Attracting Graduates in Rural Regions
Organization:
Manitoba French Health Network
Project:
Nursing Program Bus Tour
In collaboration with Southern Health-Santé Sud and the CNFS-volet Université de Saint-Boniface, Santé en français Manitoba, the French-language Health Network in that province, organized a tour of three health establishments in the rural region of Santé Sud for future graduates of the nursing programs of Saint-Boniface University. This original initiative’s goal was to attract future graduates to rural regions, to encourage them to do a clinical internship in these regions and to subsequently work there. The initiative also sought to establish ties between the managers of the establishments, the community and the future graduates of these programs.
Network staff and 20 students boarded a rented bus and travelled more than 200 km to tour the participating establishments. They were warmly welcomed everywhere and were able to visit the sites, meet key people, ask questions and obtain information.
All of the participants would recommend this visit to future graduates:
- 80% of participants indicated that the visit would incite them to do a practical internship in rural establishments;
- 80% stated that they would consider the region to begin their career;
- 100% want to work in a designated bilingual position.
All of the establishments gave us a feeling of being very important.
Since then, the event has been successfully replicated and adapted in Southern Ontario’s Niagara region.