciences. “Seneca can now further support this need with its own degree program, featuring a state-of-the-art facilities with patient care labs and simulation rooms that are second to none.”

The BSN degree is offered at Seneca’s King Campus, a unique destination among Ontario colleges, which is surrounded by more than 280 hectares of protected green space and boasts custom-designed teaching and learning spaces at the newly constructed Magna Hall.

The BSN degree program features placements in various clinical settings. Students gain transferrable skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, self-management, and communication, which will serve them throughout their careers.

The BSN curriculum includes newly developed courses based on COVID-19 and other current trends in health care. In addition, students learn from experienced faculty about best practices, ethical decision-making, leadership skills, and commitment to excellence in nursing care.

The practical portion of the BSN program includes experience in the 20-bed patient care simulation lab at Magna Hall, where students take part in hands-on learning that reflects what they will encounter on the front lines.

“The Honours Bachelor of Science – Nursing degree program builds on more than 50 years of nursing education,” says Sharon Cassar, Chair of the School of Nursing at Seneca. “Our curriculum is taught by industry professionals and provides the foundation for a fulfilling career spent helping others.”

BSN graduates will find careers waiting for them in Canada or abroad with a wide array of employers, including hospitals, public health units, community nursing organizations, rehabilitation centres, long-term care facilities, private clinics, and more.

“There has never been a better time to consider a career in nursing,” says May, herself a former nurse. “Trained nurses are in high demand, and that’s expected to remain the case for a long time to come as Canada’s population ages. Seneca is proud to offer its students this new pathway to becoming registered nurses.”

Applications are now open for the next intake of the Honours Bachelor of Science – Nursing program in January 2023.

The post Now Is Your Time to Consider a Career in Nursing appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Staffy was founded in 2015 to connect businesses in the hospitality industry with skilled labour to fill last-minute vacancies. For example, if a server or dishwasher were needed, a restaurant could use the Staffy app to have one on-site within 90 minutes.

When the COVID-19 pandemic started and restaurants had to scale back, many workers in the industry needed jobs. Staffy started sending restaurant workers into long-term care homes to fill shifts for food prep, cleaning, and serving.

“We were soon asked to provide vaccinators, nurses, dietary aides, and personal support workers, so we began to onboard these workers to the Staffy app,” says Peter Faist, Founder and CEO of Staffy.

Throughout the pandemic, Staffy has helped long-term care homes fill critical staffing roles to support patient care, including in homes that reported an outbreak. In addition, the on-demand staffing platform supported staffing of essential roles in intensive care units (ICUs), medicine units, and emergency departments with qualified and experienced workers.  

Staffy popular with major hospitals and health-care organizations

Staffy’s temporary pivot has now become permanent, with the company serving both the hospitality and health-care industries.

Through its app, Staffy connects high-quality, vetted, ready-to-work nurses, PSWs, and other skilled workers with vacant shifts in hospitals and other health-care organizations. The app focuses solely on matching workers to short-term work. 

Staffy is proving popular with a growing number of health-care organizations that need to fill gaps temporarily.

“Our staff received great reviews and were asked to return,” Faist says. “We’re proud of the role we’ve played during these challenging times to help fill these gaps by connecting health-care workers to health organizations most in need.”  

Workers matched with shifts in a matter of minutes

Faist stresses that Staffy is not a staffing agency. “We’re a platform that connects health-care organizations to highly qualified, pre-vetted workers to fill critical shifts at the last minute or hard-to-fill shifts like on weekends, holidays, or overnight,” he says. “What sets us apart from staffing agencies is that we use digital technology that’s so efficient we can match workers to shifts almost instantly. This means our overhead is lower, and we can charge lower service fees. We’re therefore able to pass on savings to our clients and save the health-care system money.”

With 10,000 skilled and vaccinated health-care workers on its platform, including nurses (RN and RPN), PSWs, laboratory technologists, and dietary aides, Staffy can fill shifts within minutes and has a shift fill rate of 95 per cent. 

Its rigorous vetting process ensures that all workers are certified, licensed, and meet the unique requirements of each client, helping organizations fill shifts quickly with the most qualified candidates. In fact, only 20 per cent of applicants are approved through Staffy’s vetting process, Faist says, so companies can be confident about workers’ skills and credentials.

Staffy provides flexibility for health-care workers

And Staffy is also filling a need for health-care workers who want more autonomy and flexibility. “A growing number of health-care workers do not want to work for one employer, or may not want to work full time. They want the flexibility to work when and where they want,” Faist says.

