The Manitoba government is strengthening intensive care unit (ICU) capacity with a record 45 nurses completing specialized critical care training this spring and preparing to work in hospitals across the province.
“For years, nurses were asked to do more with less and our hospitals did not have the ICU capacity to meet patient needs,” said Premier Wab Kinew. “We’re turning that around by rebuilding our health-care system and supporting the people who make it work. These nurses are stepping into critical roles in our ICUs, helping us achieve new nurse-patient ratios and ensuring Manitobans can get the care they need when it matters most.”
The nurses began their training on Jan. 5 and will complete the program on April 23, preparing them to work in ICUs and other high-acuity hospital settings. A new cohort will begin training on April 27, providing a steady pipeline of highly trained ICU nurses for Manitoba’s health-care system.
“This training program is about building a stronger pipeline of skilled nurses for Manitoba hospitals,” said Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara. “We are recruiting more nurses, expanding training opportunities and supporting internationally educated professionals so that more Manitobans can receive care from strong frontline teams. There is more work to be done, but these new ICU nurses are helping us rebuild health care.”
Training more ICU nurses is one part of the Manitoba government’s ongoing efforts to rebuild the nursing workforce. Working in partnership with the Manitoba Nurses Union, the Manitoba government has established the Provincial Travel Nurse Team, which provides nurses the opportunity to work in communities with critical staffing needs while remaining part of Manitoba’s public health-care system.
“Strengthening Manitoba’s health-care system will require a multi-pronged approach,” said Darlene Jackson, president, Manitoba Nurses Union. “Training more ICU nurses is an important step toward safe staffing levels and the nurse-patient ratios Manitobans deserve. When nurses have the support and staffing, they need, patients receive better, safer care.”
Through Manitoba’s Health Care Retention and Recruitment Office, more than 600 internationally educated nurses have engaged with the office, with many participating in the expedited nurse re-entry program, the minister noted.
