{"id":281605,"date":"2025-11-14T01:57:58","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T01:57:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/281605\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T01:57:58","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T01:57:58","slug":"ontario-announces-incentives-of-25k-plus-for-nurses-to-commit-to-long-term-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/281605\/","title":{"rendered":"Ontario announces incentives of $25K-plus for nurses to commit to long-term care"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ford government<\/a> is launching a major incentive program to encourage Ontario nurses to commit to long-term care<\/a> homes, offering $25,000-plus to those who agree to a two-year term.<\/p>\n

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Minister of Long-Term Care Natalia Kusendova-Bashta announced several measures on Wednesday, which she said could add as many as 8,000 nurses to the system.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know bringing more nurses into Ontario\u2019s long-term care homes will help ensure residents receive the quality of care and the quality of life they need and deserve,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The budget for the announcement is set at up to $180 million and will fund\u00a0three separate initiatives, the government said.<\/p>\n

One of the incentives essentially offers cash bonuses for those who make meaningful commitments to work in the sector.<\/p>\n

Nurses who agree to work in a long-term care home for two years will be eligible for a $25,000 payment, the government said.<\/p>\n

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An extra $10,000 will be offered to nurses who make two-year commitments to homes in remote or rural areas, along with a further $10,000 to cover the costs of moving.<\/p>\n

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While Ontario already had some programs in place for nursing incentives, they were run by the Ministry of Health rather than long-term care and had less money assigned to them.<\/p>\n

Funds will also be available for a pilot program in 2026-27 to create roles for 40 nursing students to gain experience in long-term care. Up to $110 million will be spent creating new nursing mentorship opportunities.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSupporting the recruitment and retention of NPs in LTC settings is critical to supporting the health, well-being and quality of life of Ontario\u2019s seniors,\u201d Dr. Michelle Acorn, president of the Nurse Practitioners Association of Ontario, said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe look forward to continuing to work with the provincial government to foster LTC environments where NPs can thrive, build careers, develop skills and protect Ontario\u2019s most vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ontario needs to dramatically increase the number of nurses it attracts and retains in long-term care as it looks to hit targets for hours of care and tries to build 30,000 new beds by 2028.<\/p>\n

A report this year from the provincial government<\/a> shows Ontario got close \u2014 but ultimately fell short \u2014 of its legislated goal of an average of four hours of direct care each day for every long-term care patient.<\/p>\n

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The Progressive Conservative government set the target in a 2021 law aimed at boosting both the amount of direct care residents receive from nurses and personal support workers, as well as other health professionals such as physiotherapists.<\/p>\n

While the government met its interim targets in the following two years, starting at three hours of direct care, it did not reach the third-year or final targets, amid staffing challenges.<\/p>\n

In the last year, the average direct hours of nursing and PSW care in long-term care homes across the province was three hours and 49 minutes, or 95.5 per cent of the four-hour target, according to a report recently published by the ministry.<\/p>\n

\u2014 with files from The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

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