Manitoba spending $19.5M to increase number of nurse training seats by more than 30%

The government of Manitoba is spending $19.5 million to increase the number of nurse training seats by more than 30 per cent starting this year, the premier announced Wednesday.

There are currently more than 800 nursing seats in Manitoba at six colleges and universities across the province, but the government says it will add 259 more starting this year as part of its multi-year plan to create 400.

Although the details haven't been finalized, the plan is to add:

• 120 registered nursing seats at the University of Manitoba.
• 55 licensed practical nursing seats through Assiniboine Community College in Portage la Prairie and rotating rural sites.
• 37 nursing seats at University College of the North, which were announced on Tuesday.
• 32 registered nursing and registered psychiatric nursing seats at Brandon University.
• 15 combined bachelor of nursing and licensed practical nursing seats at St. Boniface University.

The plan to create almost 400 seats was announced in July.

The money announced Wednesday will help the universities and collegesinvest inequipment, classroom renovations and instructors to support the additional seats.

"We know this pandemic has put an enormous strain on our nurses and our health-care system," Premier Heather Stefanson said at a news conference.

"Our government is keen to work closely and collaboratively with our post-secondary institutions to expand nursing education seats across the province to ensure Manitoba has a strong nursing workforce now and well into the future."

Health-care workers have called on the province to do more to meet theirimmediate needs as ICUs are close to capacity and patients are being moved away from family to other hospitals to receive care.

On Monday, the province announced it has requested 15-30 ICU nursesfrom the federal government for a period of six weeks to meet those immediate needs.

Health Minister Audrey Gordon didn't have any update on the status of that request on Wednesday.

"We're continuing to have discussions with our federal counterparts that will evolve over the next few days, and we'll have more to say once those discussions have concluded," Gordon said.