Workers can use Staffy to augment their part-time or full-time jobs to get additional experience in health-care settings while going to school to improve their qualifications, to remain active as a health-care provider after retiring, or to re-enter the health-care sector.

Workers pay no fees to use Staffy and companies set fair market rates for the talent they need to hire. Staffy earns a small transaction fee for each gig. “The workers who use our platform to find shifts are independent contractors who decide where they work, when they work, and how often they work,” Faist says.

And with much talk of the “great resignation” that has come in many industries during the pandemic, health care is no different. The industry has been hard hit with staffing shortages, especially in nursing, leading to serious issues, including health-care worker burnout and emergency room closures.

Fair wages for workers, lower costs for health system

“Our mission is to use the power of technology to improve patient care by bringing health organizations and health-care workers together and ensuring patients get the care they need,” Faist says. “We’re committed to being a dependable partner to health-care providers.” 

According to Faist, the key element of Staffy’s business model is its efficient technology, which enables the company to fill shifts in a matter of minutes and at a lower cost than traditional staffing agencies. “As a result, we’re able to create efficiencies and cost savings for health-care organizations and the broader health system while also ensuring fair wages for workers,” Faist says.

“At a time when our health-care system is stretched, it’s critical that we look to innovation to help fill gaps. Through the Staffy platform, we can efficiently and effectively optimize health-care workers to fill gaps in staffing across multiple hospitals and other organizations where they are most needed.”

The post Staffy Helps Fill Health-Care Vacancies — Fast appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Why did you decide to go into pharmacy?

Pharmacists are described as the most accessible health-care professionals, which was evident in my experience growing up. In rural Saskatchewan, there’s not always reliable access to people like doctors, dentists, and optometrists. The pharmacy was the one health-care facility that I didn’t have to routinely travel to another town to access. When I was choosing a career to pursue, I couldn’t help but reflect on all the opportunities pharmacies provided. Pharmacists were always there to answer any health-related questions or concerns I had and advocated for the people in my life who needed care.

How has the pandemic impacted pharmacy care?

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many health-care facilities opted to provide care virtually or over the phone. This was never an option for most pharmacies. Pharmacists were responsible for ensuring patients still had active prescriptions, whether using their own prescriptive authority or communicating with other health-care professionals. Several drug shortages have occurred, which means pharmacists have been monitoring the drug supply chain and balancing distributing medications to those who need them while also ensuring others are not stockpiling their supplies.

Providing COVID-19 vaccines has probably been the biggest change in pharmacies. I spent a summer employed in a rural pharmacy that went from doing a hundred injections in a flu season to doing hundreds of injections weekly during the pandemic. These numbers were even more elevated in city pharmacies. Saskatchewan even implemented emergency legislation that allowed pharmacy students like me to get injection-trained to help with the vaccination demand. In typical circumstances, only licensed pharmacists could do this in Saskatchewan. Although it’s exciting to see the expanded scope of practice for pharmacists becoming used more during the pandemic, there are also negative effects. Many pharmacies perform these extra tasks with the same staff levels they had before the pandemic. This has led to severe understaffing in pharmacies, whether they be community, hospital, or specialized. The stress of dealing with the pandemic’s repercussions has also led to many pharmacy staff burning out.

How have you managed your mental health throughout the pandemic?

My initial pharmacy classes were online at the beginning of the pandemic. It was very isolating to have never met my classmates in person and to deal with the incredibly high workload of a professional program completely alone. Working part-time in health-care settings where my colleagues and mentors were overworked and burnt out was a very eye-opening way to start a career. It’s been so important for me to take actual time for my own health, whether it be going for walks, watching a movie, or calling someone I love. And even though I didn’t get to meet my classmates in person right away, the connections I formed with them are still strong and real. We all experienced similar hurdles in becoming health-care professionals during the pandemic and have an understanding for each other that’s something I’ve never experienced before. Sharing our experiences and fears with each other is very therapeutic and helps make me feel less alone.

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The Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns (CAPSI) represents over 4,000 future pharmacists who envision the profession’s evolution first-hand through front-line experiences.

“Throughout the pandemic, pharmacists and pharmacy team members worked tirelessly, providing accessible care and services to the public. Their resiliency and critical thinking excite me about my future profession,” says Ryan Chan, a PharmD student at University of Saskatchewan and CAPSI’s Professional Development Week Education Officer. “During the first wave, the number of prescriptions my pharmacy was processing more than doubled. With many drug shortages, the pharmacy staff continued to actively source and recommend alternatives for patients.”

