The Ontario government is investing $35 million to increase enrolment in nursing education programs in publicly funded colleges and universities, Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton announced this morning.
The new spaces will be available for fall 2021 and winter 2022 cohorts and will introduce approximately 1,130 new practical nurses and 870 registered nurses into the health care system, the province said today.
"COVID-19 has exacerbated the gap between the current supply of nurses compared to Ontario’s current and future needs across the health care system," stated a government news release. "Today’s announcement is a significant step towards keeping pace with the rising demand for frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, especially in sectors where health care workers care for Ontario’s most vulnerable patients such as long-term care, home and community care and acute care."
Long-Term Care Minister Merilee Fullerton made the announcement at a virtual press conference today, joined by Colleges and Universities Minister Ross Romano.
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