CREDIT: NORFOLK GENERAL HOSPITAL VIA FACEBOOK
Norfolk General Hospital, Norfolk Hospital Nursing Home, and Fanshawe College’s Simcoe Campus are collaborating to address the healthcare worker shortage.

Norfolk General Hospital (NGH), Norfolk Hospital Nursing Home (NHNH), and Fanshawe College’s Simcoe Campus have joined forces to address the community’s healthcare worker shortage. The new partnership aims to provide practical nursing and personal support workers with more educational opportunities, enabling them to complete their studies and seek employment.

Through the new partnership, students can gain work experience in their chosen fields before graduation, guided by a registered nurse, registered practical nurse (RPN), or personal support worker (PSW). This opportunity provides promising job prospects, with over 40 student placements available yearly at NGH and NHNH. Both facilities are looking forward to strengthening their healthcare workforce and developing the next generation of healthcare professionals.

According to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the union largest in Canada, representing almost 300,000 health, emergency services and education workers in Ontario, has called for the addition of 343 beds and 3,094 staff in London hospitals over the next four years to increase the capacity of healthcare facilities.


“We have had a long relationship with Norfolk General Hospital and Norfolk Hospital Nursing Home, and the hospital’s CEO [Todd Stepanuik] is now also responsible for the West Haldimand Hospital. That’s why we’ve been talking briefly about our shared interest in meeting the healthcare needs of the labour market, which are particularly challenging in rural communities,” said Donna Gates, Associate Dean for Fanshawe’s Simcoe/Norfolk Regional Campus.

From July 2022 to June 2023, there were over 200 unplanned temporary closures of emergency departments in 23 hospitals across Ontario.

“Hopefully, permanent employment means [students] will want to learn, study, work, and be part of Norfolk’s rural communities. They will be well established in their communities and stay to work and raise families; they are good places to be. And if people can come and experience that for about two years while they study, they'll probably love it here and won’t want to leave,” Gates said.

The partnership with Fanshawe College also offers an opportunity for aspiring healthcare professionals to expand their knowledge and skills. Provincial funding has enabled the healthcare labs on campus to receive updated equipment and learning resources this year.

“It’s just a beautiful space, too. So, to allow us to deliver a quality nursing program here on campus. We’re excited about that,” Gates said.

The college is thrilled about the job placements that it hopes will provide students with an opportunity to make a difference even before they graduate. Fanshawe’s Personal Support Worker program, located in Simcoe, accepts new students in January, May, and September. The Registered Practical Nurse program will admit its inaugural nursing class in September.