Pharmacists stepping up across Canada

Melanie King, the senior CAPSI representative at Memorial University of Newfoundland, expresses similar sentiments, “As a first-year pharmacy student working during the pandemic, it made me confident in my choice to pursue pharmacy, seeing how irreplaceable pharmacists are in patient care. They are able to adapt in many situations, and I’m proud to be part of this profession.”

King described how her pharmacy found innovative ways to help patients, including virtual medication reviews, free prescription delivery, and opioid agonist maintenance treatment (OAMT). “We also contacted prescribers for patients who were stable on OAMT about the possibility of having more carries while isolating.”

Steven Huynh, a PharmD student at University of Waterloo and CAPSI’s Executive Secretary, shared stories from specialty pharmacy, “We primarily dispense medications for autoimmune conditions. Because these often leave our patients immunocompromised, many are nervous about leaving their house,” he explained, “Thankfully, our pharmacy has an entire team dedicated to co-ordinating deliveries. We also provide virtual appointments to train those newly started on injection medications. We make it a priority to ensure no patient gets left behind or falls between the cracks.”

Advocating for sustainable pharmacy services

Pharmacy students and interns are continuously inspired by the pharmacist role’s evolution throughout the pandemic, but there remain barriers and burnout, threatening the sustainability of services pharmacies offer their communities. Chan explains, “I’ve seen how community pharmacies are faced with increasing prescription volume and greater need for clinical services, but inadequate resources and insufficient legislation sometimes make it difficult for pharmacists to offer their full value to patients.” 

Florence Bédard Perrault, the CAPSI junior representative at Université de Montréal, shared how legislation changes inspired her to pursue pharmacy. “In 2020-2021, when I was scrolling through university programs, I realized I had never thought about becoming a pharmacist. So I started doing my research and found a profession closely helping its community through vaccination, test distribution, and plenty of other activities allowed by Bill 31, newly adopted in Quebec. I think these new regulations really contributed to the pharmacist’s recognition as a first-line health-care professional.”

CAPSI is continuously involved in advocating for the services, support, and sustainability that will empower pharmacy students and interns to step up for their patient communities as they enter this profession.

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Why did you decide to become a PSW?

I became a PSW because I feel it’s a privilege to be there for those going through the most vulnerable times in their lives. And that’s the most rewarding part for me — when you can see the impact your work has on people. When things just click, you realize, “Yes, this is why I’m here.”

As a PSW, what major changes and challenges did you notice throughout the pandemic?

The cost of the pandemic had an impact on our work and how our lives were affected. I saw firsthand system failure after system failure and how that weighed on those who needed us the most. I signed up to help those in vulnerable positions, but I also signed up to do my job properly.

How have you been taking care of yourself during the pandemic?

During those hardships, I was able to find the Ontario PSW Association and not only have them hear my concerns but become their spokesperson. I advocated not only for myself but for my colleagues and the health-care field as well. It was almost therapeutic being welcomed with open arms and being so accepted by a group of people. They cheered me on and supported my words on their platform. As a result, I can now speak my mind on a broader spectrum. It has been a full-circle moment in my career, and I wouldn’t change it. My heart is in this field.

The post Q&A with COVID-19 Warrior and PSW Taylor Booroff appeared first on HiveInnovates.

Why did you decide to become a nurse?

I’ve always found science and the human body extremely fascinating — facts like growing human life or injury repair at the cellular level always blew my mind. However, in addition to my love for science, my dedication to providing compassionate care to humans grew tenfold while working as a personal support worker for an individual with ALS. Knowing that I could positively impact an individual with my caring attitude truly drew me into nursing.

What advice do you have for people starting their nursing careers?

Ask, ask, ask. You won’t ever know the answer to everything, and this is expected! Use the resources around you to ensure proper and efficient care is provided to your patients. Also, it will most likely take you six to twelve months to feel comfortable and confident walking into a shift — we have all been there, so we understand what you’re going through.

How have you been taking care of yourself?

Keeping my mind and body healthy has been a priority — workout classes, walks with friends, get-togethers with family, and reading e-books while taking a relaxing bath have all contributed to my physical and mental well-being. 

What inspired you to share your journey on @yournursingeducator?

I had just completed my accelerated nursing degree when I started the Instagram page. I finished the degree thinking, “Wow, that was a lot.” However, I knew that it would be much appreciated if I could somehow make the learning process easier for other students. So I started sharing educational and motivational nursing content and immediately received positive feedback. Five years into it, I’m still sharing content meant to make the lives of nursing students and new grad nurses easier.

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The definition of essential service is “absolutely necessary; extremely important.” The image this conjures would naturally and deservedly be of health-care workers. However, what if there was a shift in perspective, meaning the term “absolutely necessary” is attached to the construction sector. What would this look like?

