Rural hospitals across midwestern Ontario are continuing to recruit for nurses and other health-care professionals, with dozens of positions currently advertised across hospital systems in Bruce, Grey, Huron, and Perth counties.
A review of hospital career pages by CKNXNewsToday.ca found South Bruce Grey Health Centre, the Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance, and Huron Health System are all seeking workers in multiple clinical areas, including nursing, medical imaging, laboratory services, and pharmacy.
South Bruce Grey Health Centre currently has more than 30 individual job postings listed across its four hospital sites in Kincardine, Walkerton, Chesley, and Durham.
The postings include nine registered nurse positions and five registered practical nurse positions, along with jobs for medical laboratory technologists, ultrasonographers, pharmacy staff, and other health-care workers.
Several of the nursing positions are connected to acute care and emergency departments, including full-time and part-time positions at Chesley and Durham and a full-time resource-team position serving all four sites.
SBGHC is among the rural hospitals eligible for provincial programs aimed at attracting new nurses.
"The Tuition Support Program for Nurses offers tuition reimbursement to recent nursing graduates from rural and remote communities," the health centre said on its recruitment page.
Recruitment is also ongoing at Listowel Memorial Hospital and Wingham and District Hospital.
The Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance currently lists more than a dozen public job postings, including nursing positions in emergency, obstetrics, medicine and the operating room. It is also recruiting medical laboratory assistants, pharmacy workers, and other staff.
The Alliance said it is participating in several provincial recruitment initiatives, including the Nursing Graduate Guarantee and Learn and Stay Grant.
"The NGG program is designed to support Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses who are within 12 months of registering with the College of Nurses of Ontario by providing them with a full-time employment opportunity," the Alliance said.
Huron Health System is also recruiting at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich and South Huron Hospital in Exeter.
AMGH currently lists clinical openings for registered nurses, registered practical nurses, medical laboratory technologists, a respiratory therapist, and a medical radiation technologist.
South Huron Hospital is advertising three ultrasound technologist positions, including temporary full-time, part-time, and job-share opportunities.
However, Huron Health System cautions that the number of postings on a hospital career page should not automatically be interpreted as the number of positions a hospital is short.
"You may notice many part-time or temporary postings," AMGH said on its job board.
The hospital stated those jobs are part of maintaining around-the-clock operations, adding that "part-time roles, as well as backfilling for temporary leaves of absence, are a vital part of how we support our teams and patients every single day."
The current postings nevertheless show recruitment continuing across a wide range of health professions throughout the region, with nurses particularly prominent on the job boards of several rural hospitals.
