Recruiting 120,000 employees: this is the health network’s colossal task for the next five years in order to keep services afloat.
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The recruitment needs anticipated over the next five years are enormous to curb the glaring labor shortage. For example :
- More than 55,000 beneficiary attendants
- More than 43,000 nurses
- More than 12,000 social workers
- Nearly 5,000 technologists
Not to mention the hundreds of respiratory therapists, psychologists and pharmacists who will also have to join the ranks of the network.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) emphasizes that these forecasts “represent the estimated number of hires necessary to replace projected departures from the network and meet additional needs”.
To achieve this, it is counting in particular on foreign workers, with the hiring of 1,000 graduate nurses outside the country over the next few years.
Last fall, 216 student nurses had already been recruited.
Training and scholarships
Accelerated training and scholarship programs are also deployed for nursing assistants and beneficiary attendants.
This is one of the solutions to which the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal has turned to meet its labor needs in its 17 residential centres.
“Not all the programs are sufficient to meet the demand,” remarks Frédéric Boulé, assistant accommodation manager, hence the importance of diversifying the origin of future employees.
Accelerated training does not replace the school career in vocational training, but fills a more immediate need.
Scholarship recipients undertake to work in a CHSLD for at least one year. And Mr. Boulé argues that the retention rate is 70% following this first year among some 900 individuals trained within his CIUSSS.
For Chantale Beaucher, director of the Observatoire de la formation professionnelle du Québec and professor at the University of Sherbrooke, a seduction campaign is nevertheless necessary to attract young people leaving high school.
“This job suffers from a bit of an image problem,” she laments, regarding the job of attendant. Nonetheless, she believes the pandemic has helped to highlight her importance.
Still room
Moreover, the labor shortage also leads to overwork and a deterioration of conditions, frequently decried by current health care workers.
However, the current gloomy portrait does not discourage future students too much, underlines the director of studies at Collège Rosemont, Marie-Claude Boutet.
The facility offers many health-related techniques, such as nursing care or respiratory therapy.
“Applications for admission are holding up, but in the majority of our programs, we might accommodate more students,” says Ms. Boutet.
Needs over the next five years
- 1107 Nurse Practitioner Specialist (NPS)
- 12,850 Auxiliary nurse
- 29,563 Nurse technician and clinician
- 1409 Respiratory therapists
- 764 Pharmacist
- 55,707 Beneficiary attendant and auxiliaries
- 1109 Psychologist
- 4493 Medical technologists (medical imaging, radiodiagnostics, etc.)
- 12,197 Social worker and human relations officer
- 119,199 people in total
Source : MSSS
A vocation before being a profession
Future beneficiary attendants starting accelerated training to work in CHSLDs say they are doing it primarily by vocation.
Met on the second floor of an elementary school in Montreal, the group of students who begin a three-month training is eclectic.
Among them, Louise Plante, aged 56, is retired from a bank and is starting a second career.
Azzedine Zidani, 38, has recently arrived from Algeria and Mariedith Gervais, 27, wants to train following a few years in an intermediate resource (IR).
They have received a $9,200 scholarship and are committed to working for at least one year in a CHSLD of the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, following their training leading to an attestation of professional studies ( EPA).
“It’s my vocation”, launches with confidence the youngest of the group, who sees herself in this profession for the long term.
“I like helping people, I can’t refuse a service,” adds Mr. Zidani, who also supported a loved one suffering from cancer before immigrating to Quebec with his young family.
Give the right time
“I want to make myself useful,” adds Louise Plante, who also has a past as a first aider.
“The profession is misunderstood, it is so much more than [de changer des couches]. It’s human work,” she says.
“It’s not an easy job, but it’s so rewarding,” continues trainer Mélanie Valiquette, a nursing assistant by profession.
She does not hide from her students regarding the challenge that awaits them; it is better that they let go in class than once at the bedside of elders.
“I do not hide the reality of the profession from my students […]. When patients vomit or when changing panties, there are sure to be odors. You also have to live with death, old age and cognitive deficits, ”she lists.
“But it’s an honor to be able to accompany a person in their last moments,” adds Ms. Valiquette.
And around her, the three students are ready to roll up their sleeves to help seniors end their old age with dignity.