Most people would scoff at the idea of an “essential” construction worker. What would happen to this perspective if it was shared that the concrete trade, for example, the foundation of all builds, is losing 50 per cent of its workforce that’s able to place and finish an institutional flat floor. Big deal, you think, except that the highly sensitive hospital equipment we all rely on in operating rooms have building specifications that detail floor flatness and floor levelness in order for equipment to function properly and delivering this type of concrete install requires a skilled concrete crew. Now extend this perspective to 50-story high-rises, infrastructure builds, houses, warehouses, and so on.

This perspective changes the notion of “essential,” and as all companies across Canada experience a labour shortage, the question becomes how does the sector save essential construction trades like concrete? Government can’t fix the structural deficit in the labour force. Declining birth rates and the retirement of 30 to 50 per cent of the trades workforce in the next few years have left most, if not all, employers scrambling for labour.

How do we solve a problem that normally would have been solved through HR departments placing ads with employment/recruitment sites and companies or exhibiting at a job fair? We know this traditional root is no longer garnishing results, as there are no people to fill the positions, qualified or otherwise. Time to think outside the box. Canadian Skilled Trades Association, C-STA, offers this out-of-the-box solution for the Construction Sector.

The answer is rooted in practical, targeted sourcing of labour. The reality is not everyone is suited to work in the trades.

Canadian Skilled Trades Association (C-STA) sources new talent within Canada. C-STA transition youth, women, newcomers, and Indigenous individuals from across Canada into the trades. What sets C-STA apart from others is its unique approach to sourcing, attracting, and, most importantly, vetting participants in the program. We understand not everyone is suited for the trades. Furthermore, C-STA also fills the gaps in today’s training by offering hands-on training vs. the traditional classroom learning style. We develop programs with industry. We know the best tradespeople require hands-on learning, not classroom teaching with multiple choice testing. We get the right people job ready. Finally, C-STA saves employers time and money by vetting candidates prior to a commitment to hiring. Together all of these out-of-the-box strategies are garnishing results for employers.

There truly is an untapped and existing labour market within Canada. The challenge is adjusting the traditional decision-making paradigm of those hiring when it comes to continuing to support the same old programs, institutions, and recruitment avenues.

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Skills Ontario is a charity organization that has been delivering programming to promote skilled trades and technologies to youth for over 30 years. Through the pandemic, the organization adapted to deliver programming virtually and noticed a shift. With a cultural spotlight on essential workers, more and more Canadians realized the importance of and need for professionals in the skilled trades and technologies.

The significance of skilled careers

Professionals working in the skilled trades and technologies are crucial to our province and our country. We depend on their work every day. They build our homes, maintain our cars, produce our tools, prepare our food, keep us connected to others, and provide services that are irreplaceable.

Skills Ontario works to deliver educational, engaging programs that inspire young Ontarians to picture themselves in these careers. Disproving stigmas and shining a light on the importance of these fields is one of the many ways we do that. By running the country’s largest skilled trades and technologies competition every May, in addition to conferences, workshops, a mobile app, the new Trades & Tech Truck, and events throughout the year, Skills Ontario is providing a space for young people to explore their pathways and get inspired.

The organization prioritizes ensuring the skilled workforce is diverse and welcoming. Through our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity initiatives, we’re making sure that youth know the skilled trades and technologies welcome all.

For over 20 years, Skills Ontario has been running its Young Women’s Initiatives program. Through experiential learning, mentorship, and networking opportunities, we’ve reached thousands of young women with an aim to inspire them to explore career paths they may have never considered before or might have even been discouraged from considering.

Skills Ontario has also been running First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Initiatives since 2011 and continues to engage Indigenous youth through Skilled Trades & Tech Days, Student Conferences, and more.

Benefits and opportunities for you

Skilled trades and technologies offer amazing opportunities. They’re always in demand, are lucrative and rewarding, offer incredible growth opportunities, and are hands-on. They also help develop transferrable skills — there are many opportunities to implement your abilities across different skilled professions and fields.

“As an organization dedicated to empowering youth to explore careers in the skilled trades and technologies, we work to highlight the importance of skilled professionals and bridge the skills gap,” says Ian Howcroft, CEO of Skills Ontario. “Through our programs and initiatives, we emphasize that the skilled trades and technologies are suitable for all. We will continue to put our efforts into making sure all Ontarians feel included, heard, and appreciated.”

The post How Skills Ontario Is Inspiring Youth to Pursue Skilled Trades appeared first on HiveInnovates.