More Funding to Support Healthcare Recruitment in Mi’kmaw Communities

Health and wellness organization Tajikeimik will receive funding from the Province to help recruit Indigenous healthcare workers.

In collaboration with the L’nu Nursing Initiative at Dalhousie University, Tajikeimik will create a magazine and website focusing on Mi’kmaw nurses and career opportunities. These resources will promote nursing programs, provide information to help navigate application processes and showcase Mi’kmaw role models in the healthcare industry.

“Our healthcare system needs to reflect all the Nova Scotians it serves. We need and want more Mi’kmaq and Indigenous people to consider careers in healthcare,” said L’nu Affairs Minister Karla MacFarlane, on behalf of Michelle Thompson, Minister responsible for the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment. “We are excited to support Indigenous people as they pursue careers in nursing and make a difference in our healthcare system and our communities.”

The funding is from the government’s new Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund. A total of 28 groups across Nova Scotia applied by the December 19 deadline, and more successful applicants will be notified in the coming weeks.

The fund, worth $2 million in total, is among the recruitment and retention initiatives outlined in Action for Health, the Province’s plan to improve healthcare.

Quotes:

“I have been working on trying to create a magazine showcasing Mi’kmaq nurses for a while. I would like to thank the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment for the funds to finally make this happen. My hope for the showcase is for all current nurses to unite and be proud of their achievements. I know this will give our community members a sense of pride. Most of all, I hope to inspire others, including youth, to become a nurse and to see the current nurses as mentors for their future.”

– Dawn Googoo, L’nu Nursing Initiative Lead under the Nova Scotia Chair in Indigenous Health Nursing, Dalhousie University

Quick Facts:

• Tajikeimik, the new health and wellness authority created to lead health transformation for Mi’kmaw communities in Nova Scotia, will receive $28,755
• organizations across the province could apply for up to $100,000 from the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund
• to be eligible, community organizations had to be a registered society, association, non-profit or charity; municipalities and chambers of commerce were also eligible
• two funding streams were available: community identified projects and community readiness supports; groups could request funding from one or both

Additional Resources:

Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund: https://beta.novascotia.ca/apply-funding-recruit-and-retain-healthcare-professionals-ohpr-community-fund

Action for Health: https://novascotia.ca/actionforhealth/

Mandate letter of the Minister of Health and Wellness and Minister responsible for the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-DHW.pdf