Manitoba trying to reel in former nurses with changes to reinstatement requirements

The Manitoba government is teaming up with provincial nursing colleges to get former nurses back into their scrubs.

Wednesday afternoon, the NDP announced changes are being made to reinstatement requirements, so licensed practical, registered and registered psychiatric nurses can get back to work quickly.

Starting right away, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said nurses experienced in Manitoba’s health-care system, and who have worked in the last half-decade, won’t need as many recent practice hours for reinstatement. They can also register conditionally or come back under supervision.

“We need every trained nurse in Manitoba to be working in health care to deliver the quality of care that Manitobans deserve,” Asagwara said, adding that regulatory amendments to make these changes permanent should be in place this spring.

Retired nurses might also be eligible for financial help to cover costs attached to being reinstated, the minister said. For more information on this, retired nurses are encouraged to connect with an employment navigator.

Nurses wanting to got back on the floor are asked to contact the regulatory college associated with their profession for details, including the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba, College of Licensed Pratical Nurses of Manitoba, and College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba.